Mike Houghtaling owns P&C Ag Solutions, a technology business focused on serving farmers and others involved in the agriculture industry.
Founded in 2000, P&C Ag Solutions sought to satisfy a local demand for an independent agronomist and a technology consultant to help farmers make decisions on new and emerging precision-ag technologies for their operations.
Ever-evolving technology
Technology in agriculture, much like in other sectors, has evolved tremendously in recent years.
“When technology applications with GPS came to agriculture, it was all about farming smarter by the foot and doing site specific soil sampling,” Mike said. “Then, in the early 2000s, automating the actual driving of the tractor became a driving force behind technology in ag, which quickly moved to automating combines, planters and sprayers.”
While these automated machines are the foundation of Mike’s business, moving forward, he is focused on technology that utilizes specialized sensors to provide data on the intimate details of farmers’ soils and plants.
Capital intensive
Purchasing technology to enhance farm production can be very expensive, and many farmers don’t have the capital required to make such investments. That’s where Farm Credit plays a crucial role, partnering with farmers to help finance technology that has the potential to increase their yields in the long run.
Reflecting on his experience in the ag tech space, Mike said, “P&C Ag Solutions and the agriculture industry as a whole, really has a partner in Farm Credit.”
A family legacy of farming
When Mike talks with farmers about how technology might enhance their operations, he speaks with first-hand knowledge. He tests all of the equipment and devices on his family’s farm that he owns with his father and uncle. Using all the products he markets on their own farm, provides a level of experience that other dealers can’t match.
Looking to the future, Mike hopes to build something that he can pass down to his sons, continuing the legacy that his dad and uncle are leaving him. However, with the increase of consolidation in the agriculture industry, that’s proving more and more difficult. Farm Credit has been there to support Mike as he thinks through a plan for the future.
“We didn’t get here by accident. We’ve had our ups and downs over the last five generations, and without Farm Credit, I wouldn’t have been able to do some of the things I’ve done,” he said.