Exciting discussions were sparked at the Monarch Tractor demo in Kelseyville, Lake County, California, as farmers envisioned how the 100% electric, autonomous MK-V tractor could be utilized in their daily operations. It’s exactly what the Lake County Farm Bureau had hoped for in providing this educational opportunity for its growers, highlighting just how valuable a farm demonstration is for a farm and local community of growers.
Here’s what it’s like to have Monarch’s MK-V tractors working on your farm for the year:
Demo attendees learned more about the cutting-edge technology that Monarch Tractor brings to the field, including the MK-V’s autonomous control features. Executive Director of Lake County Farm Bureau, Rebecca Harper, observed that there were many more applications than she had previously thought. She also saw many Lake County farmers opening up and thinking about how the technology would be beneficial to them. Vineyard owner and farmer, Zac Zoller, was among them.
From the demo, the key things I picked up on are drive time and really what the autonomous control features were and just how flexible it is for programming across different vineyards or different crop types.
Zac Zoller, Vineyard Owner and Farmer
Zoller also expressed that farmers like the idea of a driver-optional or autonomous tractor helping them do more with their current staff and freeing up their time to focus on other responsibilities. “I wasn’t fully aware of the capabilities of an EV tractor or an EV autonomous tractor. I think there are lots more applications than I was aware of,” he says.
It was beneficial for growers to be able to watch Monarch’s technology in action and talk to Monarch representatives. Discovering the applications and gains from new and evolving AgTech, such as that embodied in Monarch’s MK-V, made for an enjoyable and productive day for all.
