Essay about Future of Farming: John Deere

Modern day farming has transformed from the farming process of last century. Instead of farmers producing for their families, farmers are now similar to input/output managers supplying massive manufacturers that feed the country.

The records of the last census taken todays population is approximately 7 billion. To put it into perspective of the amount of work farmers take into hand the average farmer feeds 155 people one their own. (“Comparing Agriculture of the Past to Today”) . Notice that a census is only taken on the people of the world, but farmers and their operations are not separately accounted for. “It is impossible to calculate the exact number of farms and farmers in the United States.” (Conkin 147). Of course farmers do not use the simplistic technology of the past to achieve these high expectations. Farms implement the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to improve crop production. The GPS is a system that uses satellite signals to find the location of a radio receiver. (“The Science and Technology of Agriculture”) Using biotechnology has also became an interesting subject of big time farmers. This is the changing of genetic material if living things to improve the production of the product. An example of a GMO would be crops that have been modified to be resistant to disease. Disease resistant crops are one of the most widely used in the field of GMO’s. (“The Science and Technology of Agriculture”).

According to Ultimate John Deere By Ralph W. Sanders (), John Deere was as considered by many more of an adapter of technology an imaginative marketer rather than an innovator. He was a keen on seeing value in new ideas and adapted them to his products so that they could better serve his customers4. In addition his desire for quality transposed to become the family tradition transforming the on-man plough making shop to the largest farm equipments making company in the world.

In 1847 John Deere promised, "I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that I have in me." For more that 157 years John Deere has remained true to that commitment -- building their reputation by building value into every machine that bears their name. So you can count on equipment that's as productive as possible. Up and ready to work when you are. And designed to minimize your daily operating costs. Nothing Runs Like a Deere™

This paper thoroughly examines Deere & Company from multiple perspectives. First, a review of the company’s history, products and service offerings, corporate strategy, and a summary of the agricultural and construction equipment industry will be provided. Next, the Deere and Company’s current financial position will be examined. This includes reports of John Deere’s earnings, cash flows, assets and debt management, profit margins, and future projections. These financial statistics will then be compared to the primary competitors of John Deere in order to show the company’s financial viability. After the analysis is complete, a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) will be conducted in order to identify key success factors and driving forces. Based on the analysis, strategic recommendations that Deere and Company should leverage in order to avoid potential threats and to maintain its position as an industry leader.

John Deere is a man who has changed the life of an Illinois farmer. His success in that lead to even more success like his very own company. John Deere innovated plows and made an impact on society by helping over one thousand farmers succeed in their jobs with his improved plow while showing people that persisting can lead to a solution.

On his talk show Paul Harvey had one famous speech “So God made a Farmer.” In the speech he describes a farmer as firm but caring, He says, “. . . It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow…So God made a Farmer.” John Deere has helped farmers accomplished many of those things he listed seeding, weeding, and plowing. Plowing might be last on the list for Paul Harvey, but it is the first accomplishment of John Deere which turned into to a big and outstanding company. John Deere created the first steel plow in a little blacksmith shop in Illinois.

By the 19th century, American frontiersmen were moving west. The farmers experienced much heavier and stickier soils than they had been accustomed to in the east. The soil would stick to the moldboard and a man would have to stop and scrape it off every few steps. (Anderson) “A strong man using a modern spade still took an estimated ninety-six hours to till an acre of land” (Drache 2). The cast iron plows with a wooden moldboard had worked great in the light, sandy soils of New England, but something different was needed in the west. This is where John Deere had to step in.

The more technology there is on a farm then the less workers you are going to need. Farming isn’t a growing industry by any means. The employment of farmers will drop 8 percent from 2010 to 2020, according to the BLS. That’s because of new ways being developed to produce more food with fewer workers. Larger farms will survive because they can afford to invest into the new technology. States with the highest concentrations of farm employment have the best prospects. The top five states for this in 2011 were, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, Kentucky and California. Farming as a whole will continue to be less- hands on and done by machine with a single person driving it. Today’s farmers produce 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared with 1950. The American Farm Bureau Federation surveyed about 1000 young farmers and ranchers from across the country. The survey showed that 91 percent of them were more optimistic about farming that they were 5 years ago, about 88 percent said that they wanted to see their children follow in there

Georgia’s rich history of agriculture is most notably depicted through the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney and Catherine Greene which significantly increased cotton yield to 50lbs per day. Agricultural technology has propelled society forward; from population increase, a broader job market, in addition to increasing the overall yield of crops. Modern technology is to be credited for our ability to develop more efficient and sustainable ways to improve agriculture, like through the use of crop and soil sensors that help Georgia farmers cater to the specific needs of their crops, in addition to research being done to combat the damaging effects of soil depletion in Georgia.

Modern agricultural technologies goals is to obtain the highest yields and get the highest economic profit as possible

Today, in the United States, farmers and ranchers produce a wide variety of commodities for food, fuel, and fiber in response to markets. These farmers understand and recognize the significance of managing their soil as well as their plant productivity. America’s farmers are true professionals because crop production is a very complex business.

"GPS systems in agriculture are just crazy on how they work. It is crazy today to think that a tractor or a piece on farm equipment can actually drive it self. GPS is a Global Positioning System it uses satellite to tell you where you at and now will drive the tractor from point A to point B with the touch of a button. I will explain how GPS works, how GSP has change since the first one, and how has GPS changed farming.

As a farmer you need to watch the changing prices for the products. They use different actions to keep themselves safe from unpredictable changes in the markets. Farmers also track disease and weather conditions closely, because disease and bad weather may have a bad blow on crops or animal health. When farmers plan ahead they may be able to store their crops or keep their animals to take

Growing and harvesting crops requires many tasks. Before the crop is planted, preparing the soil with disking, tilling (vertical or horizontal), and fertilizing is sometimes required depending on the conservation method used. Shorty after, it is time for the planting or drilling of the crop. During the middle of the growing season, irrigating is in full swing to make the crops grow. Also, floaters and airplanes are fighting the battle with weeds and pests. This time of the year is also slower for farmers then planting or harvesting time. As fall arrives, irrigating comes to a halt and the busy harvesting season begins. Combines, tractors and grain carts, and semi trucks fill the countryside as the race to get the crops out of the field begins. If the weather permits harvest can last as short as a couple of weeks for the smaller farms and longer then a month or two for the larger farms. During late fall and into the winter selling grain and buying seed, equipment, and fertilizer is the task at large. As you can see farmers does not get very much free time. Most of the time this occupation requires long hours, from sun up to sun set. This limits time for trips and extra curricular activities.