60 Farming Innovations

From Pig Booties to Manure Home Furnaces

— May 4, 2009 — Lifestyle
Before you dismiss them as boring, these farming innovations are worth a look at -- these are, after all, the most cutting edge inventions and designs out there. From an abandoned farmhouse transformed into a giant playhouse, to eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cell tractors, we've featured only the best in agriculture, ranching and farming related innovations.

I'm certainly no expert in the field (no pun intended), but having lived on a farm myself for three years (yes, complete with cattle, combines and grain elevators) in Alberta, these farming innovations are particularly fascinating to me. However, if you have no interest in farming and are a true urbanite, you'll still love checking out fun trends like robot sheep that mow your lawn, viral Truckspills and rainboots for pigs.
5.3
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
56
Pouring Milk in Fields
Pouring Milk in Fields
European Dairy Farmer Boycotts
<
55
Living Compasses
Living Compasses
Using Cows to Find North
<
54
DIY Rickshaw Pulling Robots
DIY Rickshaw Pulling Robots
Chinese Farmer Creates Robotic "30 Second Son"
<
53
Eco-Friendly Olive Farms
Eco-Friendly Olive Farms
Monte Vibiano Will Be First Carbon-Free Agribusiness in Italy
<
52
Solar-Powered Wineries
Solar-Powered Wineries
Far Niente
<
51
Shocking POV PSAs
Shocking POV PSAs
'Animal Visuals' Gives You a Bird's Eye View Into Egg Industry
<
50
Horses That Paint
Horses That Paint
Equine Art Exhibits Straight From A Horse's Mouth
<
49
Lambient Media Campaigns
Lambient Media Campaigns
Sheepvertising to Promote TheTrainLine.com
<
48
Wind-Free Wind Farms
Wind-Free Wind Farms
Using Compressed Air for Constant Clean Power
<
47
Made in Transit Produce
Made in Transit Produce
Growing Food On-the-Way
<
46
Rooftop CSAs
Rooftop CSAs
Milwaukee Makes Organic Produce Accessible & Affordable
<
45
Virtual Chicken Petting
Virtual Chicken Petting
Caress your Pet Chicken via the Internet
<
44
Sheep As Lawn Mowers
Sheep As Lawn Mowers
Green Mowing in Torino
<
43
Magical Black Dirt
Magical Black Dirt
Smoldering 'Biochar' Reduces CO2 Pollution
<
42
Voluntary Harvesting
Voluntary Harvesting
Guerrilla Initiatve Puts Unwanted, Unpicked Fruit to Use
<
41
Environmental Weaponry
Environmental Weaponry
Seed Balls Sprout Change in Challenging Environments
<
40
Farm Animals to Promote Hygiene
Farm Animals to Promote Hygiene
Persona Toothbrushes Help Chickens Get Unstuck From Sewers (and Te
<
39
World's Largest Solar Farm Opens in Spain
World's Largest Solar Farm Opens in Spain
Powers 20,000 Homes
<
38
Edible Runways
Edible Runways
Etro's Farm Fresh Fashion
<
37
First Sheepvertising now Cowvertising
First Sheepvertising now Cowvertising
<
36
Cow Pie-Powered Cars
Cow Pie-Powered Cars
Dairy Farmers Pioneer Biomethane-Powered 18-Wheel Trucks
<
35
Labor-Saving Farmbots
Labor-Saving Farmbots
Lely EV Robotic Feed Pusher Keeps Cattle Fed & Contented
<
34
Bovine Buddy Promos
Bovine Buddy Promos
Austrian Farm Lets You Rent a Cow for the Holidays
<
33
Art from Farm Feed
Art from Farm Feed
10 Haystack Sculptures
<
32
Craptastic Cosmetics
Craptastic Cosmetics
Chicken Poop Lip Goop
<
31
Agricultural Art
Agricultural Art
The Sarah Palin Corn Maze
<
30
LED Sheep Art Shows
LED Sheep Art Shows
Extreme Samsung Stunt Shows Dozens of Glowing Sheep
<
29
Cow-Milking Robots
Cow-Milking Robots
Automated Dairy Extractors
<
28
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractors
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractors
New Holland's Innovation for Zero Emissions Farming
<
27
Uber-Tractor Concept
Uber-Tractor Concept
Valtra Revolution Tractor
<
26
Raw Poultry Public Art
Raw Poultry Public Art
Attention Chicken by Nicolas Lampert
<
25
Fake Animal Gardeners
Fake Animal Gardeners
Robotic Sheep Lawnmower
<
24
Recycled Antique Alamanacs
Recycled Antique Alamanacs
Eco Farmers' Almanac Art
<
23
Virtual Accident Gawking
Virtual Accident Gawking
Truckspills
<
22
X-Ray Art
X-Ray Art
Nick Veasey Photography
<
21
Manure Furnaces
Manure Furnaces
Combustion Heater Turns Cow Dung Into Energy
<
20
Marijuana For Kids
Marijuana For Kids
'It's Just a Plant' Is An Educational Book About Pothead Parents
<
19
Terrace Farming
Terrace Farming
Urban Gardens Boom in NYC
<
18
Urban Farming Movements
Urban Farming Movements
Exposing the Chicken Underground
<
17
Vertical Eco Farm
Vertical Eco Farm
Las Vegas 30 Storey Garden
<
16
Vertical Farming
Vertical Farming
Skyscraper Farms to Combat Global Warming
<
15
Chic Urban Hen Houses
Chic Urban Hen Houses
The Chicken Eglu
<
14
Floral Spring Editorials
Floral Spring Editorials
W Magazine Brings Greek Magic Into 'Harvest'
<
13
Footwear for Pets
Footwear for Pets
Sneakers and Shoes For Miniature Horses
<
12
Bio-Shearing Sheep
Bio-Shearing Sheep
Scientific Fleecing Avoids Animal Injuries, Increases Wool Yield
<
11
Controversial Animal Ink
Controversial Animal Ink
Tattooed Pigs at Frieze Art Fair (UPDATE)
<
10
High-Tech Bovine Grooming
High-Tech Bovine Grooming
DeLaval Automated Cow Brush Makes Pretty, Happy Cows
<
9
Vertical Farming (Part III)
Vertical Farming (Part III)
Toronto Sky Farm
<
8
Life-Sized Dollhouses
Life-Sized Dollhouses
Abandoned Farmhouse Transformed Into Giant Playhouse
<
7
Redneck Chic Couture
Redneck Chic Couture
Vivienne Westwood Brings the Farm to Milan's Men for Fall 09
<
6
Giant Urban Carrots
Giant Urban Carrots
Farmer's Market Campaign
<
5
Rain Boots for Pigs
Rain Boots for Pigs
Wellies For Dirt-Fearing Farm Animals
<
4
Equine Toys
Equine Toys
Equi-Spirit Balls Promote Horse Play
<
3
Breeding Featherless Chickens
Breeding Featherless Chickens
Naked Birds Like Hot Weather, Are Prone to Sunburn
<
2
Robotic Exoskeletons
Robotic Exoskeletons
'Wearable Agrirobot' Power Suit Helps Farm Harvest & Pruning
<
1
Teacup Pig Pets
Teacup Pig Pets
Pint-Sized Royal Dandies Capture Hearts of Animal Lovers
<