Customer Story · Greensburg, Indiana
Miers Farm Corp
Farming since 1824, with every John Deere technology on the table
Miers Farm Corp started farming near Greensburg, Indiana, in 1824, and six generations later it is still looking for the next step forward. The farm runs 100% John Deere, was one of the first operations to use AutoTrac guidance, and now runs autonomous tillage, See & Spray and Machine Sync.
At a Glance
| Customer | Miers Farm Corp, Greensburg, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1824, six generations |
| People | Chris Bierhaus, Farm Manager |
| Fleet | 100% John Deere, including 9RX tractors, a 412R sprayer and S-Series combines |
| Technology | Autonomy, See & Spray, ExactApply, Machine Sync, AutoTrac, Operations Center, remote display access |
| Koenig team | Greensburg, Indiana store · Brad Evans, Customer Account Manager |
The Results, in Their Words
1824
the year the farm began
Day 2
running autonomous tillage from the combine
180–200
acres an hour with ExactApply
To the gallon
product and fertilizer orders from Operations Center data
Six Generations of Early Adopters
“The Miers farm started in 1824. So we're going into our 202nd year of operation with six generations before us,” says Chris Bierhaus, who has been the farm manager since 2020.
“We were one of the first operations to use the AutoTrac GPS guidance. That has evolved into us using literally every single piece of equipment or every piece of technology that Deere has to offer for us.”
Autonomous Tillage on a 9RX
The full autonomy package on a 9RX is now the farm's primary fall tillage tool, paired this year with a 2660VT vertical tillage tool to put in their wheat.
“We were a little leery on how much time it was gonna take away from us to be able to operate this machinery and to implement that technology here,” Chris says. “But we were very, very satisfied with how little time that we had to put into it. It really was within the second day we had turned it on and left. I was running the tillage tractor from the combine.”
Spray Only Where It Counts
See & Spray targets the weeds in the field instead of the whole field, and the efficiency map afterward shows what was applied and what it saved. “Instead of putting it on the entire operation, you might only do 70 or 80% of it,” Chris says.
With ExactApply, the sprayer runs straight over waterways and anything outside the boundary. “We're running between 180 and 200 acres an hour with this, which brings our cost per acre way down and makes us way more efficient.”
Data That Drives Decisions
Every pass feeds Operations Center. “We can know exactly to the gallon of how much product we need to buy, to the ton of how much fertilizer we need to get.” Planter data on downforce, ride quality and singulation shows where an upgrade would pay.
The farm also runs on-farm trials and compares them directly against yield. Remote display access means a problem can be fixed “from literally wherever you're at,” without driving to the machine.
“While that kind of seems a little mundane at times and a little extra, we really see it as a building block for the future of being able to be autonomous on this farm.”
Chris Bierhaus, Farm Manager, Miers Farm Corp, on Machine Sync
Watch: John Deere Data in Real-World Use at Miers Farm
The Technology Behind It
Autonomy on a 9RX
Fall tillage runs without an operator in the cab while the crew harvests.
See & Spray
Cameras find the weeds and spray only them, with an efficiency map afterward.
ExactApply
Nozzle control lets the sprayer run straight over waterways at 180 to 200 acres an hour.
Machine Sync
The combine runs the grain cart for a clean unload every time.
John Deere Operations Center
Totals, trials and planter data to plan purchases and next season.
Remote Display Access
Problems fixed remotely instead of a drive to the machine.
Building Toward an Autonomous Farm
Chris sees each new tool as a step toward a farm that can run more of its work autonomously, and our Greensburg team, right across the road, works with Miers Farm Corp on every piece of it.
Thinking About Autonomy or See & Spray?
Talk with Brad Evans and our Greensburg team about the John Deere technology that fits your operation.