Watching the tractor plant wheat

For many years I was the wheat drill operator. Even during the time I had a full time career off-farm I usually took a few days and ran the drill.

To be honest I dreaded planting wheat.  You started early, worked late, ate dust all day and coughed it back up all night. You started the day wearing insulated coveralls, but by afternoon were down to a t-shirt and by the time you came in you were in the coveralls again.  If you worked hard you planted 90 acres in a day.

You were pulling a drill instead of the planter in that photo, but it was the same tractor and the drill was the same width. I was planting wheat Thursday thinking about how things have changed.

Now we are pulling a drill 30 feet wide that folds for transport to tractor width.  And the tractor not only knows where it is and where it should be, it steers itself to that point

So you turn the end, play George Jetson (push the button)

and set back and talk on the phone or answer text messages.  Oh and start late, plant that 90 acres and be done by 6 PM.

Way too easy.