With the rapid evolution of technology, farmers may not be able to afford to continue to control all aspects of their operations. Autonomous farm machinery could lead to producers outsourcing tasks to a skilled equipment operator, allowing the farmer to focus on other parts of their operation. 

Over the last several years, precision technology has moved from being largely an aftermarket business to most equipment coming equipped with the technology from the factory. As that shift happened, dealers needed to shift how they monetized the precision side of their business. 

In this episode of the Precision Farming Dealer podcast, Ohio State University's Scott Shearer shares what surprised him about the announcement of John Deere's autonomous tractor, his predictions for the future of autonomous farm equipment and what issues he thinks manufacturers shouldn’t ignore when it comes to autonomy.