Thomas County Central High School students in Robotics and AP Physics classes had a rare opportunity to video conference with experts at Moultrie’s Ag Expo. 

During the conference, held Thursday morning in a science lab room, students learned about the impact of technology on agriculture.

University of Georgia’s Dr. Glen Raines, professor of entomology, and Dr. Wes Porter, assistant professor of crop & soil sciences, (both are based at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College) discussed various issues of technology in agriculture while Clint Thompson, UGA public relations coordinator, served as moderator for the event.

Junior Steven Tran asked about the role of autonomous vehicles in farming and how it has changed.

“I was surprised to learn that vehicles used today are already somewhat autonomous, and that in the future they may be completely autonomous,” he said.

Students also asked about educational opportunities in the robotic side of agriculture. 

“It’s cool that UGA and Georgia Tech are partnering to make more programs available for students interested in the technology component of agriculture,” said Garrett Castleman in response to his question about what kind of programs are available in college. 

Hailey Ferrel expressed surprise at the response to her question, “I thought Environmental Engineering would play a larger role in agriculture.”

AP Physics student Faith Miller asked about how the increased use of technology would affect migrant workers. 

“It was interesting that even though the technology is increasing, it is expected that human labor will continue to play a large role in harvesting the produce,” she said.

The event was webcast to several schools in Georgia and surrounding states, but Thomas County Central was the only school that interacted live with the experts.

“It was a fascinating glimpse into the future about how we will meet our demands for food,” Brian Bellamy, TCCHS Robotics teacher, said. “I’m glad our students had the opportunity to take part in this event.”