Scott Berden, Precision Agriculture Manager at U.S. Sugar, one of the nation’s largest and most innovative farming operations. Joining him is Brad Rucks, Precision Solutions Specialist at Everglades Equipment Group, a trusted John Deere dealership that’s been working with Florida growers since 1963. Together, they’ll walk us through the advanced technologies revolutionizing the production of sugarcane, citrus, sweet corn, and more.
Scott Berden from U.S. Sugar and Brad Rucks from Everglades Equipment Group.
Scott leads the precision ag program for over 255,000 acres of production at U.S. Sugar, where the company grows sugarcane, citrus, and vegetables across five counties. He manages a fleet of 350+ precision-equipped vehicles and oversees everything from GPS land leveling to real-time logistics and RTK networks. His collaboration with Everglades Equipment Group and John Deere has helped U.S. Sugar remain at the forefront of ag tech, including new autonomous solutions, smart equipment, and farm-wide Wi-Fi.
Brad, a veteran in the Integrated Solutions department at Everglades, works closely with producers of sugarcane and specialty crops. He brings his knowledge of John Deere’s latest technologies — including JDLink, embedded efficiency tools, and landforming software — to help farmers get the most out of their machines. From optimizing fertilizer application to introducing automation, Brad ensures customers can compete and thrive in a rapidly evolving industry.
Together, they unpack the power of strategic partnerships, the evolution of modern farming, and what lies ahead in the next 5 to 10 years — including autonomous tractors and smarter machine-to-machine communication. This is a can’t-miss conversation for any grower, ag tech enthusiast, or agribusiness leader looking to better understand how scale, data, and innovation come together in the field.