Technology's Impact on Agriculture
Over the last few years, technology has become increasingly integrated into everyday life, and agriculture is no exception. For farming operations, new technology has helped alleviate some of the workload from employees while enhancing farm management efficiency.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a growing role in this transformation, steering modern agriculture away from manual labor towards data-driven, automated systems. These technologies range from precision irrigation and weed and pest control to autonomous machinery.
Monmouth native Preston Schrader is pioneering AI in a unique direction. He created Clevis AI, a tool designed to assist grain farmers in managing their operations and farm data.
“I had this thought that eventually technology will reach a point where farmers can manage their operations without needing to hire extra staff,” said Schrader.
“So, fast forward, AI tools emerged. Having always been a technology enthusiast, I had the idea to start Clevis. The concept is based on the term 'Clevis' meaning the connector that joins a tractor to an implement. Similarly, Clevis is designed to connect every aspect of your farm, enabling the AI to gain contextual knowledge of your operation and provide recommendations and advice tailored to your specific data.”
Currently, Clevis is a grain-focused AI system with a Midwest base, but Preston aims to expand its capabilities to include southern-based crop data and livestock operations.