There’s a quick solution for many technological woes these days. Break your phone? Take it to a repair shop. Need a new hand blender? Amazon will have it at your door later that day. But for farmers using high‑tech equipment, the options are far less straightforward.
That’s what Dave Oberting learned when trying to build an agricultural automation business in rural West Virginia.
In theory, he says, equipment manufacturers are on hand to fix any faults. But in regions like Hardy County – remote and still dominated by traditional farming – few brands have local representatives. That can mean long waits for repairs for farmers.
Oberting believes his company, Questr Automation, which installs automation tools such as sensor networks, drones, and automated feeding and watering systems, could save farmers up to 500 hours a year and cut input costs by 30%. But without local skills to install, repair and maintain those systems, the impact is limited.
He argues this is limiting the rollout of agtech technology across the whole of the US. “You cannot create a high-tech industry in a rural area without the individuals to work in that high tech industry,” he says.
Training local talent to keep farmers farming
Oberting hopes to fix that through a local apprenticeship programme that will train residents to become farm automation technicians with a variety of skills in mechanics, digital literacy, and agricultural know-how.
For now, the programme is being developed with the local technical college in West Virginia, but Oberting says there is already interest from colleges in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
“We feel there are a lot of young people who would like to stay on the land, but who do not have the opportunity to earn a reasonable living,” he explains. “If we can train them for a job that pays $50k to $60k a year, then they can stay here and be happy.”
Once qualified, he expects many of the graduates to be hired by ranches and farms seeking agtech specialists, while Questr itself plans to recruit at least six apprentices from the first intake to support customers adopting its automation systems.
Questr describes itself as a “modular integrator”; it doesn’t make its own equipment but installs technology from multiple suppliers. “The human capital we’re training and putting into the equation is the unique part,” Oberting says.
Can shared technicians make automation affordable?
Some farmers may see this as an extra cost, but Oberting argues that the alternative – buying agtech equipment directly from manufacturers – is “pretty complicated.”
“We’re acquiring the equipment for you, installing it, repairing it. By the time you add all that up we’re a net saving on the amount you’re going to spend.”
As for cash-strapped farms hiring an agtech technician, Oberting believes the numbers add up. “If you’re sharing a technician, you’re only paying half the salary. And through the automations you’re going to reduce your costs. So we think there’s going to be room for adding a technician and still ultimately saving money.”
From poultry barns to cornfields: trial results so far
Questr is still in its trial phase, with six farmers using its technology for around 18 months. Initially focused on poultry and livestock in West Virginia, the company has expanded into Ohio, where it now supports row‑crop growers producing corn and soybeans.
To refine its model, Oberting has partnered with the agriculture arm at West Virginia University, collecting and analysing data to quantify the efficiency gains of each automation process. “It’s about measuring how much time goes into these efforts so you can say, ‘Yes, this saves time,’ or ‘No, it doesn’t’.”
Funding hurdles for a rural skills transformation
Money remains a barrier, however. Questr is seeking angel investment to fund the upfront costs of equipment, while Oberting insists the apprenticeship scheme is a “public effort”, funded only by public sources.
The programme requires around $1.75 million, of which around $700,000 has been identified through the USDA. “We don’t have it in hand yet, but we feel pretty good about it,” Oberting says.
Securing the remaining funding is still posing a problem. Potential sources include the U.S. Department of Labor’s apprenticeship funds, the Economic Development Agency, and private foundations. “But to be honest, it’s up in the air. We need to get that funding nailed down.”
A global agtech challenge with a local solution
If Oberting is right, the shortage of agricultural tech skills is not just a West Virginia problem or even a US problem. As farmers worldwide adopt automation, robotics and digital tools, companies are under pressure to maintain their systems in the remotest of locations. Training young people who want to stay close to the land may become a critical part of the solution.
