The TechEd Podcast The Smart Farm Era Is Here—and It’s Changing How America Grows Food - Dick Pavelski and Andy Diercks, Food + Farm Exploration Center
If you still picture farming as dusty tractors and endless manual labor, think again. Today’s agriculture runs on GPS-guided equipment, drones, real-time soil sensors, and data systems that look more like Wall Street trading floors than old barns. In this episode, lifelong farmer and innovator Dick Pavelski and Andy Diercks of the Food + Farm Exploration Center pull back the curtain on precision agriculture—the technology, data, and processes that are transforming how we grow and deliver food.
We break down the technologies making precision agriculture possible, from variable rate irrigation to “see and spray” weed control, and how data is being used to make decisions at the square-meter level. We also examine how these shifts are influencing agricultural careers, the skills now in demand, and why public understanding of modern farming is critical. Plus, discover the Food + Farm Exploration Center and its role in showing students, families, and policymakers what modern farming really involves.
Listen to learn:
- What a farm looked like 40 years ago, and how that image compares to a modern precision operation
- How GPS guidance, drones, and 300 weather stations help farmers make square-meter-level decisions
- The crossover of technologies and skills between manufacturing and precision agriculture
- The biggest challenges in attracting and training the next generation of ag professionals
- How one Midwestern center is bridging the gap between farm technology and public awareness
3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:
1. Modern agriculture is driven by technology and precision. GPS-guided equipment, variable rate irrigation, and “see and spray” weed control have replaced much of the manual labor and guesswork of past decades. These tools work together to improve yields, reduce inputs, and create a more sustainable and efficient farming process.
2. Data is the backbone of today’s farm operations. Farmers track weather, soil conditions, and crop needs in real time—often down to individual square meters—using hundreds of sensors and automated systems. This constant stream of information enables faster decision-making and more targeted resource use than was possible a generation ago.
3. The skills and careers in agriculture are rapidly changing. Large-scale farms now employ specialists in data analysis, equipment maintenance, and automation, while mid-sized operations require workers with diverse technical abilities. The Food + Farm Exploration Center is working to show students, families, and policymakers the realities of these careers and the opportunities they offer.
Resources in this Episode:
- Food + Farm Exploration Center: explorefoodandfarm.org
Other resources:
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