After consecutive dry summers in 2021‑2023, Pottinger’s corn yields dropped to 100‑130 bushels per acre from the expected 150‑170, forcing the family to slash seed, fertilizer, labor and equipment budgets until their lender threatened foreclosure.
A banker’s suggestion to trim equipment costs led Pottinger to Google "autonomy" and stumble on Sabanto, a startup that retrofits conventional tractors with autonomous controls. Though the tech was still prototypical for row‑crop fields, the family sent a demo to their father, Remy, who immediately saw potential.
The retrofitted tractor—named Geneva after Quint’s grandmother—remains a standard John Deere 750 drill, but now runs on a smartphone‑controlled interface. Setting up a task takes about five minutes, after which the machine can operate for hours while a driver monitors cameras and refuels via a nearby crew.
Geneva has already planted 500 acres of rye, wheat and barley, plus 300 acres of cover crops, making the Pottingers the first to deploy such a system at this scale worldwide. While the machine cannot back up, careful field layout and human supervision keep operations running smoothly.
The financial upside is clear: by reducing labor and fuel use, the family expects to restore profitability and protect a 245‑year‑old legacy. Pottinger says the technology could ripple across Kentucky’s farms, offering a viable path to sustainability amid climate‑driven volatility.