1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: With Technology textoff from hoom. Hey everyone, welcome to Tech Stuff. 2 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: I am Jonathan Strickland, and today joining me in the 3 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: studio is Scott Benjamin, host of Car Stuff. Hello again, 4 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: how are you Scott great? Thank you again for asking 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: me to kind of guest spot on your show, if 6 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: I appreciate you coming on. We had some requests from 7 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: our audience to cover a topic that I haven't really 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: touched on in the past, is one about how technology 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: is shaping agriculture, and uh, it's one of those things 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: that honestly, you know, I was amazed at how technology 11 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: is rapidly changing the face of agriculture because in my mind, 12 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that's been kind of set 13 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: technologically speaking for decades, and it just shows how how 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: ignorant I was of the whole thing. I had just 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: a tiny bit of insight on this from our listener 16 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: and our listening audience. UM. Back in two thousand ten, 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: I think we did an episode about some of the 18 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: some of the stuff that was happening back then. But 19 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: even since two thousand and ten, there's been a lot 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: of advances. But we have a few listeners in our 21 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: audience that, um, you know, their their ranch hands or 22 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: work on the farm, and they listen to the podcast 23 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: as they you know, or killing the fields or whatever 24 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,559 Speaker 1: they're doing tending to the herd. And um, they said, 25 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: you know what would be really interesting I don't think 26 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people know about this is just how 27 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: advanced tractors are becoming, Just how advanced, um, you know, 28 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: barnes themselves are becoming. It's not just that just the machinery. 29 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: It's also you know, everything that goes around around growing 30 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: or or um harvesting and like maximum potential yields. All 31 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: that has to do with with modern technology more or 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: less now, I guess, um, it's all becoming pushed far 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: more into the future than you would ever think. Yeah, 34 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: And and it's interesting because we're at a time where 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: we're seeing a decreasingly small percentage of the population being 36 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: dedicated to the roles of ranching and farming. Right if 37 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: you look at United States history, this is particularly true 38 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: in the U S, but you can see it in 39 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: other places as well. If you look at the beginning 40 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: of the twentieth century, so around nineteen hundred or so, 41 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: about half of the population of the United States were farmers, 42 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: and then you get to and before that was even 43 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: larger numbers um percentage wise. You know, obviously the population 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: itself was smaller, but percentage wise it was. There were 45 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: many more farmers. And what happened was this little thing 46 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: called the Industrial Revolution. You've probably heard that term, Scott, Yeah, 47 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: I figured you might. So the Industrial revolution actually meant 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: the mechanization of lots of different industries, including agriculture. And 49 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: so around nineteen hundred, your chief means of operating the 50 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: various machine in agriculture were it was horsepower, literal horsepower, 51 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: actually using horses. Yeah, it wasn't until the nineteen twenties 52 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties the tractors really started to get traction in agriculture. 53 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: And then, oh boy, I'm gonna have to leave. I know, 54 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it's I've lost so many co hosts this way. Actually, 55 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: to be fair, Chris, Chris was way worse about puns 56 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: than I was. He was king. Yeah, but at any rate. Yeah, 57 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: So so you get to the nineteen fifties, nineteen sixties, 58 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: those numbers start increasing. But as the mechanization increases, the 59 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: number or the percentage of population that needs to be 60 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: farmers or ranchers decreased because you didn't need that much labor, right, 61 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: you were able to offload the labor to to mechanization 62 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: to some extent. Sure, Well, how many times have we 63 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: heard in the path, I mean, in the past decade 64 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: even that very soon the world population is going to 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: outpace the capability that we have to produce food for 66 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: that population. And it's always, I mean, I've I've heard 67 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: this for a long long time. It's not just ten years, 68 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: maybe twenty thirty years or even even longer than that. 69 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: Probably I just haven't been privy to that information. But 70 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: it always seems like they say the world's population will 71 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: exceed the world's capacity to produce food by the year X, 72 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: and the year X is always about twenty years out, 73 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 1: ten or twenty years out, and and it always seems 74 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: like we always overcome then some way. So and then 75 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: this is I found this interesting. I found an article 76 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: um in the Guardian from Feen that was talking about 77 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: developing nations and uh some innovations, some revolutionary farming innovations, 78 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: and they said that in the last fifty years agricultural 79 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: production has actually tripled in the last fifty years. That's amazing. Well, 80 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: the thing is you're saying that the number of farmers 81 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: has gone down, the number the amount of production has 82 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: tripled in the last fifty years. So they're becoming more efficient. 83 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: And every year that's a challenge for them to become 84 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: more and more efficient with less and less people, less 85 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 1: and less property to do so because uh, you know, 86 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: the the farmland is at a premium right now in 87 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: a lot of countries, are a lot of places that 88 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: um um, they're they're severe government restrictions on the amount 89 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: of space that you're allowed to use for a farm. 90 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: They're they're building structures, you know, so that they're building 91 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: up instead of out. Um, And that's a way to 92 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: increase efficiency and and it really productivity and yields from 93 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: their crops no matter what it is, it's tomatoes, cucumbers, 94 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: whatever it happens to be. Uh, some of these things 95 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: that they're even finding that building um, you know, here's 96 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: the difference, Like instead of building a six ft roof 97 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: or an eight foot roof on a greenhouse, if they 98 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: put a twelve foot roof on a greenhouse, they can 99 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: double production. And I think it was tomatoes and cucumbers. 100 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible. Yeah, So things like that small things 101 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: like that can make a big, big difference. And you 102 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: know you're talking about the increase in population. The number 103 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: you're going to find if you do some searches on 104 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: this on Google. I think the number that's most frequently 105 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: cited is about by twenty fifty, we're looking at nine 106 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: point two billion people on Earth. Yeah. I have today's number, 107 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: by the way, Okay, I looked at it just this morning, 108 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: so as of today, it's about seven point three billion people. 109 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: And I watched the counter for a short amount of time. 110 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: There's a pretty interesting site called um it's called world 111 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: ometers dot info and it's just a world population clock really, 112 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: but you can watch all kinds of numbers as they 113 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: go up and down depending on what you're looking at. 114 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: But pretty fascinating. Seven point three billion as of now, 115 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: but it's steadily clicking up. That's pretty Yeah, I mean, 116 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: it's it's amazing. It's also a little sobering because once 117 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: we hit nine point two billion people, the other estimations 118 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: say that at that point by we will need to 119 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: have him increased food production from today's standards by another 120 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: seventy okay question here though, all right, here's here's now 121 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: they know the numbers are staggering. And if you look 122 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: back at that way, you look at that site that 123 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: I was just talking about today, and I didn't write 124 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: down all these numbers because it was just way too much. 125 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: There's a lot of information there, and it's it's all stats. 126 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: It's a pretty fascinating site. But they said that in 127 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: and this is just to give you an idea of 128 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy there were roughly half as many people 129 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: in the world as there are today. That means we've 130 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: doubled since nineteen seventy. That's short amount of time. Now 131 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: they say that due to growth rate decreases, it'll take 132 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,239 Speaker 1: about two hundred years for that population to double again. 133 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: But then I look at that number and I think, well, 134 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: how many people were there in nineteen seventy There must 135 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: have been um, roughly three and a half billion people. Ballpark. Well, 136 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: they're talking about going from you know, seven and a 137 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: half billion up to fifteen billion people. That's why, because 138 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: it's an additional seven and a half billion people instead 139 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: of four billion people. So maybe that's the reason. But still, uh, 140 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: the disparity between the number of you know, what is 141 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: that forty five years and you know um two hundred years. 142 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: That's that's an incredible amount of time. I mean, so 143 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: how does all that factor into I mean, there's so 144 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: many numbers here at play that I had a hard 145 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: time figuring out where we stand as far as when 146 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: the food's going to run out. Well, and it gets 147 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: even more complicated than that's Scott, because all so we're 148 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: seeing more countries kind of emerge from developing to getting 149 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: to developed status, as as people become more affluent, as 150 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: they as middle classes begin to emerge in various populations. 151 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: One of the first markers of that is that people 152 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: want access to a better diet that includes more variety 153 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: of foods and a higher quality of those foods. So 154 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: not only are we going to need to increase production 155 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: in order to meet the needs of a growing population, 156 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: but we need to make sure that that is a 157 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: varied approach, not like well we'll just we'll just grow 158 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 1: more rice or more grains of some sort. It has 159 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: to actually be a variety of foods, which means that 160 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: we have to start really looking at strategies um for 161 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: multiple reasons. And so I'm wondering when you were doing 162 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: your research here we're going into ag tech, did you 163 00:08:55,679 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: come across the term precision agriculture. This is exciting stuff. 164 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: I think it is. I mean, it really comes down 165 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: to what you would call, I guess a smart farm. Yeah, 166 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: And I don't know if that's a term or if 167 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: that's something I came up with her I came across 168 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: it somewhere, but but it does seem to me like 169 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: it's smart farming. And exactly that's exactly right, and it's 170 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: just in the same way that you would think of 171 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: a smart home. This is very apt. But precision farming. 172 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: I mean that that it seems so odd because that's 173 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: something that we never would have heard of. Maybe ten 174 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: years ago, fifteen years ago. It just wasn't that way 175 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: it was, and it wasn't haphazard by any means. It 176 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: was just that it wasn't to the to the inch 177 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 1: precise as it is today. I mean, sure that the 178 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: farmer would tell till his road, um in his road, 179 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: his field in straight rows, and he would know that 180 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,319 Speaker 1: I can get roughly this amount of seeds in this row, 181 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: and et cetera. But now we're down to planning to 182 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: the very inch to get that maximum yield and to 183 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: the very second, like not just not just in in distance, 184 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: but in time as well. So in ages past, you 185 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,959 Speaker 1: knew you planted in the spring and you would harvest 186 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: in the fall. But with precision agriculture, it is not 187 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: a joke to say you're going to want to plant 188 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: on Wednesday. Like you can end up getting data that 189 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: is so precise, and it's dependent upon multiple factors. Right, 190 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: So we're talking about a lot of different technologies and 191 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: processes that have to work for precision agriculture to work. 192 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: So I'm just gonna run down some of them. You 193 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 1: need sensors. Those sensors are going to detect things like humidity, 194 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: the moisture level in the in the soil, the actual 195 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: acidity of the soil, the chemical composition. You want to 196 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 1: have other sensors that can detect when plants need water. 197 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: There's actually a sensor that is a leaf sensor. It 198 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 1: attaches to a leaf and it measures the change in 199 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:51,319 Speaker 1: voltage that happens when the leaf contracts. Now, a contracting 200 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: leaf is an indicator that the plant needs water. Yeah, 201 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: so you get imagine you are a farmer and you 202 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: get alert on your smartphone that says you need to 203 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: water the fields today. Because this is an early indicator 204 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: that the plants are are quote unquote thirsty, which is 205 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: pretty incredible. I used to work in a nursery and uh, 206 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: like a tree nursery, not not a baby nursery, but 207 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: a tree nursery, and uh, you know some of these 208 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: hot summer days in July and August. I'll tell how 209 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: we knew when we had to water is what we 210 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: looked at the field of trees, you know, the entire 211 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: nursery and said, it looks like they're a little wilted 212 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: with better throw some water on the plants, right, And 213 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: that's what we did. I mean, it was it was 214 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: just kind of seat of the pants stuff. And and 215 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: there's less and less seat of the pants farming going 216 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: on now. It's more precise, as you said. And those 217 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: sensors I mean that you mentioned. It's not just that 218 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: there's sensors and you have to go to a central 219 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: location even to to read or monitor those. You don't 220 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: have to. You can some of them will send mobile 221 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: alert to the farmer via smartphone. Yeah. They're all these 222 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: these systems now that you can put in place at 223 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: your farm that allows these sensors to interact with a 224 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: network and alert you to minute changes so that you 225 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: can make big decisions with the best technology, the best 226 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 1: information available. Other tech that you will see in precision 227 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: agriculture include satellites or drones, and these are specifically to 228 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: monitor the status of crops throughout the year so that 229 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: you can determine what the maturity level of the crops 230 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: happens to be at any given point. You know, you 231 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: want to harvest the crops at the right maturity level 232 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: so that you minimize crop loss because obviously if you 233 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: if you go too early, then stuff isn't right yet, 234 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: You're not gonna be able to sell all the crops 235 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: that you harvest if you go too late. Same sort 236 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: of problem, except of course on the other side of it, 237 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: so you want to be able to get the crops. 238 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: You want to harvest them when it's absolutely at their peak, 239 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: and that way you maximize the yield, you minimize the loss. 240 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: These are all different factors that go into the idea 241 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: of precision agriculture. Meanwhile, on the on the offtware side, 242 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: you have to have computer algorithms that are incredibly sophisticated 243 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: so that they can crunch these numbers and make it 244 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: meaningful information that farmers can act on. In other words, 245 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: they provide information that can can build maps, visual visual 246 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: representations of what your field it looks like, What what 247 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: the terrain you're talking about looks like. Um, you know, 248 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: where their hot spots are, where the plants are growing 249 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,319 Speaker 1: and their best where they're not growing quite so? Well, 250 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: what the reasons could be behind that. They may analyze, Uh, 251 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: you know, why this this one sector of the field 252 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: isn't maybe producing as much as it possibly could, versus 253 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: the sector that's just one yards away yet is is overproducing. 254 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: It's producing more than they expected. And why is that? 255 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: Maybe they can you know, learn something from that section 256 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,719 Speaker 1: or sector and uh and incorporate that into the next 257 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: year's crop, right And uh, you know, it's an excellent 258 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: point you make, because one thing we have to keep 259 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: in mind is a lot of the farms in the 260 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: United States. Okay, if you're looking at farms, Uh, the 261 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: overwhelming majority of farms in the US our familyly owned 262 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:04,479 Speaker 1: and operated, right ninety Like in the nine upper ninety percentile. 263 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 1: Only less than five percent of farms in the United 264 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: States are owned by non family operated corporations. So even 265 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: though they're they're huge, we're talking about like craft would 266 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: own a giant farm or something like. Right, you know 267 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: that they would they would grow their own products, yes, 268 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: or monsanto or you know there's tons of them, right, 269 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: but at any rate, uh that that only that only 270 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: accounts for less than five percent of all the farms 271 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: in the United States. However, the midsized farms are slowly 272 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: getting edged out. In the U S. You've got a 273 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,359 Speaker 1: lot of small farms that are doing all right, particularly 274 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: in markets where there's a high value placed on organic 275 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: farming that kind of thing, and local is localized farming, um, 276 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: but it's mostly turning into really big farms and small 277 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: farms in the midsized farms are starting to get weeded out. 278 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: But with those big farms, you can have such a 279 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: huge farm that it is completely possible that one part 280 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: of your land is getting adequate moisture from a weather 281 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: system moving through and another part isn't. And this is 282 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: the kind of technology. These sensors, the the drones, and 283 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: the satellite imagery are the kind of things that tell you, oh, 284 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: the southern part of my farm is fine, that's the 285 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: weather system came through provide enough water, but the northern 286 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: part is in need. Of irrigating, so then you can 287 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: irrigate just the parts of your farm that needed saving water. 288 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: It also means that one of the important technologies with 289 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: precision agriculture is incredibly accurate weather forecasting. It's incredibly important. 290 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: And you can extrapolate this too ranching as well for 291 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: livestock and herds, because you know, they're they're enormous ranches 292 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: in Texas and California, Montana, Montana that are are the 293 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: exact same thing you're talking about, where weather systems moved 294 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: through and only affect maybe the southern or a southeastern 295 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: corner of that of that ranch. And it's very possible that, 296 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: you know, the ranchers might decide I'm gonna move my 297 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: my flock, my herd out of that region in time 298 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: to avoid that blizzard or that that that horrific thunderstorm 299 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: that's going to come through on Wednesday, or you know, 300 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: whatever it happens to be. So ranchers deal with a 301 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: lot of the same things. And of course we're talking 302 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: about food production still, so all kind of ties in. 303 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: Can I say one more thing about drones before we 304 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: move on? In fact, maybe a little bit more than 305 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: one thing, but of course there's the obvious uses for 306 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: them monitoring crops. UM you know, looking at you know, 307 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: distant or remote locations that UM or are difficult to 308 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: get to for a farmer, so that you know, you 309 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: can daily fly a drone up the hillside and look 310 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: at your your coffee crop or whatever happens to be. UM. 311 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: You know, people that use terraced farms, you know for 312 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: space and and UM you know, just irrigation capabilities I guess, 313 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: or you know whatever, so that it's the most optimal 314 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: way to grew crops. It might be the most difficult 315 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: to also reach by foot so or by vehicle. Uh, 316 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: drones kind of eliminate all that. And the other thing 317 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: that is really really important is that UM drones are 318 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: capable of delivering fertilizer and insecticide at precise locations. So 319 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, the maps that we just talked about. With 320 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: the software programs that create maps and and show you 321 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: exactly how crops are growing in certain regions or sectors, 322 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 1: you can precisely accurately deliver the right amount of insecticides 323 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: or or pesticides or whatever happens to be that you 324 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: need in that area to that just that one sector 325 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: via a drone, you know as a sprayer underneath. And 326 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,400 Speaker 1: whether we're talking about you know, small helicopters or um 327 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: you know the quad copters that we see often kind 328 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: of eight eight one of the octicopters. Um they replace, 329 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,360 Speaker 1: uh you know the guys that would fly in those 330 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: crop dusters. Have you ever seen a crop duster in action? Okay, 331 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: they're they are fascinating, are they. I mean you see 332 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: those guys are like daredevils. I mean it's like the 333 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: best um um air shows on you've ever seen when 334 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: you see them going really i mean remarkably low low 335 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: LT street. What's it's startling if you're in let's say 336 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 1: that you're driving through the Midwest, You're in Indiana, Ohio, 337 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: somewhere in there, and uh, you know, maybe two yards 338 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: ahead of you you see an airplane buzz through that's 339 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: low enough that it would strike a semi if there 340 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 1: was a semi on the road. It's that low. It's 341 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: going underwires. It's it's amazing. Uh. It's a it's a 342 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,239 Speaker 1: very dangerous profession. In fact, it often falls into the 343 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: top ten dangerous professions list every year. Usually it's it's 344 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: two or you know, number two, three, four somewhere in 345 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: there behind UH, fishers, you know, anybody who's fishing Alaskan 346 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: fishermen or whatever. Yeah, that's why they call it deadliest catch. Yeah, 347 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: and loggers. Loggers I think are usually like number one 348 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: and two between fishers and loggers. And then UH, aircraft pilots. 349 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: I think they kind of lumped them in with airline pilots, 350 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 1: you know, like UM passenger airlines and uh like bush pilots. 351 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: Bush pilots and crop dusters likely account for most of 352 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: the deaths in that because of the terrain that they 353 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: fly and how low they fly, right, the conditions are 354 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: inherently more risk exactly right. And wind farms, now we 355 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 1: haven't even talked about from it, but wind farming, Uh, 356 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: that is a huge danger for crop dusters, for human 357 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: crop dusters, because they often strike those poles or strike 358 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: the the rotors of course, you know, because they're flying 359 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: in these extremely fast, low vehicles, and their their focused, 360 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: to be honest, is on the crops. It's not necessarily 361 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 1: on that new wind turbine post that's just putting put 362 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: up by within the last month or so, or the 363 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: fifty others that are in that field. So it can 364 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: be very dangerous and and I'm glad that you know 365 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: some of these some of these drones are able to 366 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: cancel out the need for crop dusting pilots in some cases. 367 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: Although it would be a pretty good adrenaline rush to 368 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: do that. Yeah, I don't know that I would need 369 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: that much adrenaline rushed in me, but yes, I agree 370 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: that it certainly would be. I think it'd be fun, 371 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: it could be I imagine, Uh, you know, other things 372 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: to consider with this precision agriculture. I mean, there's tons 373 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 1: more we could talk about. For example, Uh, they often 374 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: will even explain what sort of crops would grow best 375 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: in different types of soil. And keep in mind these 376 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: crops all. You know, if there's one particular crop you're 377 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,479 Speaker 1: you're planning on growing in part of your land, the 378 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: timing might be totally different to plant, Like for for 379 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: the ideal setting might be totally different to plant those 380 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: seeds than the next one, which means that you have 381 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: to start taking other complicated planning into account, like how 382 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: do you plant crops for one crop? Then let's say 383 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: three more weeks would go by before you have to 384 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: plant the next section would be a totally different crop. 385 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: How do you do that in a way that's not 386 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: going to damage the crops you first plant it. I 387 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: have also seen where farmers have planted soybeans in between 388 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: other crops. Now I don't remember if it was if 389 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 1: it was cotton and soybeans or what it happened to be, 390 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: but it's like mixed crops in the same field. That 391 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: was unusual. So so that's one way around it. And 392 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,479 Speaker 1: there's also um I know from Indiana again, I know 393 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: that there's a there's winter wheat you can grow in 394 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: the downtime. So like let's say you've got a summer 395 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: crop of corn or whatever it happens to be, you 396 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: can also plant a crop of winter wheat that that 397 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: takes up the time the rest of the year when 398 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: you can't grow corn. Yeah, And so this will tell 399 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: you exactly when to plant each one of those crops 400 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: and when to when to bring it in fertilizer levels 401 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: that I mean, I guess soil levels that you need 402 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: to to watch for each crop. You know, whether it 403 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: would let you know when you would need to add 404 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: fertilizer to those those fields as well, including telling you, hey, 405 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: don't do it next week, when when it would be 406 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: ideal because there's going to be a storm the following day, 407 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: which would just wash the fertilizer away. You're going to 408 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: want to wait until that weather front moves through and 409 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: then do it. Like this is really valuable. So it 410 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: even goes to the transportation of food. I mean we 411 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: when we're talking about making sure you maximize your yield, 412 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: that includes the time of after harvesting, but before you 413 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: get it to wherever it's going to be sold. Obviously, 414 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: the transportation can result in crop loss as well, especially 415 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,640 Speaker 1: in areas that might not have a lot of developed roads, 416 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: like in Brazil. Brazil has a lot of roads that 417 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: are dirt roads. So knowing that it's going to rain 418 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: in a certain region, you might say, well, we're going 419 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: to route all of our traffic. We're gonna be proactive 420 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: about this and take these other routes because otherwise trucks 421 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: might get stuck in the mud and we might lose 422 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: our crops because it may take a day or two longer, 423 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: and it may cost a little bit more, but you're 424 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: going to have a higher yield from that field. And 425 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: if it works that way, Yeah, I think that's why 426 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,640 Speaker 1: I'm piecing this all together. I think that's right. Yeah, 427 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: that every dollar that the farmer spends getting the crop 428 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: or getting the crop to the market to be sold 429 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: is just a dollar out of his pocket essentially at 430 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 1: that point. I mean, he's trying to maximize profits as 431 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: well as maximize the the yield of that product. Yes, yeah, 432 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: so there's I mean, it's it's a really interesting and 433 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: complicated picture. Like the more you look at the more 434 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: you realize, Wow, I didn't appreciate how complex this is. 435 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: And of course, you know, keeping in mind things like 436 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: you want to be able to rotate crops through your 437 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: various fields in order to keep the soil healthy. If 438 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: you just continuously grow the same crops on the same land, uh, 439 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: that can start depleting nutrients in the soil, and so 440 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: rotating that is really important. So this is the kind 441 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,199 Speaker 1: of stuff that gives the people who are cultivating the 442 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 1: land way more information like that so that they can 443 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:41,120 Speaker 1: they can do the best to have uh great yields. 444 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: They are minimizing the environmental impact of what they're doing, 445 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: which is in their best interest in the long run 446 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: as well. So it's it's one of those things where 447 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,399 Speaker 1: the big data, the sensors, the automation, all of this 448 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: stuff is coming together to really uh uh maximize their 449 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: effectiveness while minimizing their impact, and it benefits all of us. 450 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,160 Speaker 1: What if you take soil out of the mix, though, 451 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: What if you do uh? What if hydroponics? Hydroponics? I 452 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: mean that's been around since sixteen twenty seven I found out. Wow, 453 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: I didn't know. You know, it's funny. The first time 454 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: I encountered hydroponics was at um Epcots. Yeah. I was 455 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: just about to say it had to be Epcot Center 456 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: at the land. Yeah, that's right. The land is that 457 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: you were driving through, a riding through, I guess on 458 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: the on the boat, um, and it's all you know, 459 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 1: hanging plants and they're watering them with a mist every 460 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: that's very particularly or specifically timed for that specific plant. 461 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: You're just seeing the roots of the plants, no soil 462 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: at all. Um. There's also another kind of twist on 463 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: this whole thing, and that's aquaponics. Aquaponics is where they grow. Um. Well, 464 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: I guess it's not just one thing. They can grow 465 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: a number of different things, but it's plants and animals 466 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: that grow in an ecosystem that is balanced, so there's 467 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: no waste like um, I read where they're growing plants 468 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: and fish in the same place, and the result is 469 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: that there's no wastewater, there's no um insecticides used anything 470 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: like that. Um, it's it's all um one system that 471 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 1: works together symbiotically nice. And the thing is that at 472 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: the the end result is that you get organic produce 473 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: and fresh toxin free fish from the same from the 474 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: same the same sort of same building. You know, it's 475 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 1: an interior thing that happen indoor thing. Um. But it's 476 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: it's it's pretty smart in the way they put it together. 477 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: But I'm sure that takes years of planning. Oh sure, Yeah. 478 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: None of the solutions we're talking about are particularly simple 479 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: to implement, right. They require a huge investment of both 480 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: time and money. But you know, everyone's gotta eat so 481 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: so ultimately it's one of those things where you say, well, 482 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: we have to do this. I mean, it's not like 483 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,360 Speaker 1: we have the option, so we just have to find 484 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,400 Speaker 1: the best way to do it in a smart way. 485 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,959 Speaker 1: And what about the the idea of shared knowledge? Now, 486 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: because that is something that this is so important. I 487 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: mean that the high tech angle, I guess a soportant 488 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 1: for farmers now because they can use they can use forms, 489 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: they can use just simple text messages to other farmers 490 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:08,640 Speaker 1: down the road. I mean, it could be that easy. 491 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 1: It's usually a little bit more complex than it's groups 492 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: or forums as I mentioned, but um shared knowledge, you know, 493 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: they can share best practices. They can they can say 494 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: you know what, I've never heard of that before. But 495 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: you know, we've got five people on this site. We 496 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: can together, we can come up with a solution prior 497 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: to what ten years ago that was unheard of. Yeah, 498 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: I mean you might have a local gathering occasionally, but 499 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: even that would be of mostly small farm operators. And 500 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: can I just say this that I have never ever 501 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: met a farmer or rancher that I haven't found to 502 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 1: be incredibly intelligent. Oh yeah, I mean they all seem 503 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: just so smart and it's and it's it's it's like 504 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: real world smart. You know, they just know so much 505 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: about what they do, and it seems like they're just 506 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: so in touch with with everything that they have to 507 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,199 Speaker 1: h have to deal with. I mean, the whether it's 508 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: the animals, the plants, um just in with people. It 509 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 1: just seems like I've never ever met any farmer or 510 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: rancher that isn't just just top match intelligence well, and 511 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,360 Speaker 1: and to put them all together in one place, that's 512 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: a that's a great place to solve problems. Yeah, I 513 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: think of them very much like engineers. They they act 514 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: as engineers, it's just they their training is through a different, 515 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: you know, branch than traditional engineering happens to be. But 516 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 1: they are all about looking at problems and solving them. 517 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: And the tools we've talked about are all about giving 518 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 1: them even more agency to do that sort of thing. 519 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: One other thing I wanted to to mention is that, 520 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: you know, I talked about how mechanization really started to 521 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: cut down on the number as far as the percentage 522 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: of population of farmers. We're going to see that continue, obviously, 523 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: especially now that we are in an age of automation. 524 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: We have gone beyond mechanization to automation, to the point 525 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: where sometimes we're talking about autonomous automation. It's not just 526 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: that it's an automated system, it's one that is working 527 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 1: without direct human guidance. We're starting to see that being 528 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: introduced in various parts of agriculture. So one of the 529 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,439 Speaker 1: things I was looking at, I looked at some robot harvesters, 530 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: which are pretty awesome. There was one in particular that 531 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: was designed to automatically trim lettuce. It's a lettuce trimming robots. Yeah. 532 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: It used digital imaging to measure exactly where to trim, 533 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: and it could trim one hundred times faster than a 534 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,920 Speaker 1: human fat. Yeah, so you wouldn't think it's fascinating, but 535 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: when you really think about what that is doing, what 536 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 1: that what that is, what that machine is is capable 537 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: of and from what I understand, they were able with 538 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,479 Speaker 1: that kind of technology to increase yield by as much 539 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: as ten percent. Now you're going a hundred times faster 540 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: and you're thinking, how can you only do ten percent 541 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: yield increase, Well, you still have to wait for the 542 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: plants to grow, Okay, So yeah, I guess the the 543 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: awaiting time would just be longer than it would be 544 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: done with the up and you're just waiting waiting for 545 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: the harvest. Right, So you could end up having waves 546 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: of of yields coming across because obviously you want to 547 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: be able to provide produce as as frequently throughout the 548 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: year as possible. And you know, here in the United 549 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: States we are incredibly fortunate to live in a in 550 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: a country that is affluent and has relationships with other 551 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 1: parts of the world where we can import a lot 552 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: of vegetables, so that even in the dead of winter, 553 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: we can get access to stuff because it's being grown 554 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: somewhere in the world. We can get access to stuff 555 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: that probably is not growing in most of the United 556 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: States at that time. And I know that there are 557 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: ways that they're increasing the speed that these uh the 558 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: plants come to maturity as well. So yeah, so I 559 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: mean they're they're they're quickly developing that as well, so 560 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: that instead of being able to grow two to three 561 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: crops a year, you might be able to grow, you know, 562 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: five to six crops a year. Yeah, and and you're 563 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: able to maximize your your fields use so that it's 564 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: not laying fallow for long times of the year. It's 565 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: it's pretty incredible. Other automated devices. I have looked into 566 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: our automated planters, so these are planting vehicles. That actually 567 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: saw one in action on a video and it was 568 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: really interesting. So the video I watched had um engineering students, 569 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: agricultural engineering students who were working with various manufacturers who 570 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 1: would provide them the stuff that they would need to 571 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: build out these automated devices. The automated planter, there's a 572 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: guy behind the wheel. He starts driving it and he says, 573 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna push this button, and he pushes 574 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: the button inside the vehicle and then he takes his 575 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: hands off the wheel and you see the wheel operating itself. 576 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: And what was happening was the automated planter was working 577 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: with a GPS device and a pregenerated satellite map of 578 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: where the crops needed to go, located by GPS coordinates, 579 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: and it is literally following. It's like like if you'd 580 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: used Google Maps to give yourself driving directions. It was 581 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 1: essentially following driving directions, except in this case, it's planting 582 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: directions precise yeah, which is incredible because it knows how 583 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 1: many seeds to put down per inch, It knows exactly 584 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: where to go, exactly how many rows there should be. 585 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: Amazing stuff I have. I've seen a few of these 586 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: things and it does just blow your mind when you 587 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: realize how accurate they are and what they're in, the 588 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: technology that they're using, the you know, what they're using 589 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: to be able to be that accurate. It's almost like 590 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: it's more accurate than the farmer could be sitting in 591 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: the vehicle. Really yeah, and it really is. Yeah. I mean, 592 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: you know, you're talking about the capability of measuring down 593 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: to fractions of an inch, and you know we as humans, 594 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: we can do that, but it takes us, granted, a 595 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: lot more time. And this this speeds things up considerably. 596 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: I also saw weeding robots because I could use that 597 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: at home. Oh yeah, me too. One of the best 598 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: things about weeding robots is that obvious sleep It would 599 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,479 Speaker 1: mean that you could cut down on herbicides. You wouldn't 600 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: need to use as much herbicide to kill off weeds 601 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: and preserve your crops. You could use a weeding robot 602 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: to do it. Now, if you're if you're looking at 603 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: a way of growing your crops and you don't want 604 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: to use herbicides for whatever reason, maybe it affects your 605 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: crops negatively. Hand weeding is pretty much your your big bet, 606 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: and that means either you're literally pulling the weeds out 607 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: by hand or you're using a hoe. Either way, it's 608 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: backbreaking work. It's slow, and it's not efficient. It's not 609 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 1: efficient use of time, and it requires a lot of labor. 610 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: So weeding robots tend to be something that you you 611 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: tow behind another vehicle, so they are just automatically looking 612 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: for weeds. And by looking, I mean they're using cameras 613 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: or infrared sensors and they're using digital image recognition software 614 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: to tell the difference between a weed and a crop 615 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: and anything that's weeds gotta go. But they're even engineers 616 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: working on building at honomous ones like the Hordabot project 617 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: in Denmark that's an autonomous weeding robot. Now right now, 618 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: they're more popular in Europe than they are in the 619 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: United States because in Europe there are much stricter regulations 620 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: as far as the use of herbicides and pesticides are concerned. 621 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 1: In the United States, those restrictions haven't reached that same level, 622 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: so there's less incentive to invest in this other technology 623 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 1: because we already have an infrastructure for pesticides and herbicides. 624 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: But assuming that that eventually changes, will probably see that 625 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: migrate over here to the United States as well. And 626 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: just the thought of having a robot out there taking 627 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: care of all that without having to actually do it 628 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: yourself is pretty pretty awesome. Yeah, So, you know, the 629 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: technology stands to really benefit us in lots of ways. 630 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: Any others that you want to talk about before we 631 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: transition to our our other kind of the dark side 632 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: of technology and agriculture version of what you were just 633 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: talking about. That weeding machine, it's gonna come up. How 634 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: about at the end of the podcast, we'll talk about 635 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: some farm hacks. That sounds great and again low tech, 636 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: but it's a it's an interesting development, yeah, because part 637 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: of the thing, like, like we were saying, farmers, ranchers, 638 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: they are the problem solvers. Sometimes that means they come 639 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: up with creative ways to use pre existing technology in 640 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: perhaps methods that weren't originally intended small scale, large scale, 641 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: all scales really. Yeah, but before we get into that, 642 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: let's talk about tractors. I'm excited about this. Yeah, yeah, 643 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: Now I know you would be, Scott because it deals 644 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: a lot with not just agriculture, but there is a 645 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: lot of crossover to the automotive world and what we're 646 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,320 Speaker 1: going to talk about. So the great side of of 647 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: this ag tech we've been talking about is that it 648 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: can potentially very much increase uh, the efficiency of farms. 649 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,360 Speaker 1: It can end up decreasing the amount of work needed 650 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: to do. However, there is a flip side to this. 651 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: The flip side is as technology increases in sophistication, it 652 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: becomes much more difficult to do any d I Y maintenance, repair, tweaking, 653 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,320 Speaker 1: any of that. It gets harder and hard to do. 654 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: And we're seeing that now, not just in these giant 655 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: like cloud based services we were talking about, but in tractors. 656 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: This is a great source of frustration among farmers today 657 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: is that the modern tractor is much like the automobile, 658 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: nearly impossible to diagnose and repair on your own, you know, 659 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,359 Speaker 1: in the in the barn, in the field wherever. Um. 660 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: You know, days of you know, being able to use, 661 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 1: as they said in this article from Wired, using you know, 662 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,919 Speaker 1: making a duct tape and baling wire repair. Uh, it's 663 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: it's becoming, you know, less and less possible for stuff 664 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: like that to happen, because now we're dealing with much 665 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 1: more or many more UM electronic components, you know, modules 666 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,880 Speaker 1: that that talk each other on a can bus system 667 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 1: UM that you know is controlled by one central computer, 668 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:02,800 Speaker 1: and in order to access that computer you have to 669 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 1: have very specific diagnostic tools and connectors and UM factory 670 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: passwords that you know, you just have no idea what 671 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,800 Speaker 1: those passwords are because they vary between make and model 672 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:18,280 Speaker 1: in different years. And um, it's becoming very very complex 673 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: for the common uh, modern farmer to be able to 674 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 1: and I don't mean common by the sure the average farmer, 675 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: the average farmer to be able to make his machinery 676 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: work in an optimal way as he could in the past. 677 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: I mean whether it's adjusting the timing on the tractor, 678 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: or something's just out of calibration. You need to reset that. Uh, 679 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: it's becoming virtually impossible to do that without the proper tools. 680 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: And these tools are very expensive. Or there's a flip 681 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: side of this, some of them even require a technician 682 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: to be brought to the tractor because you can't just 683 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: you can't drive it down to the dealership. You can't 684 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: throw it on the on a trailer and haul it 685 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,959 Speaker 1: into town. Um. It's much more complexness because we're talking 686 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: about machines that are two stories high have twelve wheels. Uh, 687 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: they are. There are half a million dollar machines now 688 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:09,399 Speaker 1: there and I'm no joke, there are half a million 689 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 1: dollars in some cases. Uh. In this article we read 690 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,359 Speaker 1: on Wired again, I think you're talking about a mid 691 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,360 Speaker 1: rains tractor, and the mid rains tractors were you know, 692 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 1: somewhere above one hundred thousand dollars. So these are very 693 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 1: very expensive machines and it could be incredibly frustrating for 694 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 1: farmers to to realize that. Well, you know, we just 695 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:31,520 Speaker 1: talked about how important it is that you know, you 696 00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 1: plant this this uh this crop on noon or at 697 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:38,520 Speaker 1: noon on Wednesday. Well, what happens when that machine goes 698 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: down and you have to fly on a technician in 699 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: order to repair that machine, right, and it's and then 700 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 1: three days have gone by and you still haven't planted 701 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 1: any Yeah, and your and your tractor is still stuck 702 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: in the middle of the field because you know, some 703 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 1: modules not communicating to another module. But you can't do 704 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: anything about that until you get the technician there. And meanwhile, 705 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:59,239 Speaker 1: you're watching the estimations of your yield drops steadily, Yeah, 706 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: because you're getting those stupid smartphone alert Oh man, you're 707 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 1: you're really messing up this crap. What hey, buddy, you 708 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,840 Speaker 1: get off your button. Start planning. Can't becoming more and 709 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: more you know, insulting as the day goes on. Right, So, 710 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,840 Speaker 1: so just like like cars have their own little control units. 711 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 1: Tractors like you mentioned have them that they tend to 712 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,960 Speaker 1: be called tractor engine control units or or t e 713 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: c use tech wus and yeah, they're they're They're also 714 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: often proprietary, kind of like we've talked about proprietary connectors 715 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: here on on tech stuff before. This is where you 716 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: don't use a universal connector. You have very specific ones 717 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,399 Speaker 1: that work with that particular technology. And if you don't 718 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: own that, and generally speaking, these are things that are 719 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: not sold to the public, then you cannot get access. 720 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 1: You cannot easily access the the the computer that's aboard 721 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 1: the tractor. I talked about this all the time, like 722 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,799 Speaker 1: I remember, I hate to shame any company, but I'm 723 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: want to do it in this case. Uh well, I 724 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:05,359 Speaker 1: mean Apple is a great example. Apple's connectors are all 725 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 1: proprietary to Apple. But Sony was very much the same way. 726 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: I remember having a Sony camera and it had a 727 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: USB connector, but the end connector was proprietary. You couldn't 728 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: just go out and buy a mini USB or micro 729 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 1: USB and use that pair that with your Sony camera. 730 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: You had to go out and buy a very expensive 731 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: Sony one or try and find some off brand knockoff 732 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,080 Speaker 1: that may or may not work with your camera. Well, 733 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:35,160 Speaker 1: imagine that frustration magnified to a hundred thousand dollar or 734 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: more machine, an investment, a significant investment that not only 735 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,799 Speaker 1: wasn't a significant investment, but you're the success of your 736 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: business depends upon it working, and you can't even find 737 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,879 Speaker 1: out why it's no longer working. So the article talks 738 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:54,720 Speaker 1: about how there was The author talks about a farmer 739 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 1: friend who had called the author out to check on 740 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: the tractor. Right, the tractor was no longer working. There 741 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 1: was a sensor that was burning out, and what they 742 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 1: were trying to do is find a way to route 743 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: the tractors systems around the sensor so that the tractor 744 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: could at least be operational until the sensor could be replaced. 745 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 1: So there's a proper repairs, right. And the issue that 746 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,560 Speaker 1: the author found was that the system was completely inaccessible. Uh, 747 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,840 Speaker 1: not that it was physically inaccessible in the sense that 748 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:28,279 Speaker 1: there was no way to get to the computer, but 749 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 1: there was no way to connect to it. So I 750 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: guess in that sense it's physically inaccessible and it's all 751 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: running on proprietary software. So there was no way to 752 00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: even see how the system works, let alone reroute anything. Now, 753 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 1: this is a little different than cars because cars recently 754 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:47,359 Speaker 1: and since I think, have had the same diagnostic port 755 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 1: underneath the steering right now, you can you can reach 756 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,279 Speaker 1: around under your car and feel it there. You've probably had, 757 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:54,439 Speaker 1: you know, somebody at the local oil change place plug 758 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: into that just to get stats of your vehicle, you know, 759 00:40:56,719 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: like the last time you're there and you're going for 760 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 1: an emissions test or exactly right. Yeah, So there are 761 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 1: standards in automobiles and and that's not the case with 762 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: these tractors. And and I have a feeling that you 763 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 1: in the next decade or so, some of that's going 764 00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:11,920 Speaker 1: to be ironed out that you know, there's gonna be 765 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 1: some some some type of uniformity among the tracker manufacturers. 766 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,680 Speaker 1: That's going to help out just a little bit. But 767 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: still that doesn't really, that doesn't help a whole lot 768 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:25,320 Speaker 1: because unless they conform to a standard um UM software 769 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,960 Speaker 1: package I guess that that operates all these it's not 770 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 1: gonna do much good unless you have you know that 771 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,440 Speaker 1: as well, and they can still hang onto that unless 772 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: part of this whole legislation thing includes that they have 773 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: to use these a certain like like a standardized approach 774 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 1: across the board. Yeah, and I don't see that happening. 775 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 1: So I don't know. Maybe maybe I'm off base here. 776 00:41:46,560 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: Maybe it's not going to be controlled the way the 777 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,920 Speaker 1: automobile industry is. Maybe it's going to be a little different, 778 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:53,799 Speaker 1: maybe it'll be a little tougher. But I also kind 779 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:56,320 Speaker 1: of think that I don't know, maybe this is not 780 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: true that you tell me. It seems like some of 781 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 1: these systems are becoming so complex that the farmers are 782 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 1: beginning to kind of buck the system. They're saying, I 783 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:09,319 Speaker 1: don't necessarily want that five dollar John Deer tractor. I'm 784 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,879 Speaker 1: going to get this nineteen seventy version of the same 785 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: thing that it really does everything that I need. But 786 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:18,399 Speaker 1: it's all mechanical, it's not electronics. That's absolutely happening. We're 787 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: seeing the market for brand new tractors start to suffer 788 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 1: while the market for pre computerized tractors is blossoming. So, 789 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 1: in other words, this limited supply because you know that 790 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: time's past though they're not really people making those anymore. Yeah, 791 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 1: I don't think they're gonna go totally back to that. 792 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:40,839 Speaker 1: I mean, I just mean, maybe they need to back 793 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:42,839 Speaker 1: it down a little bit, but youre right there there's 794 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,840 Speaker 1: a now a market for the older equipment. Yeah, and 795 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 1: it may even be that uh, that could end up 796 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 1: inspiring a change anyway, where the questions come in, like 797 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,760 Speaker 1: how how much of this new technology that's being incorporated 798 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: into tractors is of of real demonstrable benefit to the 799 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:06,799 Speaker 1: farmer or the rancher, Like how can can you show 800 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:09,640 Speaker 1: that the stuff that's supposed to make the tractor more 801 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:14,240 Speaker 1: efficient is it measurably more efficient because of these features? 802 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: All right? But you know what, because the features you 803 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:18,799 Speaker 1: mentioned features and I gotta say this, but but they're 804 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:22,759 Speaker 1: they are just like driving like a luxury yacht or something. 805 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: I don't know, Yeah, maybe a luxury RV in a field. 806 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 1: They're incredible. Have you seen the interiors of these things? 807 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:31,160 Speaker 1: I have not. There there again, like a story and 808 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 1: a half high, so you've got a great view of 809 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 1: your field. You've got leather rep steering wheels. Of course, 810 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:38,440 Speaker 1: the seats are super cushy, and they're on a suspension 811 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:41,200 Speaker 1: system almost like you'd find in a semi truck something 812 00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:44,360 Speaker 1: like that. Very soft. Um, they've got air conditioning, of 813 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: course they've got CD players, DVD players, of course, media 814 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,200 Speaker 1: inputs now not you know, the CDs. I know they're 815 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 1: gone right right. They've given me the scale from you know, 816 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:55,680 Speaker 1: and I was thinking more of Bluetooth, sure whatever, Well 817 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: they have that too. Yeah. But of course all the 818 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:01,240 Speaker 1: screens for the GPS systems and everything. They've got autonomous features. 819 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 1: You can go autopilot, you can go semi autonomous, you 820 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 1: can go fully autonomous in some cases. Um, oh, this 821 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,279 Speaker 1: is when one cool feature. I don't know if they 822 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 1: can give this up. This would be tough to give up. 823 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 1: Let's say you're driving a grain harvester and we can 824 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: all picture with this looks like I mean, I think 825 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 1: a lot of people call them combines, but grain harvester 826 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:20,920 Speaker 1: combines the same idea. They have that huge shoot at 827 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: the back that it just pours out corn or whatever 828 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:26,560 Speaker 1: it happens to be wheat. Um, there's another vehicle that 829 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 1: follows behind. It's usually a truck, but it's got a 830 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 1: giant bin on it. It looks like a just a 831 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,640 Speaker 1: big box and it pours everything that it's harvesting into 832 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:37,040 Speaker 1: that box as it drives along. They drive along in tandem. 833 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,200 Speaker 1: There is a technology that they call follow me technology, 834 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: and what it does is it it completely automates the 835 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:47,919 Speaker 1: following vehicle, so no one has to drive that second vehicle. 836 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,440 Speaker 1: There's someone in there manning the harvester, the the you know, 837 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:54,399 Speaker 1: the the vehicle that's that's gathering the material, but there's 838 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 1: nobody in the box and the one that just carries 839 00:44:56,640 --> 00:44:59,920 Speaker 1: the box. So that way, it's always following it precise 840 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: the right distance, at the precisely the right speed. Eat 841 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:06,319 Speaker 1: whether the you know, the operator adjust that speed up 842 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:08,840 Speaker 1: or down doesn't matter. That is always going to be 843 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:11,640 Speaker 1: exactly where it is. It's never It's called following technology. 844 00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:13,799 Speaker 1: That's pretty cool. Yeah, it eliminates at least one other 845 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:15,759 Speaker 1: person has to do that. They can do something else 846 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:17,880 Speaker 1: on the farm and then I don't know if this 847 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:19,560 Speaker 1: is possible or not, but it wouldn't be cool if, like, 848 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 1: when it's full, it could it could signal that, you know, okay, 849 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:24,960 Speaker 1: we stopped right for now, and they do that and 850 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 1: then another one takes this place. I don't know if 851 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 1: it's possible yet or not, it seems like it would be. Yeah, 852 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:31,719 Speaker 1: swap out technology, I would imagine that you could do that. 853 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: You would just have essentially uh you know, designating Clone 854 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 1: one and Clone two, and then you just Clone one 855 00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: return home clone to take its place Clone two or 856 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:45,640 Speaker 1: Clone one, you know, drop off the load and return 857 00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:47,920 Speaker 1: to the flight. That kind of thing. It seems like 858 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:49,440 Speaker 1: it would be so cool if you had like the 859 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:52,400 Speaker 1: system of like three vehicles that were just continually operating, 860 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: because then you have minimum downtime. Yeah, very cool. I mean, 861 00:45:55,400 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: so there's some really interesting stuff that goes along with it. 862 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:00,320 Speaker 1: But I gotta say that, you know, m of this 863 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:03,000 Speaker 1: is really kind of rubbing me the wrong way, and 864 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,520 Speaker 1: that you know, I think as it would because I mean, 865 00:46:05,680 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: I I have I felt the frustration of the you know, 866 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,000 Speaker 1: opening the hood and not being able to do anything 867 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: with my own car. I can't imagine what it's like 868 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 1: if you've got a five thousand dollar machine that you 869 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:19,520 Speaker 1: have to have running by Wednesday at noon, specifically to 870 00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:22,120 Speaker 1: plant that field, and it's not operating and there's nothing 871 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 1: you can do about it except fly a guy in 872 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: from Utah to to fix it in the field. And 873 00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 1: even then, you know, you gotta pay for his ticket 874 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:30,839 Speaker 1: to come there. You gotta for the repair itself, which 875 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:32,799 Speaker 1: is not going to be cheap. You've got to hope 876 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 1: that whatever the repair is works and that it's sustained, 877 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,879 Speaker 1: because I've read stories about guys who would fly out 878 00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: mechanics to come and or actually, I guess technicians, it 879 00:46:43,719 --> 00:46:46,520 Speaker 1: goes beyond mechanic because you're actually having to use the 880 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:51,920 Speaker 1: the authorized proprietary approach to even access the systems on 881 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:56,919 Speaker 1: board the vehicle. And you end up doing some work 882 00:46:56,960 --> 00:47:00,600 Speaker 1: and then the person leaves and your vehicle works for 883 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:02,239 Speaker 1: a little while and then breaks down again, and then 884 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,680 Speaker 1: you think, well, I can't this. This isn't something sustainable. 885 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: I can't keep doing this. You can keep that cycle going. 886 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:09,200 Speaker 1: So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna just 887 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,359 Speaker 1: let that thing sit in the barn and collect dust, 888 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,799 Speaker 1: or you're gonna get a tractor from twenty five years 889 00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 1: ago that works every day and you know how to 890 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:20,080 Speaker 1: repair right. It may not have it certainly doesn't have 891 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:22,320 Speaker 1: all the bells and whistles, but if it works and 892 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: you can keep it in working condition, that's a very 893 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 1: powerful story. Yeah, we talk about in in the text sphere, 894 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:33,000 Speaker 1: we talk about this approach, this uh, this trend really 895 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,800 Speaker 1: and it's across all areas of electronics as the black 896 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:41,440 Speaker 1: box trend, and a black box essentially means any system 897 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: or group of systems that is either sufficiently complex enough 898 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: or is protected against you accessing it. So meaning that, 899 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:54,600 Speaker 1: you know, in the old days, the really like the 900 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:59,120 Speaker 1: birth of the personal computer age, people were hacking, like 901 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:01,920 Speaker 1: physically packing machines to make them do all sorts of 902 00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:06,440 Speaker 1: stuff right um, And as they get more and more sophisticated, 903 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:09,320 Speaker 1: it's harder to do that either because it's just so 904 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:13,480 Speaker 1: complicated that it's rare for any one person to understand 905 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:17,279 Speaker 1: all the systems that are involved, or companies have gone 906 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:21,640 Speaker 1: to great links to keep certain components completely shielded from 907 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:25,360 Speaker 1: you tweaking them. So you own the physical machine itself, 908 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:27,040 Speaker 1: you want the engine, you on the transmission, You on 909 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:31,000 Speaker 1: the wheels, the axles, all that, the chassis. However, the company, 910 00:48:31,120 --> 00:48:34,719 Speaker 1: the you know, the parent company, owns the software that 911 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: makes your machine operates. So you're you're really stuck there. 912 00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 1: You're you're essentially driving a black box. Yeah, and it 913 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:42,640 Speaker 1: means that you have to if you if you ever 914 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:45,400 Speaker 1: have to do any maintenance or repair UH, you pretty 915 00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:48,279 Speaker 1: much have very few options open to you other than 916 00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:54,200 Speaker 1: contacting an official UH person from that company to come 917 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:57,640 Speaker 1: and perform the maintenance and repair. This has actually led 918 00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:02,480 Speaker 1: to UH a lot of people kind of lumping in 919 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:07,799 Speaker 1: agricultural technology under the Right to Repair Act, which really 920 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,320 Speaker 1: is not a single act. It's actually lots of different 921 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:14,760 Speaker 1: legislation introduced in many different states, and not just singly 922 00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:18,040 Speaker 1: focused on agriculture. In fact, the main focus was automotive. 923 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:22,120 Speaker 1: The idea being that a person who purchases a vehicle 924 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:27,400 Speaker 1: should have the expectation that they could do repairs themselves 925 00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:32,720 Speaker 1: or take that vehicle to an independent mechanic who also 926 00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:37,400 Speaker 1: could do those repairs other instead of having to be 927 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:42,120 Speaker 1: forced to take them to the source the manufacturer. That's 928 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:46,080 Speaker 1: the that's the point behind it. If you do want 929 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:49,759 Speaker 1: to do repairs yourself, if you are absolutely determined that 930 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:53,160 Speaker 1: you're going to do those repairs that maintenance yourself, you're 931 00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:55,759 Speaker 1: going to go to whatever links necessary in order to 932 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:57,719 Speaker 1: do that. What you would have to do is get 933 00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,800 Speaker 1: hold of a computer and some software and a connector 934 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:04,600 Speaker 1: that works with that particular make and model of that vehicle, 935 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:10,000 Speaker 1: and you'd have to be doing it essentially illegally. Yeah, 936 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:12,239 Speaker 1: and there's also because this is a piracy issue, right, 937 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:15,239 Speaker 1: and there's also the the issue of the password. The 938 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:19,600 Speaker 1: manufacturer provided password. Now that's something that they hold pretty 939 00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:21,920 Speaker 1: close to their chest. I mean, that's something that But 940 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:23,839 Speaker 1: of course, if you've already got the software loaded onto 941 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,600 Speaker 1: a laptop, you've likely already got the pat you know, 942 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:29,320 Speaker 1: somebody with the password as well. We're talking about a 943 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:31,880 Speaker 1: gray market here, aren't Yeah, yeah, there's a gray market 944 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:36,000 Speaker 1: for machines that have that software loaded onto it already. 945 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:39,040 Speaker 1: So that if you if you want to try and 946 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: do these kind of uh, you know, at least diagnose 947 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 1: what's wrong with you know, you might not even know yet, 948 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 1: you know, and it may be something very simple. And 949 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:52,880 Speaker 1: lack of knowledge is terrible, right for anybody, because you 950 00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:57,320 Speaker 1: are completely dependent upon what someone else says, yeah, and 951 00:50:57,600 --> 00:50:59,880 Speaker 1: you don't necessarily know. If you're someone like I'm not 952 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:04,160 Speaker 1: car guy Scott. If I take my wife's vehicle into 953 00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:07,719 Speaker 1: a mechanic and he says, oh, problem is your hobbit 954 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: fell off your unicorn, I'd be like, I don't think 955 00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:11,719 Speaker 1: that sounds right, but I don't know, so I guess 956 00:51:11,719 --> 00:51:15,200 Speaker 1: I gotta pay you this. I understand. I feel a 957 00:51:15,239 --> 00:51:17,520 Speaker 1: lot of people are in that position. If you just 958 00:51:17,640 --> 00:51:20,440 Speaker 1: if you don't have the the the knowledge ahead of time. 959 00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:23,480 Speaker 1: When you come in what it possibly could be, you 960 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:25,920 Speaker 1: feel like you might be taken And and that is 961 00:51:26,080 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 1: another source of frustration, is that you're at the mercy 962 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:31,719 Speaker 1: of the manufacturer at that point, because they can tell 963 00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:34,800 Speaker 1: you anything. And you'd say, well, okay, here's the manufacturer 964 00:51:34,840 --> 00:51:36,719 Speaker 1: telling me that's what it is. It has to be that, 965 00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:38,960 Speaker 1: and and a lot of people are just like, well, 966 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:41,240 Speaker 1: I'd rather I'd rather know that, find that out for myself, 967 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:43,879 Speaker 1: you know, or maybe narrow it down to three possible things. 968 00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:45,359 Speaker 1: And if they tell me one of those three things, 969 00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:47,759 Speaker 1: I'll believe it. If they say something, you know, from 970 00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:50,480 Speaker 1: out and left field, then I'm gonna question that. I 971 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:52,360 Speaker 1: asked them why I'm gonna follow up with him. But 972 00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 1: it's just easier to accept if you do that research 973 00:51:56,160 --> 00:51:59,440 Speaker 1: ahead of time. And the problem is that if you 974 00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 1: want to access the tractor's computer, you are essentially breaking 975 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:14,000 Speaker 1: the law, because the Digital Millennial Copyright Act specifically makes 976 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:18,600 Speaker 1: it illegal to try to get around or break protection 977 00:52:19,320 --> 00:52:23,000 Speaker 1: around any sort of DRM. Now, typically we think of 978 00:52:23,080 --> 00:52:25,239 Speaker 1: dr M as something that happens to be attached to 979 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:29,800 Speaker 1: a music file or a computer file, not attractor, but 980 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:33,600 Speaker 1: the principle is the same. And while I'm not necessarily 981 00:52:34,239 --> 00:52:35,480 Speaker 1: I don't know that we're going to live in a 982 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:38,880 Speaker 1: world where John Deere is going to sue a farmer 983 00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:42,960 Speaker 1: because the farmer chose to get around. The point is 984 00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:45,680 Speaker 1: under the law, they would be completely within their right 985 00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:49,840 Speaker 1: to do that because the d m c A allows 986 00:52:49,920 --> 00:52:52,160 Speaker 1: for it. And that's why the Right to Repair Act 987 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:56,120 Speaker 1: this this group, these various elements of legislation that are 988 00:52:56,160 --> 00:53:01,680 Speaker 1: in different stages. Only Massachusetts, I think, actually passed a 989 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:06,360 Speaker 1: Right to Repair Act into law. But what that says 990 00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:10,400 Speaker 1: is that it should they should get an exception essentially 991 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:12,440 Speaker 1: to d m c A that that in order to 992 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:16,240 Speaker 1: do repairs on something, uh, it should not be considered 993 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:21,680 Speaker 1: illegal to bypass this protection because it means that you 994 00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:24,120 Speaker 1: have created kind of almost like a monopoly. Like you 995 00:53:24,239 --> 00:53:27,840 Speaker 1: you have created only one means of addressing the problem. 996 00:53:28,040 --> 00:53:30,440 Speaker 1: And it also means that people who are like you know, 997 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:35,160 Speaker 1: independent mechanics who do not work for any specific manufacturer 998 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:40,960 Speaker 1: or dealership or whatever, they're seeing their business decline because 999 00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 1: if more and more of the vehicles have to be 1000 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:49,680 Speaker 1: taken to those dealerships or individual or manufacturers, then the mechanics, don't. 1001 00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:51,680 Speaker 1: They don't. They aren't getting as much work less and 1002 00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:54,120 Speaker 1: less need for the older equipment to be repaired, right 1003 00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:59,560 Speaker 1: unless they start to turn towards using that. Can I 1004 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:01,000 Speaker 1: can I just say that we're we're not picking on 1005 00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:03,840 Speaker 1: John Dear. It's just an easy example for us to 1006 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:05,960 Speaker 1: make that everybody is familiar with. But all of the 1007 00:54:06,600 --> 00:54:11,399 Speaker 1: modern tractor manufacturers are doing similar things. Yes, So it's 1008 00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:13,520 Speaker 1: not like, you know, John DearS, you know some evil 1009 00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:15,640 Speaker 1: corporation doing this on their own, and that's the only 1010 00:54:15,719 --> 00:54:17,480 Speaker 1: one that's like that, And to get their equipment, you 1011 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:20,680 Speaker 1: have to submit to this. It's it's everybody, and and 1012 00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:26,040 Speaker 1: these companies have, you know, very understandable reasons for pursuing 1013 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:29,440 Speaker 1: this sort of stuff too. It's not like their motives are. 1014 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:32,640 Speaker 1: They're not all slightly whiplash. They're not twirling their mustaches 1015 00:54:32,719 --> 00:54:35,520 Speaker 1: as the trains coming down. Tis. But don't you agree though, 1016 00:54:35,600 --> 00:54:38,080 Speaker 1: that if they wanted to make it easier on the 1017 00:54:38,239 --> 00:54:40,160 Speaker 1: on the ordinary farmer that they were on the on 1018 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:43,279 Speaker 1: the average farmer, that they would maybe not make it 1019 00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:46,759 Speaker 1: password encrypted. You I think, I think what my own 1020 00:54:46,840 --> 00:54:50,840 Speaker 1: personal opinion is that they could throw in a simple 1021 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:53,640 Speaker 1: device that hooks up to the tractor and gives a 1022 00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:56,959 Speaker 1: readout of exactly what's wrong. Maybe just a diagnostic tool, 1023 00:54:57,000 --> 00:55:00,480 Speaker 1: but maybe it's something that's uh boy, that know, what 1024 00:55:00,719 --> 00:55:02,560 Speaker 1: level do you allow it to go to? Though? Because 1025 00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:06,080 Speaker 1: you start allowing everybody to recalibrate your machines, there's gonna 1026 00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:09,120 Speaker 1: be problems and they're going to blame the manufacturers. So 1027 00:55:09,520 --> 00:55:12,040 Speaker 1: how would you how would you ever determine what level 1028 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:14,480 Speaker 1: you would allow them to fix or repair their own machine. 1029 00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:17,400 Speaker 1: This is a factory repair. This is something that we 1030 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:20,080 Speaker 1: have to do right, and and when you are getting 1031 00:55:20,120 --> 00:55:23,400 Speaker 1: into this level of sophistication and complexity, it is not 1032 00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:28,120 Speaker 1: an easy questioned answer, right because, uh, some people, you know, 1033 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:29,680 Speaker 1: you might say, all right, well, here are all the 1034 00:55:29,719 --> 00:55:34,040 Speaker 1: basic mechanical systems that we think people should reasonably be 1035 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:36,960 Speaker 1: expected to be able to address. Here are some of 1036 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:40,080 Speaker 1: the ones that we think are beyond the pale when 1037 00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:43,560 Speaker 1: it comes to the average person's ability to access it 1038 00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:47,719 Speaker 1: and change it. The problem is then make sure that 1039 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:54,399 Speaker 1: the ones that you can't touch, essentially aren't also going 1040 00:55:54,560 --> 00:55:57,879 Speaker 1: to completely shut down the vehicle should they go bad. 1041 00:55:58,680 --> 00:56:02,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's incredibly difficult there's there's so many 1042 00:56:02,280 --> 00:56:05,719 Speaker 1: possibilities here that I don't know what the answer is. 1043 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:07,320 Speaker 1: I really don't but it. But it does seem to 1044 00:56:07,400 --> 00:56:09,680 Speaker 1: me that if they would at least allow them access 1045 00:56:09,680 --> 00:56:12,040 Speaker 1: to to look into the T C T E C 1046 00:56:12,239 --> 00:56:15,239 Speaker 1: U and figure out what's going on, at least at 1047 00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:18,120 Speaker 1: least to understand, all right, the problem is with this 1048 00:56:18,239 --> 00:56:21,080 Speaker 1: hydralic sensor over here on this on my number eight 1049 00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:25,040 Speaker 1: wheel or however they designate that. UM, then they would 1050 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:26,840 Speaker 1: at least know, Okay, that's where I'm gonna look and 1051 00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:28,960 Speaker 1: that's where the problem is gonna be. They had no UM, 1052 00:56:29,400 --> 00:56:32,000 Speaker 1: it just gives you a better a better sense of 1053 00:56:32,080 --> 00:56:35,000 Speaker 1: what's going on. Well no, no, I I agree. I 1054 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:38,320 Speaker 1: think I think being ignorant of the situation just adds 1055 00:56:38,400 --> 00:56:40,879 Speaker 1: to stress. Instead of just calling the manufacturer and saying, well, 1056 00:56:40,920 --> 00:56:43,160 Speaker 1: my tractor doesn't work, I mean, then you would at 1057 00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:45,120 Speaker 1: least say, like, well, I'm having a problem with my 1058 00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: my number eight wheel. The hydralic sensor is doing this. 1059 00:56:48,080 --> 00:56:50,200 Speaker 1: But you can't even do that now, and that's the problem. 1060 00:56:50,360 --> 00:56:54,839 Speaker 1: So super frustrating on both sides. Now, one thing that's 1061 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:56,640 Speaker 1: not frustrating, the thing that we wanted to kind of 1062 00:56:56,640 --> 00:56:59,839 Speaker 1: conclude with is that some farmers have found really cre 1063 00:57:00,040 --> 00:57:05,080 Speaker 1: it of means to boosting their efficiency by taking matters 1064 00:57:05,160 --> 00:57:09,840 Speaker 1: into their own hands, by actually hacking either systems or 1065 00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 1: are tools in order to get more efficient. Scott, you 1066 00:57:14,239 --> 00:57:16,080 Speaker 1: looked into this source of yes, I did. There's a 1067 00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:18,720 Speaker 1: site called farm hacks. Now. Farmhas kind of came about 1068 00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 1: when I was reading about the gray market and um, 1069 00:57:20,920 --> 00:57:24,680 Speaker 1: you know some of the software proprietary stuff you're talking about, 1070 00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:26,960 Speaker 1: like maybe a friend of a friend as a laptop 1071 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:29,480 Speaker 1: that you could use the software in the passwords. Well, 1072 00:57:29,480 --> 00:57:31,280 Speaker 1: they said, well, there there are sites out there that 1073 00:57:31,360 --> 00:57:33,880 Speaker 1: can help you with some problems, not all problems like that, 1074 00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:36,680 Speaker 1: but look into farm hacks and there's a site called 1075 00:57:36,760 --> 00:57:39,280 Speaker 1: farm hacked dot org. And I can just give you 1076 00:57:39,280 --> 00:57:42,800 Speaker 1: a few examples, just quick examples, but there's probably I 1077 00:57:42,840 --> 00:57:45,760 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe two hundred examples on this site so 1078 00:57:45,960 --> 00:57:48,600 Speaker 1: far of just really simple things. And it's exactly what 1079 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:51,840 Speaker 1: it sounds like. It's it's they're not all high tech either. Um, 1080 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:55,520 Speaker 1: some of them are are you know, large grand scale projects, 1081 00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:57,520 Speaker 1: and others are very very small, like made in a 1082 00:57:57,560 --> 00:58:00,560 Speaker 1: five gallon bucket type small. So it really really small like, 1083 00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:03,400 Speaker 1: let's say they got a problem of I don't know, 1084 00:58:03,480 --> 00:58:06,880 Speaker 1: the the the metal pan that you put the chickens 1085 00:58:06,960 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 1: water in on your small farm, it keeps freezing in 1086 00:58:10,040 --> 00:58:13,080 Speaker 1: the wintertime. But the solutions that are out there, you know, 1087 00:58:13,240 --> 00:58:17,480 Speaker 1: in a I guess in the consumer realm, are you 1088 00:58:17,560 --> 00:58:19,880 Speaker 1: know a two heater for this thing? And you don't 1089 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:21,320 Speaker 1: want to pay two bucks for that? You just got 1090 00:58:21,400 --> 00:58:23,360 Speaker 1: a small farm. You've got ten chickens to take care over, 1091 00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:25,480 Speaker 1: twenty chickens? What do you do you want to you 1092 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:27,280 Speaker 1: want the five dollar solutions, So you know, you go 1093 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:30,280 Speaker 1: to this farm haack site and they've got a solution 1094 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:33,360 Speaker 1: there for you. And it's things like that. So um. 1095 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:35,800 Speaker 1: One thing that we mentioned earlier was the the automatic 1096 00:58:35,840 --> 00:58:38,920 Speaker 1: weating machine, the robotic wheating machine. Well, here's an idea 1097 00:58:39,040 --> 00:58:42,080 Speaker 1: that this one at farm farm Hacks had and they're 1098 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,360 Speaker 1: called farm bikes, and there's a bunch of different types 1099 00:58:44,400 --> 00:58:46,280 Speaker 1: of farm bikes, but one of them that really caught 1100 00:58:46,360 --> 00:58:49,760 Speaker 1: my eye was the type that writers live face down 1101 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:52,400 Speaker 1: just above the ground, so you're you're kind of on 1102 00:58:52,520 --> 00:58:55,479 Speaker 1: a almost like in a sling, just above the ground, 1103 00:58:55,560 --> 00:58:58,280 Speaker 1: kind of maybe a little less than arms length and 1104 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:01,520 Speaker 1: big wheels that go on the rose you know where 1105 00:59:01,560 --> 00:59:04,760 Speaker 1: there aren't plants, and you peddle this with your feet 1106 00:59:04,760 --> 00:59:07,480 Speaker 1: behind you, so it's like a reverse recumbent bike almost. 1107 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:09,840 Speaker 1: You're you're laying head first, so you're like you're like 1108 00:59:10,280 --> 00:59:14,160 Speaker 1: flying over the weeds like Superman. Yes, picking weeds. Yes, 1109 00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:15,800 Speaker 1: And there's buckets hanging next to you and you can 1110 00:59:15,880 --> 00:59:17,600 Speaker 1: pick them. And it's very very simple, and you can 1111 00:59:17,680 --> 00:59:20,320 Speaker 1: have two people, three people, however big you want to 1112 00:59:20,360 --> 00:59:22,720 Speaker 1: make this device, you know, this this thing and again 1113 00:59:22,760 --> 00:59:24,760 Speaker 1: it's foot powered, you know, it's pedal powered. It's just 1114 00:59:24,840 --> 00:59:27,640 Speaker 1: like a bicycle. It's just a rework bike really. So 1115 00:59:27,720 --> 00:59:30,600 Speaker 1: it's a very low tech version of the automated weeding 1116 00:59:30,640 --> 00:59:32,640 Speaker 1: machine that you talked about. It's only it's not automated. 1117 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:36,080 Speaker 1: It's human powered and and humans are are suspended they're 1118 00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:38,000 Speaker 1: doing that. But it's it's a weird thing to look at, 1119 00:59:38,120 --> 00:59:40,440 Speaker 1: but it's it is so smart. When you look at it, 1120 00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:42,800 Speaker 1: you realize, like that that's the way to pick wheeds. 1121 00:59:42,960 --> 00:59:44,880 Speaker 1: I kind of want to try that, just to try 1122 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:47,560 Speaker 1: it now. It's sounds funny. I'd almost like to ride 1123 00:59:47,600 --> 00:59:50,440 Speaker 1: it fast on the street. Only thing is that you 1124 00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:53,680 Speaker 1: would you would imagine that their ability to maneuver is 1125 00:59:53,720 --> 00:59:56,280 Speaker 1: probably somewhat limited, seeing is how it was designed to 1126 00:59:56,320 --> 01:00:00,840 Speaker 1: go straight. It's mostly straight. The turning is a little subject, 1127 01:00:01,640 --> 01:00:03,160 Speaker 1: all right. So there's a few and well just kind 1128 01:00:03,160 --> 01:00:05,240 Speaker 1: of let's quickly go through these. We're near in the 1129 01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:07,400 Speaker 1: end here. But um, of course there's a lot of 1130 01:00:07,440 --> 01:00:10,920 Speaker 1: three D printed parts on the site. And that's interesting 1131 01:00:10,960 --> 01:00:12,800 Speaker 1: because you know, I know you've talked about them many times. 1132 01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:15,360 Speaker 1: We've talked about them on car stuff. Um, we're talking 1133 01:00:15,400 --> 01:00:18,600 Speaker 1: about things like seed rollers or spray nozzles. Any any 1134 01:00:18,720 --> 01:00:22,680 Speaker 1: non electric tractor part maybe far you know, any any 1135 01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:24,360 Speaker 1: implement part that you can think of, you could you 1136 01:00:24,400 --> 01:00:27,000 Speaker 1: could do a three D printed part for that. Um, 1137 01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:30,720 Speaker 1: how about this homemade livestock scales for about a third 1138 01:00:30,800 --> 01:00:32,760 Speaker 1: of the price. It's something you don't really think about. 1139 01:00:32,760 --> 01:00:34,400 Speaker 1: You have to weigh those cattle before they go on 1140 01:00:34,440 --> 01:00:36,640 Speaker 1: the truck to the to the market. How do you 1141 01:00:36,720 --> 01:00:38,280 Speaker 1: do that? Well, you have to buy a scale, and 1142 01:00:38,320 --> 01:00:40,640 Speaker 1: the scale can be you know, thousands of dollars, maybe 1143 01:00:40,680 --> 01:00:43,240 Speaker 1: two thousand dollars for one. If you could do the 1144 01:00:43,320 --> 01:00:45,320 Speaker 1: same thing, if you can create your own for about 1145 01:00:45,320 --> 01:00:46,760 Speaker 1: a third of the price of course you're going to 1146 01:00:46,880 --> 01:00:49,800 Speaker 1: do that, so why not and it's just as effective. Um, 1147 01:00:50,320 --> 01:00:53,880 Speaker 1: how about let's see quick attachments. Uh, you know ideas 1148 01:00:53,880 --> 01:00:57,560 Speaker 1: for quick attachment. UM, for things that require like maybe 1149 01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:00,360 Speaker 1: a three point hitch, very difficult to lie up and 1150 01:01:00,360 --> 01:01:02,880 Speaker 1: get it get correct, but just simple ways around that. 1151 01:01:02,960 --> 01:01:05,440 Speaker 1: You know, things that that speed up your time, that 1152 01:01:05,560 --> 01:01:08,240 Speaker 1: that maximize efficiency. It's like a plug in play approach. Well, 1153 01:01:08,280 --> 01:01:11,840 Speaker 1: it's very very similar. You're exactly right. Um, Okay, So 1154 01:01:11,920 --> 01:01:15,240 Speaker 1: we talked about mobile temperature alarms and things like that. Um, 1155 01:01:15,560 --> 01:01:18,680 Speaker 1: there's a lot of program or apps out there I 1156 01:01:18,760 --> 01:01:21,479 Speaker 1: guess that are not advertising the site, but people are saying, 1157 01:01:21,800 --> 01:01:24,040 Speaker 1: I use this one. It really works, so you can 1158 01:01:24,080 --> 01:01:25,800 Speaker 1: go there and kind of Again, this is back to 1159 01:01:25,920 --> 01:01:32,120 Speaker 1: the the shared ideas, the community aspect of the collective expertise. Yeah, 1160 01:01:32,120 --> 01:01:33,919 Speaker 1: I mean that way, you know, if your greenhouse gets 1161 01:01:33,920 --> 01:01:36,960 Speaker 1: above or below temperature, you're alerted no matter where you are. 1162 01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,240 Speaker 1: If you're in town buying feed for the livestock or whatever, 1163 01:01:39,560 --> 01:01:41,360 Speaker 1: you know that the greenhouse is getting a little too hot. 1164 01:01:41,400 --> 01:01:42,920 Speaker 1: I gotta get back there and set that, or you 1165 01:01:42,960 --> 01:01:45,200 Speaker 1: can manage or you know, maybe it could be an 1166 01:01:45,200 --> 01:01:49,280 Speaker 1: automated system. Yeah, So what about if UM Again I 1167 01:01:49,360 --> 01:01:52,360 Speaker 1: mentioned the five gallon bucket thing, but UM humidifiers for 1168 01:01:52,520 --> 01:01:55,280 Speaker 1: small buildings in barns or whatever, you know, that's that's 1169 01:01:55,280 --> 01:01:58,960 Speaker 1: a simple thing to do. There's UH bucket based humidifiers 1170 01:01:59,000 --> 01:02:01,760 Speaker 1: that you can make that are continually refilled themselves. So 1171 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:05,320 Speaker 1: it's a self sustaining system. That's really cool. It's very smart, 1172 01:02:05,520 --> 01:02:09,280 Speaker 1: and it's there on that site. UM also compost sensors 1173 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:11,960 Speaker 1: again for recording temperatures inside the compost piles. And you 1174 01:02:11,960 --> 01:02:14,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't think that's important, but some of those compost piles 1175 01:02:14,880 --> 01:02:18,080 Speaker 1: can self combust. They can spontaneously combust because they get 1176 01:02:18,080 --> 01:02:21,520 Speaker 1: too incredible temperatures. I've seen piles of mulch and dirt 1177 01:02:21,600 --> 01:02:24,160 Speaker 1: and things that that are steaming in the winter because 1178 01:02:24,160 --> 01:02:25,200 Speaker 1: they get so high. You have to go out and 1179 01:02:25,560 --> 01:02:28,120 Speaker 1: turn them. They keep them cooler, they'll they'll just burn up. 1180 01:02:28,960 --> 01:02:32,919 Speaker 1: Compost is the exact same way. What about biodesel biodiesel 1181 01:02:33,040 --> 01:02:37,520 Speaker 1: processing trailers. Oh, we talked about biodiesel quite a few 1182 01:02:37,600 --> 01:02:40,360 Speaker 1: times on text, so also on forward thinking biodiesel is 1183 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:44,840 Speaker 1: pretty cool stuff. You you can essentially use that in 1184 01:02:45,000 --> 01:02:48,320 Speaker 1: place of diesel. Some diesel engines take it like you 1185 01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:52,120 Speaker 1: could have pure biodiesel. Some diesel engines will process it 1186 01:02:52,240 --> 01:02:54,280 Speaker 1: just fine. There are other ones where you've got to 1187 01:02:54,320 --> 01:02:56,560 Speaker 1: have more of a mix between diesel and biodiesel. But 1188 01:02:56,640 --> 01:02:58,320 Speaker 1: so this is this is something that you could use 1189 01:02:58,720 --> 01:03:01,040 Speaker 1: like like a self can paying trailers. So you've got 1190 01:03:01,120 --> 01:03:05,320 Speaker 1: a biodiesel processing um I'll call it a plant, but 1191 01:03:05,400 --> 01:03:07,800 Speaker 1: it's smaller than that. It's a it's about diesel processing 1192 01:03:08,440 --> 01:03:11,840 Speaker 1: um UH system, and it's it's a way to house 1193 01:03:11,880 --> 01:03:14,320 Speaker 1: that in a trailer safely and to be able to 1194 01:03:14,480 --> 01:03:17,280 Speaker 1: use your product, your your waste products, whatever that happens 1195 01:03:17,280 --> 01:03:20,480 Speaker 1: to be. So whatever you farm, you're able to use 1196 01:03:20,560 --> 01:03:24,640 Speaker 1: the corn husks or whatever to create or algae or 1197 01:03:24,680 --> 01:03:26,840 Speaker 1: whatever you have access to to be able to create 1198 01:03:26,920 --> 01:03:28,560 Speaker 1: your own fuel for your own farm. So it's a 1199 01:03:28,640 --> 01:03:30,720 Speaker 1: very smart thing to do. Yeah, I mean, otherwise you've 1200 01:03:30,720 --> 01:03:34,360 Speaker 1: got the stuff that would just be waste that you know, 1201 01:03:34,480 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 1: you might be able to find one or two other 1202 01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:40,000 Speaker 1: uses for it. But reuse of the stuff, making use 1203 01:03:40,080 --> 01:03:43,120 Speaker 1: of as much of the crop as possible is another 1204 01:03:43,320 --> 01:03:47,280 Speaker 1: means of reducing environmental impact and increasing efficiency cutting your 1205 01:03:47,320 --> 01:03:50,000 Speaker 1: fuel costs at the same time, very very important for farmers. 1206 01:03:50,080 --> 01:03:53,800 Speaker 1: So things like pedal powered root washers for like things 1207 01:03:53,880 --> 01:03:56,720 Speaker 1: like carrots and and potatoes, you know, just small stuff 1208 01:03:56,720 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: like this that you wouldn't think of, but you know, 1209 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:00,520 Speaker 1: for somebody who is just going to uh, you know, 1210 01:04:00,760 --> 01:04:04,320 Speaker 1: maybe harvest a small area that's you know, a couple 1211 01:04:04,320 --> 01:04:06,000 Speaker 1: of hundred feet and they want to take it into 1212 01:04:06,120 --> 01:04:08,360 Speaker 1: a local farmers market or something. They gotta find some 1213 01:04:08,440 --> 01:04:10,120 Speaker 1: way to watch that before they bring it into town, 1214 01:04:10,160 --> 01:04:12,720 Speaker 1: and that can be a very time consuming process. So 1215 01:04:12,840 --> 01:04:15,640 Speaker 1: these pedal powered route washers that are very effective, very efficient, 1216 01:04:16,160 --> 01:04:18,480 Speaker 1: um smart design. You just use an old bicycle in 1217 01:04:18,520 --> 01:04:21,680 Speaker 1: a tub of some kind. Yeah, I've actually I've actually 1218 01:04:21,720 --> 01:04:28,440 Speaker 1: seen an entire uh nonprofit startup that does this very thing. 1219 01:04:28,800 --> 01:04:33,960 Speaker 1: They take bicycles and they repurpose the bicycles into pedal 1220 01:04:34,120 --> 01:04:37,920 Speaker 1: powered machinery much many of many of them are dedicated 1221 01:04:37,920 --> 01:04:43,040 Speaker 1: toward farming, and they end up bringing them to places 1222 01:04:43,200 --> 01:04:48,200 Speaker 1: where electricity isn't even always a part of life. So 1223 01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:53,880 Speaker 1: you're seeing this in developing nations where it's really improving 1224 01:04:54,040 --> 01:04:58,120 Speaker 1: people's ability to do more work with less effort even 1225 01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:01,360 Speaker 1: in the absence of electricity. So agriculture, they could use 1226 01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:04,040 Speaker 1: it to power radio. They use it to just just 1227 01:05:04,120 --> 01:05:06,960 Speaker 1: about anything, right, I mean, power something that cooks. I mean, 1228 01:05:07,000 --> 01:05:09,040 Speaker 1: you know, it's just amazing. I saw one that was 1229 01:05:09,120 --> 01:05:12,040 Speaker 1: a pedal powered blender. I think you'd go ahead and 1230 01:05:12,080 --> 01:05:15,240 Speaker 1: make your mixed drinks right there. That's pretty good. I 1231 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:18,720 Speaker 1: could use that this weekend. Yeah. Oh man, So let's 1232 01:05:18,760 --> 01:05:20,600 Speaker 1: just talk for a second about how hot it is 1233 01:05:20,640 --> 01:05:23,560 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. Yes, no kidding. The farmers have got to 1234 01:05:23,600 --> 01:05:25,480 Speaker 1: be really feeling the heat right now. Yeah. And you 1235 01:05:25,600 --> 01:05:28,480 Speaker 1: know that affects them because it's not every day that 1236 01:05:28,720 --> 01:05:30,520 Speaker 1: when you know, the temperatures are in the one hundred 1237 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,600 Speaker 1: degree range and humid like this, It's got its own 1238 01:05:33,640 --> 01:05:36,680 Speaker 1: heat and is around some days. It's got its own 1239 01:05:36,720 --> 01:05:39,240 Speaker 1: set of circumstances to go along with it. And and 1240 01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:41,160 Speaker 1: I don't I don't have any idea what that does 1241 01:05:41,200 --> 01:05:43,520 Speaker 1: to farmers, but I'm sure that it just drives them 1242 01:05:43,560 --> 01:05:45,720 Speaker 1: crazy because you never know when it's coming. It's coming 1243 01:05:45,960 --> 01:05:48,480 Speaker 1: if you don't know what week that's going to hit. Yeah. Yeah, 1244 01:05:48,640 --> 01:05:53,080 Speaker 1: So this has been a really fun topic to talk about. This. 1245 01:05:53,360 --> 01:05:56,000 Speaker 1: This is again one of those things where I hadn't 1246 01:05:56,040 --> 01:05:58,120 Speaker 1: really lent it much thought I really should. I've got 1247 01:05:58,160 --> 01:06:02,720 Speaker 1: a cousin who is very much in this world. He 1248 01:06:03,040 --> 01:06:06,080 Speaker 1: and IT does incredible work. He flies all over the 1249 01:06:06,160 --> 01:06:09,960 Speaker 1: world working with farmers to help increase crop yields. I 1250 01:06:10,000 --> 01:06:13,320 Speaker 1: should talk with him and see what other interesting technologies 1251 01:06:13,360 --> 01:06:16,640 Speaker 1: are on the horizon because he's awesome. What am I 1252 01:06:16,720 --> 01:06:20,280 Speaker 1: doing on the other side, Well, he's in Tokyo. It's 1253 01:06:20,600 --> 01:06:22,880 Speaker 1: hard to touch base with it. I know a little bit, 1254 01:06:22,920 --> 01:06:25,400 Speaker 1: but he knows a lot. Yeah, yeah, yea, he knows 1255 01:06:25,480 --> 01:06:28,200 Speaker 1: better than to come onto a podcast with me because 1256 01:06:28,480 --> 01:06:31,800 Speaker 1: because we're related. So at any rate, this thanks Scott, 1257 01:06:31,840 --> 01:06:33,800 Speaker 1: thank you so much for coming onto the show to 1258 01:06:33,880 --> 01:06:36,680 Speaker 1: talk to me about this, and thank for having me again. 1259 01:06:36,680 --> 01:06:38,640 Speaker 1: I I appreciate it. It's always fun to do a 1260 01:06:38,680 --> 01:06:41,160 Speaker 1: guest But yeah, and it was just great to to 1261 01:06:41,360 --> 01:06:44,200 Speaker 1: really look into, you know, the ways that this world 1262 01:06:44,320 --> 01:06:48,120 Speaker 1: overlaps with the automotive world as well as the frustrations 1263 01:06:48,280 --> 01:06:51,320 Speaker 1: as well as not just the frustrations, but the incredible 1264 01:06:51,400 --> 01:06:56,720 Speaker 1: potential this technology has to to help farmers in the future. 1265 01:06:56,880 --> 01:07:00,440 Speaker 1: So really exciting stuff. I mean, uh, time we can 1266 01:07:00,440 --> 01:07:03,640 Speaker 1: talk about drones, uh in a way that is positive, 1267 01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:06,360 Speaker 1: I am happy to do it. So guys, if you 1268 01:07:06,440 --> 01:07:09,720 Speaker 1: have any suggestions out there for a future episode of 1269 01:07:09,760 --> 01:07:12,520 Speaker 1: tech Stuff. You can write in the email addresses tech 1270 01:07:12,560 --> 01:07:15,000 Speaker 1: Stuff at how stuff works dot com, or drop me 1271 01:07:15,080 --> 01:07:17,760 Speaker 1: a line on Facebook, Twitter or Tumbler. The handle is 1272 01:07:17,840 --> 01:07:20,480 Speaker 1: tech Stuff h s W. You can catch Scott on 1273 01:07:20,760 --> 01:07:23,960 Speaker 1: Car Stuff along with Ben Boland, who is also a 1274 01:07:24,400 --> 01:07:27,520 Speaker 1: frequent guest host here on tech Stuff. You guys cover 1275 01:07:27,720 --> 01:07:32,800 Speaker 1: all things cars and vehicle related. Really any interesting shows 1276 01:07:32,880 --> 01:07:35,560 Speaker 1: coming up in the near future, oh Man, anything and 1277 01:07:35,640 --> 01:07:38,280 Speaker 1: everything we do. We cover anything and so we talked 1278 01:07:38,320 --> 01:07:41,240 Speaker 1: about Elvis is Hurts recently. Wow, we're going to talk 1279 01:07:41,280 --> 01:07:44,440 Speaker 1: about a local auto manufacturer that more people don't really 1280 01:07:44,480 --> 01:07:47,800 Speaker 1: know about, the Hanaf Okay, just a lot of different things, 1281 01:07:47,840 --> 01:07:49,919 Speaker 1: and we do a lot of history on our show too. Yeah, 1282 01:07:49,960 --> 01:07:52,480 Speaker 1: it's awesome. You can really learn a lot about some 1283 01:07:52,640 --> 01:07:57,000 Speaker 1: of the brands that have become either either have come 1284 01:07:57,080 --> 01:08:00,720 Speaker 1: and gone or our mainstays on the road now and 1285 01:08:00,720 --> 01:08:03,440 Speaker 1: you can learn all about them. Just check out car Stops. 1286 01:08:03,520 --> 01:08:06,160 Speaker 1: Great show and uh I will talk to you guys 1287 01:08:06,200 --> 01:08:15,320 Speaker 1: again really soon for more on this embassens another pathics 1288 01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:16,920 Speaker 1: because it has to have work dot Com