Nearly 400 community members attended ‘The Future of Farming’ event at Grand Farm Innovation Campus to discuss John Deere’s See & Spray™ and autonomous tillage solutions.

Fargo, N.D. - Adam Gilbertson, RDO's senior vice president of field technology and innovation, and Jahmy Hindman, John Deere's chief technology officer, explained recent developments in spraying and tillage technology solutions and how Midwestern farmers partner with equipment experts to become early adopters.

"We focus on being the best partner to farmers in the Red River Valley and across RDO's footprint," Gilbertson said. "This focus and our strong relationship with John Deere create opportunities to bring the latest machine learning and autonomous machines to the field so we can all work together to learn how these technologies help farmers to increase productivity and lower input costs."

Farmers asked questions and gained insights from early adopters during the Future of Farming event, which included Hindman's autonomy keynote presentation and a See & Spray™ industry panel with John Deere, Blue River Technology, Min-Kansas Cooperation and RDO leaders.

"Time is our most valuable asset on the farm — especially during the spring and fall," said Riley Braaten, co-owner of Braaten Farms. "And it's not always the easiest to find help during these times, so if we can have the tractor working all night to free up a few hours where I can fill up planters, pick up seed or repair equipment, then that's a real improvement to our operation."

Braaten has worked with RDO and John Deere for nearly two years to implement an autonomous tillage solution. Braaten and other early adopters who shared their experiences at the event agreed that these technology solutions will only improve as time goes on, saving farmers more time and labor.

"The change in the next 10 years will not be linear. While we cannot foresee the exponential change curve due to machine learning, AI and higher processing power, we can partner to develop effective hardware and software applications that will build off these advancements," Hindman said during his keynote. "Since 1837, we've been a part of feeding the world, and we plan to continue that well into the future."

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About RDO Equipment Co.
Founded in 1968, RDO Equipment Co. sells and supports intelligently connected agriculture, construction, environmental, irrigation, positioning, and surveying equipment from leading manufacturers, including John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon. With more than 80 locations across the U.S. and partnerships in Africa, Australia, Mexico and Ukraine, we deliver creative solutions so our customers can grow and build the world.