Most of the design and technological development in farming has been focused on making tractors that maximize a crop's yield per acre. Tractors are excellent at farming one type of crop at a time which is forcing mass monocultural planting of less desirable crops such as corn and soy. This requires massive amounts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, nature already has a solution for many of the problems that farmers face. Through a method known as companion planting, where select crops are planted in close proximity in order to support each other with pest control and soil enrichment, there is no need for these harmful chemicals. By developing a new system based on CNC technology, in conjunction with the practice of companion planting, we can design a new typology of farming tool that will improve the yields and efficiency of small scale farms. Our farms should look more like fields of wildflowers than checkerboards of the same crops.

In collaboration with Barry Griffin, we will design and build a fully functional prototype of a CNC beam tractor. The concept is one radial arm that pivots around a center post in a field. There is a carriage that runs along the axis of the radial arm that carries a tool back and forth. In addition to developing the beam tractor itself, we are developing a new set of tools that could be attached to accomplish tilling, seeding, weeding, and harvesting of a variety of different crops. This is necessary because in the past all farming tools have been developed to plant the same crops in a row. With this new method, we can plant a biodiverse tapestry of crops that will benefit from their neighbors. This will significantly reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. A recent study showed that kale is now one of the crops with the heaviest pesticide use on the market, however, if we were able to intermix kale crops with a crop like marigold flowers, which naturally deter pests, we will be able to dramatically reduce the amount of pesticides needed. This system is designed to be low cost, scalable, modular, and repairable. I have met and spoken with farmers and they are passionate about their work and they’re very interested in new innovation being introduced to their historical field to improve their processes. As a designer of tools, I see a great opportunity here to intersect these natural and technological systems by designing a modern tool to replace the tractor and enable farmers to better manage and have more control over the soil health and nutrients of their crops.