Can digital agriculture and regenerative agriculture not only coexist but also complement each other? Want to get the scoop on how these two systems might intersect with each other in the future? Then make sure you are at the Farming for the Future: Digital and Regenerative Agriculture Field Day, Aug. 15. Sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, the event will be held at the U of I Energy Farm, 4110 S. Race St., Urbana, IL 61802, just a couple of miles south of U of I’s main campus.

“We’re going to get a look at several of the latest technology developments, but also get a glimpse of the Farm of the Future project too,” says Talon Becker, a U of I commercial agriculture specialist. Based in Champaign, Ill., he serves farmers statewide.

Field day topics will include an update on cover crop practices, robotic on-farm systems for both crops and livestock, insight into making in-field broadband a priority, an update on air quality efforts, and discussions about greenhouse emissions and carbon sequestration.

Hands-on opportunities

The field day won’t be all straight Extension talks. Instead, several demonstrations are planned, Becker says. They include drone seeding demos, plus sessions on monitoring and intervention by use of drones. You can also test out the rainfall simulator, which shows how soils fare under different conditions when large rains occur. Visitors can see live integration of sensor data.

“One of the highlights will be a demonstration of fenceless fence grazing technology,” Becker says. “We don’t have cattle on the farm yet, but we will soon. The idea is to test cover crop grazing and its economic value under research conditions. With fenceless fencing, you have a physical perimeter fence, but then animals wearing a collar can be moved from paddock to paddock without requiring physical fence of any kind.”

Farm tours of the Farm of the Future and the Energy Farm also will be offered. The field day is free, and breakfast and lunch are offered. However, registration is required. Register online by Aug. 12. For further information, contact Bena Pegg at [email protected] or 217-333-1106.