Farmers are the OG early adopters of new tech, this time it’s Starlink internet

Last month John Deere announced a partnership with SpaceX to bring Starlink satellite internet connections to the fleets of equipment at farms around the United States and abroad. This is just one of the many technologies that farmers have adopted to increase effectiveness.

Starlink one of many satellite assets for farmers

In mid-January John Deere, the most recognizable name when it comes to farming equipment, announced it would be adding Starlink terminals to its compatible machines. This will have to be done by one of John Deere’s dealerships and will become available in mid-2024.

Many of the machines used on farms feature cutting edge technology that helps farmers be more effective at their jobs growing and harvesting their crops of choice. For years GPS has been a standard item to have on new tractors, harvesters, etc. to assist in the driving of machines. A satellite internet connection is just another step towards making the farmers job a bit more automated and easier.

At CES 2023, we saw John Deere show off multi-spectral sensors on its sprayers that could determine mid spray if crops needed to be sprayed or could be passed over. This sort of tech is also available from space from various providers. This data can help large or small farmers, companies, or even governments better understand the current state of crop growth.

While the stereotypical farmer might be viewed as someone that will resist change and technology, the reality is that agriculture is a leader in early adoption of new tech. Anything that helps them get ahead and save money has always been welcomed.

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Drones add the next layer to growing crops

If you gave me $100,000 and told me to go start a business, my first step would be to buy a DJI Mavic 3M, a multispectral camera drone that could be used to gather arial data of crop growth. From there I’d move on to buying one of DJI’s AGRAS drones that can spray fertilizers or pesticides on fields. I spent way too much time thinking about this after attending DJI Airworks for our sister site DroneDJ back in 2022.

While commercial satellite constellations offering everything from radar, visual, or multispectral images are available to farmers to gain insights. This sort of data can only be so detailed and for those with smaller fields or wanting increased detail on parts of their property, drones are it.

The process is simple, gather the data, then send it off to someone who knows what they are even looking at, I am not smart enough to understand that just yet. Then the farmer knows what to do, whether that’s more water, extra fertilizer, or whatever else farmers put on crops. Presto, better crops, better yields, more money in the farmer’s pockets, and if we’re all lucky cheaper produce at your grocery store.