Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Technology”
A sign of the times on today’s Bottom Line report, the National Agricultural Aviation Association is asking drone operators to be mindful of low flying aircraft this time of year. The Aviation Association says agricultural aircraft treat an estimated 140 million acres, cropland, pasture land, and timberland each year, and much of it happens this time of year. Drones share the airspace below 400 …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the creation of a National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech to help evaluate ag technology under real-world ranching and farming conditions. The initiative was designed to test and validate tools, existing and emerging, to provide farmers and ranchers with insights when choosing technology for their operations. Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics …
Last week during the White House Great American Agriculture Celebration, President Trump announced that the administration would be making changes to the Diesel Exhaust Fluid system through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the Agency, these changes include removing the DEF sensor requirement for all diesel equipment and according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, this change will save …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced that USDA is launching the “One Farmer, One File” initiative. The effort is meant to modernize the department’s efforts by making “sweeping technological improvements,” with a single record that follows the farmer no matter where they interact with the department. “Every single day at USDA, our focus is on making life easier, …
From Handmade Tools to a New Agricultural Era Prior to the 1800s, American farmers and ranchers relied almost entirely on handmade tools and equipment. These implements were often crafted locally and varied widely in quality and effectiveness. Farming during this period was labor-intensive, limited in scale, and largely focused on meeting immediate needs rather than producing surplus for broader markets. …
From Hand Labor to Heavy Work: Early American Farming Agricultural production in the United States continued to expand in the early 1800s, but farming remained an intensely labor-driven endeavor. Despite growing demand and expanding acreage, efficiency was limited by the tools available to farmers. By 1850, it took an estimated 75 to 90 labor hours to produce 100 bushels of …
A Snapshot of Agricultural Progress American agriculture has always been shaped by innovation, but few changes were as transformative as the mechanization of farming. In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold outlines how corn production efficiency evolved between 1850 and 1930—revealing how fewer labor hours and less land dramatically increased productivity. Corn Production in 1850: Heavy Labor, Limited Efficiency …
USDA Launches New Online Portal to Report Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new online reporting portal designed to improve transparency and oversight of transactions involving U.S. agricultural land owned by foreign persons. The portal supports reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) and applies to transactions conducted …
New “Innovation Never Stops” Series Showcases the Future of Agriculture A new educational documentary series is now available for teachers, 4-H leaders, FFA advisors, and other youth educators looking to bring real-world agriculture into the classroom. Titled Innovation Never Stops, the nine-part video series highlights different aspects of modern agriculture and the innovative technologies shaping the industry’s future. Produced by …
Major GPS System Changes Coming in 2026 Could Affect Farmers and Ranchers Farmers and ranchers already face a long list of daily challenges, but experts at Iowa State University Extension say a new one is on the horizon: significant GPS system changes coming in 2026. These updates may impact everything from auto-steering accuracy to field boundary mapping, making it essential …
