I hear what you are saying. But in my opinion..it's exactly the huge farm machines that has created unsustainable conditions in agriculture. I think there is a tipping point. When population was sparse, we were able to get away with pulling a plough with buffaloes. As population exploded, we innovated by creating heavy machinery but sacrificed soil integrity and had to rely on pesticides and fertilizers etc. because of the volume, market value was also affected. We sacrificed soil. At this point, population is out of control and cultivable land is shrinking. Now we have to preserve land and change the way we farm because we can't use earth moving machines and keep ripping earth to feed people who are also taking up land for housing and land for industry. For regenerative agriculture, land has to be preserved and we have to go back to human scale farming but using smart techniques.

I figured that solution is in places who are facing the problem of shrinking ag land. I think we take the swathes of land from sea to shining sea for granted. Even assuming that soil has not become useless, there aren't enough people farming and with population increasing, it's going to go away. Think China..they are buying land in Africa to grow food for their people because their aquifers are drying up. We are already only growing commodities like corn, soy..and feeding them to hogs and chicken. Which is actually more expensive in terms of water.

I have started looking at countries that are ahead of the curve..where we will be in 100 years. Small countries, aging and shrinking population..yet less land.

There are a few nice robotic base chassis units on alibaba. Then I am going to start cold calling universities in places like Philippines, Vietnam, India etc because if anyone needs small/autonomous, it's going to be rice growing farmers. Maybe bring it back here for collaboration with univ here for the automation part.

Ag universities in the states are married to what works. Anything that hasn't been tried and tested is not taught and is frowned upon. I get it. I guess that's how academia works. I have spoken to some retired professors and current head of depts in ag colleges in the states and everyone says it can be done..but it's not worth it. One of them laughed at me.

Of course..why try something new when you can suckle at the teat of almost instant credit and subsidies. A farmer I know and work with has been diagnosed with valley fever. It's prevalent in Central Valley. It's a fungal infection where spores lodge in lungs during certain seasons...it comes from the soil and farmers and their children are the sickest and are often covered by barest minimum insurance if any..that's a cost of farming too. But no one sees it. Not even farmers. I am not a generational farmer and it amazes me that they keep going at it. And fewer kids are picking up the profession of farming. New generation grew up caressing smart phone screens to swipe..not driving heavy farm machinery or knowing how to fix its mechanical innards. No way they will do what their fathers and grandfathers did..

I remember the rotary phone. And how the wires snake up from phone to wall. Smart phones are mobile and fit palm of the hand. John Deeres and heavy farm equipment are the rotary phones of farming. If we keep basing design on them, we will never figure the next best design.

I do like the idea of universities. Thanks. I will mix it up a bit and try outside first. I don't believe it will happen in the states.