Choosing Inefficiency: Thoughts on AI in Farming, and in the Future

A few weeks ago, I joined a call with a group of regenerative and direct marketing farmers from across the country. One topic that has been sitting with me ever since is how farmers are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations and marketing.

The general feeling on the call was clear. Like it or not, the world is changing. If you don’t embrace AI, you risk being left behind.

The Growing Role of AI in Farming

Several farmers shared how they’ve begun using trained AI tools to help write newsletters, blog posts, and marketing materials. With some initial input, the software can learn your tone and writing style. It can even mimic your thought patterns and create content in your voice.

I’ll admit, the idea is tempting.

I genuinely enjoy writing our weekly newsletters and sharing updates with our customers. It helps me connect with the people who support what we do. But the truth is, it takes a lot of time and effort. On a busy farm, time is always in short supply. The idea of having a tool that could help with that? It’s appealing.

At the same time, I have my reservations.

Writing Means Something More

For me, writing is not just a task to check off the list. It’s how I reflect, work through ideas, and stay grounded in what matters. It’s personal.

I understand that AI can assist with the writing process. In many ways, it’s just another tool. But I can’t help but wonder what’s lost when we rely on a tool to do that kind of thinking for us. I worry that something essential gets dulled in the process, something human.

That’s not the direction I want to go. Maybe that puts me at a disadvantage. 

Maybe I’ll be seen as outdated.

If that’s the case, so be it. I choose inefficiency.

A Memory from My Grandfather

This conversation about AI reminded me of something my grandfather said about 20 years ago. We were driving down a rural road when we saw a massive combine moving through the fields. He shook his head and said it represented the destruction of the family farm.

At the time, I disagreed with him. I was in my twenties and fresh out of university. I believed we needed to feed more people, and that meant becoming more efficient.

Now I can see that both of us were right, depending on how you look at it.

The Price of Efficiency

If the goal is simply to produce more food using fewer resources, then my grandfather was wrong. Large equipment, genetically modified crops, pesticides, herbicides, and expansive monocultures all contribute to higher output. These tools and techniques have made it possible to feed a growing population, many of whom have little connection to how their food is grown.

Most people don’t want to work in the fields or butcher shops. In that context, efficiency is necessary.

Compared to even 20 years ago, we can now grow more food per acre with fewer hands involved. Go back 100 years, and the difference is even more dramatic. We’ve made a trade. In exchange for more and cheaper food, we’ve given up a lot. We’ve lost farmers, rural communities, traditional knowledge, and our connection to food systems.

If you look at it that way, my grandfather was right after all.

Why Our Farm Shouldn’t Exist

The truth is, if efficiency was the only thing that mattered, farms like ours wouldn’t exist.

It would be far more efficient to raise our animals in confined barns or feedlots. It would cost less, take less time, and simplify a lot of our operations. But we’ve chosen a different path.

We raise our chickens, pigs, and cows on pasture. It’s less efficient, yes. It requires more work and time. It doesn’t scale the way industrial farming does. But the results speak for themselves.

We offer our customers the best meat we can, from animals that have lived healthy, low-stress lives outdoors. We do it without massive loans or multi-million dollar barns and machinery. We’re still running a successful business, but we’re doing it on different terms.

When Inefficiency Becomes a Strength

Some people don’t understand why we farm this way. They see our higher prices and laugh at our “inefficiencies.” They say, “You can’t feed the world like that.”

But they don’t always see the full picture.

Our approach might not be efficient by their standards, but we are feeding ourselves and our community in a way that aligns with our values. We are producing nutrient-dense food, protecting the health of our land, and remaining financially sustainable without being tied to debt-heavy systems.

There are always trade-offs, but we believe this is the right one.

The Link Between AI and Industrial Farming

In some ways, the conversation about AI mirrors the one we’ve been having about agriculture for decades.

There will always be people who adopt the latest technology to increase output and cut costs. That’s part of progress. But there will also be people who choose a different path. They value quality over quantity, connection over convenience, and principles over productivity.

Just as regenerative agriculture has emerged in response to the shortfalls of industrial food systems, maybe a more mindful use of AI will emerge as well. Maybe there’s room for both. Maybe there has to be.

Why I Still Choose to Stay Human

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I know this wasn’t written by an algorithm. I sat down and wrote it myself, even though it took more time than it probably needed to.

For me, that time was worth it.

AI will continue to grow and change the way we live. That’s not necessarily bad. But in a world rushing to optimize and automate, there’s something powerful about choosing to stay human.

Sometimes, the “inefficient” way is what keeps us rooted in what matters most.