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A driverless John Deere tractor tilling a field at dusk or dawn

For more information on the future of John Deere autonomous tillage, visit www.deere.com/autonomous or see your local John Deere dealer.

Agriculture, Ag Tech March 01, 2025

Tech@Work

Embracing innovation-a journey into autonomous farming.

Betsy Rowland, a farmer from West Bureau Farms in Princeton, Illinois, has been involved in agriculture since 2008. While farming wasn't her childhood dream, her passion for technology drew her in. Though she spends much of her time analyzing maps and data, she operates a combine or tractor during the busy season.

Betsy values her John Deere dealer's support and open communication throughout the year. When they invited her to test autonomous tillage on her farm, she jumped at the opportunity.

"I wanted to see if it really worked," she says, recognizing the potential benefits for farmers facing labor shortages. The thought of a driverless tractor running in her fields initially made her nervous, but as conversations swirled around the farm community, she became more curious.

Betsy is particularly excited about the subscription model for this type of new technology. Instead of investing hundreds of thousands into new equipment, she has the opportunity to enhance her existing equipment with precision upgrades. "Once people realize they only pay for the technology when they use it, they'll understand its value," she adds.

The first time she watched the autonomous tractor in action, she was impressed. It efficiently tackled vertical tillage, allowing Betsy to cover an additional 1,000 acres—a feat that would have been impossible without the extra help. While she acknowledges that autonomy won't completely solve the labor crisis, it provides essential support, freeing her and operators up to tackle other tasks.

"I think it's going to be extremely important in the future to continue to incorporate technology. That's the way this world is moving both in and out of ag," Betsy says. "If you stay up to date, you will be in a better position than if you resist it all." ‡