So you believe they are highly averse to automation processes within their industry?. Thanks for the info though.
But you'll see protection mindsets at the local level too. Neighbors will lie about which seed they used, how much fertilizer, yield, etc, but not always. Like, someone who does cattle might be more free with their information when talking to a corn/soy farmer. Or take someone like a pepper farmer: a competing greenhouse is more likely to get stonewalled than a hobbyist who's just trying to understand why their fruits are small.
That's all I'm saying, I guess, is it's all in the approach. You'll get more traction from genuine curiosity than "I am building/selling this thing"