Raven Industries

[WiltonRanch]

This discussion looks akin to a bunch of people in the horse and buggy days discussing new fangled automobiles and tractors.

[farmaholic]

This discussion looks akin to a bunch of people in the horse and buggy days discussing new fangled automobiles and tractors.

Not all technology or marrying different technologies together necessarily make it to mainstream acceptance.

I see these things being useful in orchards, and large scale vegetable fields. Valuable commodities, not cheap mass produced commodities.

Just my opinion.

[woodland]

This discussion looks akin to a bunch of people in the horse and buggy days discussing new fangled automobiles and tractors.

Till they can identify a washout, fallen tree, wet spot, shrapnel that fell off the last equipment through the field I think we will have someone keeping the seat warm ready to press the clutch pedal. Maybe in paradise where flat, square fields without drainage issues and not surrounded by trees it’ll work perfectly.

Not all technology is great or required. Then again I’m a fan of the KISS theory 😉

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Not in my career, but consider we are a very small market in the world.
I bet over 95% of world farm machinery is operated by two feet and a heartbeat employees.
Increased automation always coming.

It's even worse than that ( or better depending on your perspective). Most farmers of the world (by quantity, if not by acres) are using equipment that is human powered, as in scythes, hoes, sticks pitchforks.
The disconnect that we in the first world see a need for such technology really makes you wonder.

[WiltonRanch]

I hate to dismiss new tech and look like a Neanderthal Luddite but I just do not see an advantage to what they envision for autonomous equipment. The logistics of moving multiple units would negate the advantage over a single large unit. Sure, maybe an orchard, vegetable patch, etc it would work fine. One of our members on this forum has done painstaking work developing his own autonomous system and even he says you can’t rule out the human element. I’d love to send out a couple 20’ units in my rolly cut up fields and drink beer on the headlands but what I have now and what can get done for the cost is efficient in my books.

[macdon02]

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/the-popes-monthly-intention

Checkout November prayer, ask and receive... this is absolutely fubar

[jamesb]

I think we are at a very very early stage on this stuff. In 15 years is when I expect I could get in. Work the bugs out. A year ago there was a couple quarters of fall rye planted with the DOT not far from me. It was watched pretty closely and lots of tinkering going on. I am a loss though as to why so many seem feel threatened by this tech? I am not pointing fingers here but on facebook there was negativity towards it. Are those people insecure about their own future in agriculture ? Does it not fit the narrative of "old McDonald had a farm" ? I do feel that if this tech could perfected for the vegetable harvest with all its very excessive hands on people demand the change in that part of agriculture would be massive.

[Guest]

Till they can identify a washout, fallen tree, wet spot, shrapnel that fell off the last equipment through the field I think we will have someone keeping the seat warm ready to press the clutch pedal. Maybe in paradise where flat, square fields without drainage issues and not surrounded by trees it’ll work perfectly.

Not all technology is great or required. Then again I’m a fan of the KISS theory 😉

Interesting comment
You should of saw all the shrapnell in the fields from our tornado this summer
Combine operator sure had to keep eyes open

[ajl]

Millions unemployed and the best solution is autonomous farming....

So even more interesting news to this....driverless trucks means CN will reduce the number of people controlling trains...

Artificially low interest rates make the labor vs capital decision always on the side of more capital, which means money printing generates unemployment. Thus you now get this answer to a question nobody asked. Same can be said for 100+ ft airdrills, 8 wheeled graincarts and the like. None of that would exist if there was market rates of interest since none of that is efficient in most places. Autonomous vehicles only have very limited application in broad acre farming. In the vegetable patch quite possibly.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I think the reason many feel threatened by this, is that it is one more piece of the puzzle that opens the business of farming up to anyone with the capital willing to invest, but lacking the knowledge. Anyone relying on rented ground is going to have to compete with someone with little or no agricultural experience or knowledge can hire the agronomists and experts, rely on satellite imagery, autonomous equipment etc. and potentially undercut the experienced farmer, or at least drive their margins down even further competing for land rent.