Farming has always gone through its little revolutions as time has gone on. We no longer dig in the soil by hand. Only a very select few still use horses to draw their implements through the field. And we don’t just spread manure over the top of a field anymore. No matter what the changes have been, John Deere has worked hard to be at the forefront of every stage in agriculture. As we enter more precision Ag and conservation farming, John Deere is positioning itself to be among the leaders once again.
Jon Ebert is the manager of public and industry relations for John Deere. We had the chance to talk with him during the media preview event last Friday at the John Deere training center in Davenport, Iowa. He talked about helping revolutionize the way farming is done for a new generation. It isn’t always about the sexy stuff like tractors, combines, and planters. Sometimes, it’s tillage equipment, balers, and computer chips.
Of course, it all does start up front with the tractor.
However, the revolution in technology doesn’t stop in the cab of the tractor. While the tractor does the lion’s share of the work, incorporating technology into every piece of equipment it pulls through the field helps give you a whole farm perspective. Ebert speaks to how precision Ag tools are being integrated into actual implements.
Ebert says that with this new technology we’re only a small step away from fully autonomous operations in agriculture. Some of those operations are already happening. The biggest concern in agriculture seems to be that computers don’t have the real-world experience that a farmer has. Ebert says that autonomy is not about replacing the experience of the farmer, but rather giving the farmer a tool to help them accomplish more tasks at the same time.
Ebert says that this revolution in agriculture, just like the ones before it, is not just for those large farmers. There are ways to incorporate new technology into existing equipment and help small farmers do their best on their limited acres as well.
To learn more about how John Deere is helping revolutionize a new generation of agriculture, visit their website or your local John Deere dealer.
