Farmerless farms may be the next big thing to shape San Angelo. Their impact on our lives, culture and economy will make data centers seem insignificant.
Data Centers Are A Distraction From Larger Forces
As a disruptive force, high tech, big data and AI will likely be some of the most disruptive in human history. Their impact is already being seen in San Angelo with the proposed hyper-scale data center and other automation of local industry.
Technology has been a major part of San Angelo since the invention of the telephone. At one time GTE was one of the area’s largest employers. San Angelo is a central communications hub for Texas and the United States. This is one of the reasons Goodfellow AFB is here.
While there is a lot of angst right now about the proposed hyper scaler data center, that is just a drop in the bucket on how technology will continue to impact and disrupt and change San Angelo and its economy. Some things about these changes will be very good, some will be painful.
Automation of Agriculture
Agriculture is becoming increasingly automated. That trend will continue and in an area where agriculture remains a major industry that will have profound consequences. Issues of farm labor or migrant farm labor may become a thing of the past for good or ill. The time when we will no longer need farmers to farm is fast approaching.
John Deere has been on the path of reaching its stated goal of a fully automated farm tractor fleet by 2030. What exactly does that mean? It means that by 2030 John Deere plans to have a fleet that will be able to fully automate every step of the farming season from planting to harvesting with self-driving equipment. You can read more about this trend by clicking the article to the left.
The rest of the industry will be watching closely and will soon be following.
At present the crops these technologies will be focused on are corn and soybean. But do not be deceived into thinking that it won’t be cotton, maize and wheat soon enough. Y Even cattle operations will not be exempt from automation at some level.
As anyone in agri-business can tell you automated and GPS guided tractors are nothing new. But to be able to fully automate the process will bring enormous change to the agriculture industry. How many farm workers do you need to push a button? Fields full of harvesters will become a thing of memory. There is no job that this level of automation will not touch. We should be preparing for it.
