On PBS: How Innovation Is Shaping the Future of Farming
Farming may feel timeless, but it’s only been around for the last “five minutes” of human history. Before that, we hunted and gathered. Today, farmers face a new challenge: feeding 10 billion people by 2050 while caring for the land they’ll pass on to the next generation.
“We don’t own the land—we borrow it from our children,” says Burt Wolf, American journalist, in the recent Travels & Traditions episode filmed across America’s heartland. That philosophy drives farmers like Jesse Blasi in Pratt, Kansas, who’s blending tradition with technology.
A Legacy of Innovation
Back in 1837, John Deere solved a sticky problem for Midwestern farmers with his revolutionary steel plow. “Farmers were looking for opportunity—and John Deere gave them the tools to succeed,” explains Neil Dahlstrom, John Deere archivist. That spirit of innovation continues today, but the tools look a little different.
Smarter Machines, Healthier Land
On Jesse Blasi’s farm, cameras and machine learning guide sprayers to target weeds—not crops. “Right now we’re saving 51%. So we’re spraying 49% of this field,” Jesse explains. “It’s better for the environment and it’s better for my pocketbook.” The See & Spray™ technology keeps his sprayer on track within an inch, reducing waste and protecting soil health.
This precision approach is assembled at John Deere’s Des Moines Works factory in Ankeny, Iowa, where engineers design sprayers that apply “the right product, at the right location, at the right time,” says John Schweitzer, application engineering manager. The goal? Sustainable farming that protects groundwater, reduces chemical drift, and improves crop health.
Family, Future, and Farming
Despite high-tech tools, farming remains deeply personal. Jesse farms alongside his father, David, reflecting on the family’s legacy. “I’m 75—I don’t know how long I’ll last, but I want to leave the land better than I found it,” David says. Jesse agrees: “Every farm out here, we want to hand it on to the next generation.”
That commitment echoes across rural communities, where family farms still form the backbone of America’s food supply. “Feeding future generations will take more than machines,” Burt says. “It will take respect for the land and the people who work it.”
How to watch
You can stream Travels & Traditions with Burt Wolf & Nicholas Wolf — The History and Future of Farming (Season 23, Episode 12301) on PBS online now. Want to watch on TV? Check your local PBS listings for air times near you.