Podcast Title: New York Farm Bureau News Bytes
Episode: #19: Interview with AimPoint Research on the War Gaming at STACON
Release Date: November 2, 2023

Introduction

In the nineteenth episode of New York Farm Bureau News Bytes, Steve Ammerman, the Director of Communications for the New York Farm Bureau, introduces an exciting feature of the upcoming state convention. The focus is on a unique war gaming experience facilitated by AimPoint Research, aimed at helping New York farmers navigate the evolving agricultural landscape.

"New York Farm Bureau's state convention will be unlike any other. Get ready for a war game that will help members plan for the future."
— Steve Ammerman [00:04]

Guest Introductions

Steve welcomes Daniel Cummins, Fusion Leader, and Ken Gilliam, Vice President of Predictive Analysis at AimPoint Research, to discuss their roles and the significance of their collaboration with the Farm Bureau.

"Danielle Cummins: ... We're super excited to be part of the podcast today talking about the state annual convention."
— Daniel Cummins [01:45]

"Ken Gilliam: ... I own the modeling and simulation side of our business where we do some predictive modeling to make a call on what the future is going to look like."
— Ken Gilliam [04:09]

Understanding AimPoint Research

Daniel Cummins elaborates on AimPoint Research's mission as a global strategic intelligence firm. The company provides market research, strategic support, consulting, and predictive analytics, particularly through their war gaming initiatives. AimPoint serves a diverse clientele across the agricultural value chain, from farmer boards to input suppliers and financial entities.

"Our clients range in experience from farmer boards like New York Farm Bureau to input suppliers and those that sit on the financial side..."
— Daniel Cummins [02:30]

Daniel also shares her personal connection to New York agriculture, highlighting her family's farm in Byron, New York.

"Before joining AimPoint, I worked as a crop insurance agent at Farm Credit East... My family has a farm here where we grow row crops and processing vegetables."
— Daniel Cummins [03:24]

Importance of Analytics in Agriculture

Ken Gilliam emphasizes the necessity for farmers to embrace analytics and data-driven decision-making to stay resilient and profitable amidst changing market and policy landscapes.

"The future is going to be different and it's going to require different... building some resilient systems and understanding."
— Ken Gilliam [06:11]

Daniel adds that actionable intelligence and trusted data empower farmers to make informed business decisions, ensuring the sustainability and growth of their operations.

"The message truly is finding good intelligence and data that impacts you and empowers you to continue to make smart business decisions..."
— Daniel Cummins [08:09]

Explaining War Gaming

The conversation shifts to the heart of the episode: war gaming. Ken provides a comprehensive overview of war gaming as a strategic tool borrowed from military practices to simulate complex decision-making scenarios.

"War gaming... involves humans making decisions and dealing with the consequences of those decisions."
— Ken Gilliam [09:46]

He explains that the exercise aims to explore potential future challenges and opportunities, encouraging participants to think creatively and strategically about their farming operations.

"We want everyone to walk away with a positive perspective on some of the challenges and opportunities that are there so they see that they can take action..."
— Ken Gilliam [19:15]

Engagement and Participation

Daniel and Ken discuss the interactive nature of the war gaming session planned for the convention. With potentially hundreds of participants, AimPoint will utilize interactive tools and small group facilitations to ensure active engagement and meaningful outcomes.

"We need all of the attendees to come in with... willing to participate, because the more robust activity we get, the more robust output we get from the meeting."
— Daniel Cummins [14:42]

Ken adds that the war game is designed to scale, accommodating both small and large groups while maintaining an engaging and competitive atmosphere.

"War games tend to scale pretty easily... incorporating competition to get some of the psychological juices of winning and losing."
— Ken Gilliam [13:26]

Expected Outcomes

The primary goal of the war gaming exercise is to foster actionable strategies that farmers can implement to navigate future uncertainties. Daniel highlights the importance of generating a tangible report from the session, serving as a reference for members who cannot attend and as a strategic guide for all participants.

"A deliverable is certainly a report that people can come back and think on and record what we've discussed in the room."
— Daniel Cummins [18:30]

Ken underscores the objective of inspiring proactive action and strategic thinking, ensuring that farmers leave the session with actionable insights.

"Strategy isn't strategy without action. So they have to take an action and get feedback from those around them."
— Ken Gilliam [17:53]

Additional Convention Highlights

Beyond the war game, the state convention offers a variety of workshops and activities tailored to address diverse business needs, risk management, and communication strategies. Attendees can also showcase and sell their local products in the New York Farm Bureau marketplace, participate in networking events, and enjoy a cornhole tournament in memory of Fred Perrin, benefiting the Young Farmers and Ranchers program. Additionally, there will be tastings of wine, beer, cider, and spirits supporting the promotion and education committee.

"On December 5th, we're gonna have six different workshops focusing on business needs, risk management and communications... Also on tap, literally a wine, beer, cider and spirits tasting..."
— Steve Ammerman [22:43]

Conclusion

Steve Ammerman wraps up the conversation by reiterating the significance of the war gaming session and the broader objectives of the convention in positioning New York agriculture for future success. He encourages members to register and engage fully in the event.

"It's going to be a fascinating opportunity for all involved to really help position agriculture here in New York and across the Northeast for what's coming our way."
— Steve Ammerman [23:02]

Daniel and Ken express their excitement and readiness to contribute to the convention, highlighting the unique blend of personal passion and professional expertise they bring to the table.

"I'm ecstatic that I can sort of blend my personal and my professional worlds all in one... interact with people that I know and call family, friends, and colleagues."
— Daniel Cummins [21:39]

"I'm excited to get... I feed off of Danielle's excitement."
— Ken Gilliam [22:19]

Steve concludes by announcing that this is the final podcast of the 2023 season, with plans to resume early next year.

Event Registration

For more information and to register for the state convention, visit the New York Farm Bureau Events Page or the specific convention website StayCon.

Thank you to Brett Scotto for his past keynote speeches and to Seth Moser Katz for editing this podcast. Remember to support and thank your local farmers for their invaluable contributions.