WAUSAU (NBC 26) — Artificial intelligence isn't just revolutionizing Silicon Valley, it's transforming barns, fields, even tractors in Wisconsin.
At the state's only working dairy farm and learning laboratory, students and farmers are witnessing firsthand how AI is reshaping the future of agriculture.
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Just north of Wausau, the Agriculture Center of Excellence serves as both a functioning dairy operation and an innovative testing ground for cutting-edge technology. As the only working dairy farm and learning lab in the Wisconsin Technical College System, this facility is where students learn to manage livestock, crops, and equipment while new AI technologies are tested and shared with farmers statewide.
"So AI is changing farming here because we're able to pull just tons and tons of data… we're actually able to track cows and see slight changes in each of their production," Greg said.
The technological revolution is evident throughout the operation. Milking robots can detect irregularities before farmers even realize there's a problem. Drones soar overhead, mapping entire fields and identifying diseased crops from the sky. Semi-autonomous tractors perform fieldwork without human hands on the wheel.
The newest experiment involves an ingestible sensor placed inside cows that measures their temperature to a tenth of a degree.
"That'll help us really determine when the cow is ready to be bred, when she's going to have her calf… or if something's going wrong inside her," Greg said.
But AI's impact extends beyond healthier livestock, it's also addressing the human element of dairy farming. As fewer people enter the agricultural workforce, technology is filling critical gaps.
"It's gonna really have a fit when you've got less people coming to the dairies… you can get more cows through on the farm with less help. It'll help with the cost of labor… and it will also help with efficiency," Jackie said.
Farmers say this technological transformation is just beginning. Electric tractors, autonomous robots and even power generated from methane represent what agricultural experts call "Agriculture 4.0" — an era where AI and automation are fundamentally redefining dairy farming.
"So I think the AI is a huge part of what we're going to start to see into the future," Jackie said.
The implications for farm operations are significant. Rather than spending time on constant livestock monitoring, farm staff can focus on other critical tasks.
"I think the future is gonna bring us more opportunities for farm staff to be out doing other things versus keeping track of the cows so heavily," Greg said.
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