A modern approach: A John Deere 5115M retrofit with a Sabanto Autonomy System for seeding wheat. Source: Sabanto
Justin Yirsa of Big Sandy, Montana, was staring down the barrel of a brutal decision. The aging machines on his 5th-generation wheat farm were nearing the end of their useful lives. Replacing them would cost him over $2 million. That kind of capital outlay didn’t just sting, it defied logic. Justin didn’t want to continue sinking money into large, heavily depreciating assets. He wanted to grow his acre footprint and his bottom line, not his liability.
Yirsa Farms’ conventional seeding setup included a Case IH Steiger 500 Quadtrac and Precision Disk Air Drill. Source: Sabanto
Instead, he looked for an alternative path forward. That search led him to Sabanto. What if, instead of a single massive, monster rig, he could deploy several smaller, more affordable systems? Machines that resemble something more like his grandfather’s setup, but run 24/7 without an operator in the seat. What if autonomy could deliver the desired result without additional hired help while using less fuel, all at a lower cost? As it turns out, this is the new reality and it does.
What followed was a carefully engineered rollout of autonomous seeding across Yirsa Farms. The end result was a method costing 67% less per acre than a traditional setup while using less than half the fuel.
This blog series breaks down the six critical steps Justin took to transform his seeding operation:
- Equipment Sizing – Studying horsepower, drill width, and efficiency targets to find the cost-effective sweet spot at 100–135 HP.
- System Design – Outfitting a low-cost autonomous rig using pre-owned equipment, off-the-shelf sensors, and smart layout choices.
- Installation – Engineering practical solutions for weight balance, connectivity, and component integration.
- Verification – Calibrating, rehearsing, and testing every component to ensure confidence in the field.
- Field Operations – Putting the system to work across his acres, logging hours of autonomous operation, collecting data.
- Validation – Running the numbers and proving autonomy isn’t just a cool trick – it’s a better business model.
Each of the next six posts will dive into these steps in detail. If you’ve ever wondered whether autonomy can save money, outperform big iron, and scale, Yirsa’s results will answer these questions and make you think twice.
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