The Future of Farming

Rep. Liz Hanbidge September 8, 2026 | 11:34 AM

PA Representative Liz Hanbidge banner image

Dear Friends,

Last summer, when we visited Mootilda, our adopted cow through the Adopt-a-Cow program at Kurtland Farm, I was fascinated by the technology being used throughout the farm. Technology plays an increasingly important role in Kurtland’s day-to-day operations, helping improve efficiency, animal care, and sustainability.

The farm’s robotic milking system does far more than simply milk the cows. It collects detailed information about each cow, including milk production, temperature, conductivity, milking speed, protein and butterfat levels, and weight. The system also provides feed, which encourages cows to enter the milking station on their own. Precision feeding technology ensures that each cow receives the exact amount of grain she needs, while electronic identification systems help sort and manage the herd. Sensors worn by the cows monitor activity and rumination, helping farmers identify breeding opportunities and monitor animal health. Technology also regulates lighting and ventilation based on conditions inside and outside the barn. Even manure management has become more automated, with computerized systems scraping the alleys and separating and composting solids for use as bedding or soil amendments (as someone who has spent more hours than she cares to count shoveling manure, I was very interested by that system!).

Kurtland is a great example of how the farms of tomorrow are already here. As agriculture faces changing weather patterns, extreme weather events, labor challenges, rising input costs, shifting markets, and uncertainty in federal policy, technology is creating tools to help farmers meet those challenges. Robotics, precision agriculture, automation, and data-driven decision-making can reduce labor demands, improve productivity, conserve resources, and allow farmers to provide even better care for their animals and land.

Last week, I wrote about my time at Ag Progress Days with members of the House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees. As I mentioned, Ag Progress Days brings together more than 400 exhibitors, farmers, researchers, educators, equipment manufacturers, and families to showcase the innovation, research, and people shaping the future of agriculture. Approximately 45,000 people attend the event each year.

This week, I wanted to take a closer look at the intersection of agriculture and technology.

At the Farm Show at the beginning of this year, Penn State announced the launch of Tilva, a new AI-powered resource designed to make trusted agricultural information available 24 hours a day. Powered by PlantVillage and backed by Penn State Extension expertise, Tilva can answer questions about soil health, crops, pests, livestock, gardening, backyard poultry, water quality, and food safety. Users can upload photos to help identify plants, pests, and diseases and receive weather and soil information tailored to their location.

Available for free in both English and Spanish, Tilva combines technology with Penn State’s research and Extension resources to help farmers, gardeners, and others make informed decisions using reliable, expert-backed information. Unlike some AI models, its knowledge base is grounded in vetted agricultural resources. Meaning its information will continue to be factually accurate and not evolve (like sometimes happens in an open-ended model). Other states are already approaching Penn State about developing similar tools speaks to the potential of this technology. Moreover, you don’t have to be a farmer or grower to sign up, it's accessible to you if you want more information about your plants, animals, or garden! You can try it out here.

At Ag Progress Days, the Robotics Village put that potential on display, showcasing AI-powered agricultural technologies designed to address some of the challenges facing farmers today. During the event, the Keystone AgTech Alliance was also announced, and it is a partnership between Penn State, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Team Pennsylvania, and the Robotics Factory, Pittsburgh’s premier robotics accelerator and a program of Innovation Works. The goal is to connect farmers, researchers, and industry to identify real-world problems, test technological solutions, and attract investment to bring promising ideas from development to the farm.

As Kevin Dowling, managing director of the Robotics Factory at Innovation Works, explained, one of the biggest challenges for robotics startups is getting new technologies in front of the people who can benefit from them. Events like the Robotics Village allow innovators the opportunity to demonstrate their products, gather feedback from farmers, and build the partnerships necessary to bring those technologies to scale.

There were plenty of opportunities to see that technology in action at Ag Progress Days. Live demonstrations featured field equipment mowing, tedding, raking, merging, and baling hay and straw, while combines demonstrated harvesting in spring wheat fields. Drones were also on display, including technology being tested at Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center through one of the state’s Agricultural Innovation Grants. The project is developing a drone-based precision scanning and spraying system that is being tested under real growing conditions, helping determine how the technology can work for Pennsylvania growers and how it can be adapted to individual farms.

Robotics are being developed for a wide range of applications. Some robots work alongside farmers by carrying, following, or towing materials, while others operate autonomously, including robots designed for tasks such as harvesting and weeding.

I had previously met Charlie Andersen, the owner and creator of Burro, and learned about the company’s autonomous farming vehicles. It was particularly interesting to see one of the vehicles operating at Ag Progress Days. Companies like Burro are developing autonomous technology in response to one of agriculture’s biggest challenges: a shortage of available labor.

Pennsylvania is also investing in making sure these innovations reach the farms that need them. We are the only state in the country with a statewide Farm Bill, and Pennsylvania was the first state to establish an Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. The program helps farmers and agricultural businesses adopt new technologies, conservation practices, and renewable energy innovations to increase profitability, improve soil and water resources, and generate energy on the farm.

Building on historic investments under the Shapiro Administration, the 2026-27 budget includes another $10 million for the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, bringing total funding to $30 million. That investment will build on the program’s track record of supporting farmers across the Commonwealth, with 185 projects already funded, including 88 focused on technologies that improve on-farm and processing efficiency, generate renewable energy, reduce nutrient waste, and strengthen agricultural resilience.

These investments matter because farmers operate on tight margins. The upfront cost of new technology can be significant, particularly for smaller and family-owned farms. Targeted investments can help reduce that barrier and give farmers the opportunity to adopt tools that save time and labor, reduce costs, improve production, and protect their animals and the environment.

We can already see the difference investments and technologies can make. After a devastating barn fire in 2019, a family farm in Franklin County rebuilt and incorporated new technology, including robotic milkers, robotic feeders, and a manure vacuum. The family found that the technology not only made the farm more efficient but reduced the burden on family labor and gave them something every farmer needs more of: time. Time to spend with family, and time to focus on the parts of farming that require human judgment and experience.

Agricultural technology isn't about replacing farmers. It's about giving farmers better tools. Pennsylvania has the agricultural diversity, research institutions, workforce, and proximity to major markets to be a national leader in developing and deploying those tools. Those strengths uniquely position Pennsylvania to serve as a proving ground for solutions to labor shortages, productivity challenges, and long-term economic and environmental sustainability.

And this innovation is not limited to the farm. Just this week, Chobani announced plans to invest $1.2 billion over five years to acquire and expand a 1.5-million-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility in Allentown, creating more than 900 jobs and demonstrating the broader economic opportunity that exists throughout Pennsylvania’s agricultural and food-production industries.

Agriculture is changing rapidly, Pennsylvania is leading that change. By investing in farmers, research, technology, and the businesses developing these innovations, we can help ensure that farms of all sizes remain productive and profitable while protecting our natural resources. What I saw at Kurtland Farm and Ag Progress Days made one thing clear: the future of agriculture isn't something we are waiting for, it is already taken root here in Pennsylvania.

OFFICE CLOSURE

UPCOMING OFFICE EVENTS

North Wales Mobile Office

Towamencin Evening Mobile Office

Scam Prevention Event

Join my office on September 24, from 2 PM – 4 PM for a seminar on how to protect yourself against scams!

Senior Fair

Join me and my office on October 2, from 10 AM – 12 PM, for my Senior Resource Fair at the Ambler YMCA.

The #SeniorResourceFair is a free event for seniors, caregivers, and community members who want to learn about the services and resources available to those 65 and older. Please call my office at 610-277-3230.