ROBOTS ON THE RISE

By: Laurie Bedord

Whether it’s pulling a field cultivator, a vertical-tillage tool, or a high-speed planter, the tractor is an integral part of getting the work done on D-Dowson Farms. It’s also a seat that has become harder to fill.

“Finding labor has been a big issue,” says Steve Moffitt, who farms with his father-in-law, Dean Dowson, and brothers-in-law Tim Eike and Scott Mundhenke.

Presented with a solution that would automate one of the tractor’s responsibilities, Moffitt was both intrigued and a bit apprehensive. “Sabanto Ag’s autonomous mobile planting unit is exciting, but I was concerned it was going to eliminate my job,” he says.