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<h1><b>Another Monopoly? Bill Gates is Now America’s Biggest Farmland
Owner</b></h1>
<a href="https://www.sgtreport.com/2021/10/another-monopoly-bill-gates-is-now-americas-biggest-farmland-owner/" eudora="autourl">
https://www.sgtreport.com/2021/10/another-monopoly-bill-gates-is-now-americas-biggest-farmland-owner/<br>
</a><h1><b>Are Robots the Farmers of Tomorrow? [please someone, tax this
twerp]</b></h1>
<a href="https://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/are-robots-the-farmers-of-tomorrow/690863.html" eudora="autourl">
https://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/are-robots-the-farmers-of-tomorrow/690863.html<br>
</a>By <a href="https://www.farmanddairy.com/author/alanguebert">Alan
Guebert</a> - October 28, 2021 <br>
<a href="https://s3-wp-lyleprintingandp.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/27121004/john-deere-8370r-3288625_1280.jpg">
<img src="cid:7.0.1.0.1.20211121230756.0650faf8@cultureshop.org.uk.0" width=696 height=390 alt="John Deere">
</a><br><br>
<h3><b>Focus on technology</b></h3>In a five-minute video on its website,
the company repeatedly notes how its rapidly advancing technology, not
diesel-fueled horsepower, will assist Deere customers around the world to
make better, faster decisions to “optimize operations” and maximize
profits.”<br><br>
That positioning has caught the attention of other investors like ARKQ,
an ETF, or exchange traded fund, “that seeks long-term growth… by
investing in… autonomous technology and robotics companies…”<br><br>
For example, ARKQ’s biggest holding is Tesla, Inc., the world’s leading
electric vehicle maker. Interestingly, its second-largest holding, at
$180 million, is Trimble, Inc., the Silicon Valley firm that specializes
in “geospatial engineering” think anything GPS-driven or GPS-connected
like tractors, combines and construction equipment.<br><br>
Another large ARKQ holding is, yep, Deere; it owns $76 million dollars of
Deere stock. In short, Wall Street is betting that tomorrow’s biggest,
most autonomous a $10 word meaning robotic farm equipment
manufacturer will be Deere.<br><br>
In fact, YouTube is packed with videos of several autonomous versions of
sparkling green and driverless John Deere tractors. And, hard as it
might be to believe, some are electric and none have cabs, seats,
steering wheels or drivers.<br><br>
As such, tomorrow’s farming, like today’s manufacturing, will feature
even more robots and even fewer people. Neither, after all, can go on
strike.<br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>Big beneficiary</b></h3>One of that rise’s biggest beneficiaries
is one of Deere’s biggest shareholders, Cascade Investments LLC,
Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ investment sidecar.<br><br>
According to the May 6 online edition of thewealthadvisor.com, “Cascade
owned more than 31 million shares of the farm equipment maker,” worth
about $10.4 billion today. (Deere isn’t Cascade’s only farm-linked
investment. This past May, it was widely reported that the then-married
Bill and Melinda Gates, owned “242,000 acres of farmland [mostly in the
South] worth ‘more than $690 million.’”)<br><br>
Farmers and ranchers continue to see Deere as the premium and
premium-priced farm equipment manufacturer in the U.S. Investors and
Deere, however, have a more expansive view of its lawn and garden, farm,
forestry, landscaping and highway equipment.<br>
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