The Free Tool That's Saving Me Hours on the Farm

Hey Reader

I'll be honest. I resisted AI for a while, or at least didn't jump on the bandwagon.

I'm a farmer. I like the design and creative aspect of farming. Building / improving chicken tractors, watering systems, spreadsheets, etc.

Researching forums and images were part of that process. Literally asking a computer for help felt… weird.

But then I tried it. Fast forward a few years and now I use it every day for everything.

Not to replace the work. To get back time.

Here are a few ways AI has become one of my most useful farm tools:

Product descriptions. I know what I'm selling. I know the cuts, the weights, the details. But writing a product description that actually sounds good? That used to take me way too long.

Now I give AI the basics - the cut, the weight, how we raise our animals, and it turns it into something clean and readable. I set the tone. It does the formatting. Done in minutes.

Website copy. Same idea. I wrote the bones of my About page, but AI helped me shape it into something that flows. It's still my voice and my story. It just reads better.

Not only that, but I also ensure key words are present in all of my copy that helps Google understand which means showing up more in online searches (SEO - Search Engine Optimization).

Email ideas. Some weeks I sit down to write this newsletter and I know what I want to say but can't figure out how to start or the flow.

I'll tell AI what I've been working on, the main points / ideas I want to convey, what my goal is, and it gives me angles I hadn't thought of.

I still write every word, but it gets me unstuck fast. That and it keeps me from rambling (I tend to do this frequently) and keeps me on track.

Research. I used to Google everything. What's the average laying rate for Red Sex-Link hens? What's a fair processing cost per bird?

Now I just ask AI. And if I want to dig deeper, I ask it to point me to sources so I can verify. It's like having a research assistant who never sleeps.

Social media. This one's sneaky useful. I don't let AI write my posts, but I do ask it to review them.

Here's the thing: social media algorithms punish words like "buy," "sale," or "order now." If you haven't paid to boost a post, those words can tank your reach.

AI helps me rewrite posts so they sound natural and avoid those trigger words. Sometimes it even suggests putting the pitch in the comments instead of the post itself. Smart.

Projections. Want to know if raising 50 Cornish Cross is worth your time? Feed AI your numbers - bird count, feed cost, processing fees, expected weights - and it'll give you a rough projection. It's not perfect. But it gets you in the ballpark fast.

I still keep my own spreadsheet with actual weights and real numbers because that's the gold standard. But when you're evaluating a new enterprise or comparing against averages, AI gives you a solid starting point.

Email summaries. I subscribe to a lot of farm / business newsletters. Too many, honestly. Some weeks I just copy and paste them into AI and say, "Give me a quick summary and the key takeaways."

What used to take me 10 minutes to read takes two. I can get through five emails in the time it used to take me to read one.

One big word of caution: AI is not always right. And right now with the tech being new, it will can provide you the wrong answer with such confidence that you don't think to question. Don't bet the farm on it. Don't take it as gospel.

It gives you information and your job is to evaluate it. Think of it like advice from a neighbor. Helpful? Usually. Worth double-checking? Always!

If you're not using AI yet, I'd encourage you to start small. Pick one thing from this list and try it this week. You might be surprised how much time you get back.

Next week, I'm writing Part 2: the prompts that actually work. Because here's the truth about AI: you only get out what you put in. Knowing how to ask makes all the difference. Stay tuned for that one.

Until then, farm smarter, not harder. Here's an older video I did about using AI on the farm that you mind find helpful (little dated but still relevant).

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P.S. One of the places AI helps me most is writing product descriptions and website copy for the farms I work with through Homegrown Hosting. If your farm website needs better copy that moves product and gets you found online, or if you don't have a website yet, that's what we do. You farm, your story, your website. Check it out here​