Innovation in Agriculture: Exploring Artificial Intelligence with Kish-View Farms
Agriculture is an art and a science. It takes a lot of expertise, dedication, and precision to feed our communities. Agriculture and its methods are constantly evolving, especially as technology advances. We’re often asked, as technology improves, how are farmers utilizing these gadgets on their farms? Today, we’re interviewing Morgan Foote from Kish-View Farms, an innovative dairy farm in Mifflin County, to learn how they’ve used advanced agricultural technology to help them better their farming practices.
Morgan’s grandfather founded Kish-View Farms, and would eventually pass the property on to Morgan’s father and uncle, Keith and Kent Spicher. Beginning her work in August, Morgan works alongside the head herdsman, focusing on cow comfort and care. She spends her days treating sick cows, managing herd organization, tending to newborn calves, and more. In total, the farm is home to about 600 milking cows. To the staff at Kish-View Farms, cow health and happiness are imperative, which is why each of their cows wears specialized AI-equipped ear tags.
“We call them cow Fitbits,” says Morgan, “and they help me do my job more efficiently.”
These “cow Fitbits” monitor each cow’s activity, rumination time, and body temperature. This way, Morgan and other staff members can tend to cows as soon as they feel unwell, rather than waiting until other symptoms are visible. When a cow begins to get sick, her rumination time will start to decrease, and for many farmers, this symptom is subtle and goes unnoticed. With these tags, staff are alerted, and each cow receives care as soon as possible.
“Before these ear tags, we couldn’t catch illnesses as quickly. We’ve saved a lot of cows this way,” she notes.
However, ear tags aren’t the only way Kish-View Farms utilizes specialized technology. With their recent switch to no-till planting, other gadgets have saved their staff hours.
“For example, our new corn planter has a GPS that can scan the soil for rocks, regulate how deep the corn is being planted, and more.”
The Spichers understand that happy cows and healthy soil deliver the freshest food to their community, and they’re eager to use technology to help them reach their goals.
“A lot of people think farmers aren’t very smart with computers and technology, but really, that’s a lot of what we do,” Morgan says.
The folks at Kish-View Farms certainly aren’t the only ones experimenting with advanced technology and AI. Some farmers use drones to monitor plant stress, detect stray livestock, and more. Others use automated cleaning systems in their barns to remove waste and fight against disease.
Contrary to popular belief, agriculture is far from being stuck in the past. Farmers everywhere are embracing and learning new technology to help them better manage their farms. However, while methods may change, the commitment to healthy animals, sustainable practices, and feeding communities remains the same. Want to learn more? Click here to learn more about Kish-View Farms, and check out the references below to learn more about advanced technology in agriculture!
References:
https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/impacts/using-drones-agriculture-natural-resources
