While it’s not what dealers want to hear, Quint Pottinger says, he plans on shifting to smaller equipment that can run autonomously 24/7 (or at least close to it) on his Kentucky farm.

Gregg Sauder could’ve been relaxing on a beach somewhere after selling Precision Planting to Monsanto for $250 million in 2012. But that’s just not in his DNA.

Lessiter Media's 4th annual Precision Specialist Week (August 16-22, 2026), sponsored by Reichhardt, celebrates and recognizes the hard work and dedication of those making today's precision farming systems possible. 

Before launching two revolutionary ag tech companies, Gregg Sauder was a struggling farmer who became an inventor out of necessity. He was never satisfied with the way equipment ran and always thought there was room for improvement.

With the gatherings of the Farm Equipment Dealership Minds Summit and the National Strip-Tillage Conference a few days away, recent conversations caused me to pause and think about another paradigm shift in basic agricultural methodology that we, quite possibly, could be witnessing.

Craig Rupp says the investment from Leaps by Bayer validates the direction Sabanto is headed and adds credibility to its product, marking a shift from asking “if” autonomy will work in agriculture to asking “when” it will be widely available.