big data

Chicago's public health department "is experimenting with a new technology to guide where (restaurant) inspections should occur, based on factors such as current weather, nearby construction and past health code violations," says the Washington Post in an article on applying so-called Big Data to food safety. New York City's health department "is testing software that scans online reviews...flagging mentions of potential food-poisoning events."

If Big Data was the topic du jour of the spring, drones are the buzz this summer. There have been regional sessions about them and the upcoming Dakotafest ag show will hold a day's worth of workshops on drones on Aug 20.

The big questions for the emerging Big Data era in agriculture will be resolved in the next couple of years, a panel of experts said on Tuesday, although none suggested the likely results.

Farm groups, seed companies and equipment manufacturers met in Kansas City to discuss common rules for gathering, use and ownership of Big Data without reaching a conclusion, says Reuters.