281. How Autonomy is Breathing New Life into Farming

Labor shortages are pushing many family farms to the brink. The solution? Autonomous technology which is emerging as a game-changer—boosting productivity, cutting risk, and giving family farms a fighting chance to thrive for generations to come.   At the forefront of this transformation is Blue River Technology, a John Deere subsidiary leading the charge in precision agriculture. From AI-driven tools to autonomous machinery, the company is helping to build the future of farming the John Deere way, meeting farmers in the field and designing solutions grounded in real-world challenges.   With safety and scalability built in, farmers can start small with retrofit kits that upgrade existing tractors, making automation more accessible than ever.   To learn more, we caught up with Aaron Wells, Director of Engineering at Blue River, to explore how automation is transforming agriculture and giving farmers the tools they need to stay ahead—despite labor challenges.   We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to [email protected]. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all happen—and give us a review on your preferred podcasting platform.   Follow SAE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Follow host Grayson Brulte on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.