MN Broadband Conference 2019: Blandin Foundation

1. Tech Transformed Agriculture
Perspectives on Broadband in Rural
Minnesota
Keith Olander
Dean of Agricultural Studies
Director, AgCentric
Minnesota State Agricultural Center of Excellence
October 9, 2019

2. State Farm Finances
• Tough economy on the farm slows
adaption of technology
• The nexus of farm sustainability is where
environmental sustainability and economic
viability meet.

4. National Perspective

5. Broadband on the Farm
• Automation of
machines
– Tractors
– Irrigators
– All farm equipment
• Robotic
• Sensory
– Animals
– Grain storage
• Sensory
– Field conditions
• Moisture
• Fertility
• pH

6. Broadband on the farm
• Weather –
– Integrating unknowns into
• Crop Plans
• Growing Crops
• Harvest
• Life work balance
• Soil Health
• Pest management
• Finances

8. Broadband in Education
• Virtual classroom
– Farmer/instructor
– Software download
– Transfer of data
• Records
– Combine Data
• Yield data
– Planter data
• Seed population
• Accessing resources
– Video (YouTube)
– Blogs

9. Drones in Agriculture - Crops

10. Drones in Agriculture - Livestock

11. Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another. John Dewey
Thank you
for your
attention.