Jessica Koch grew up around farming and technology, developing an early interest in precision agriculture as a way to better understand variability in low rainfall environments. What began as curiosity about soils, mapping and machinery has evolved into a career focused on helping growers make clearer, more confident decisions using the right information at the right time. Now a precision agriculture consultant, grower and founder of Breezy Hill Precision Ag Consulting, Jess reflects on her journey from working at a local John Deere dealership to building her own business and backing herself to step out independently.
She shares a practical perspective on precision ag - not as perfection, but as using available tools and data to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making. Beyond the farm gate, Jess discusses her involvement with SPAA and her role in establishing Ladies on the Land in South Australia’s Upper North, highlighting the importance of creating spaces where people feel included, supported and confident to build skills and contribute.
This episode explores:
- What precision agriculture really means in practice
- How Jess built a career in precision ag through dealerships, consulting and on-farm experience
- Why facts and good information lead to better, more confident decisions
- How a leadership program helped Jess back herself and build her own consulting business
- The role of self-awareness, humour and energy in leadership and communication
- Why Ladies on the Land was created and the impact it has had in regional communities
- How women can build confidence, farm knowledge and stronger pathways into business and leadership
- Why precision ag doesn’t have to start with expensive tools, but with better use of the data already on hand
- How drought shaped decision making and reinforced the value of practical, low-cost precision ag
- Why autonomy, spot spraying and better farm data systems are exciting the next wave of ag innovation
Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pfN9ceGUzWQ
More information
https://www.breezyhillpas.com/
https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2022/08/using-common-precision-ag-data-layers-to-accurately-and-economically-ground-truth
GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.
GRDC Project Code:
HAG2507-001SAX https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments
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