In this episode of the podcast, host Joe Sampson talks with Colin Hurd, founder of Mach and longtime agtech entrepreneur. They explore how autonomy, innovation, and labor shortages are shaping the future of agriculture. This conversation is a great resource for anyone searching for insights on agriculture autonomy, modern farm labor trends, and the next wave of automation.

Colin shares his journey in agricultural technology. He built his first tillage product in college, grew Smart Ag, and later sold the company to Raven Industries. Today, he leads Mach, which delivers factory-integrated autonomy systems for off-highway OEMs. Colin explains how autonomy can solve real pain points for farmers and equipment manufacturers.

The discussion focuses on several major challenges in the industry. Labor shortages continue to slow operations on farms around the world. Shortline manufacturers also struggle with slow technology adoption. Colin explains why many autonomy products in agriculture haven’t scaled and how Mach’s modular tech stack is designed to help OEMs move faster.

Joe and Colin talk through what manufacturers need to consider when building autonomy into equipment. They cover product quality, user experience, and the need to create tools that solve practical, real-world problems. Colin also highlights why shortline manufacturers should act quickly before major OEMs control the autonomy market.

If you want to learn more about agriculture autonomy or the future of automated equipment, this episode offers clear, actionable insights.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hotqTPK61nw
Explore Mach’s autonomy solutions: https://mach.io/products/