A tractor on the O'Connor Family Farm in Blooming Prairie sits under the northern lights. Patrick O'Connor says he was unable to use his tractor after the solar storm responsible for the northern ...

The storm interfered with navigational systems used in tractors and other farming equipment, leaving some farmers temporarily unable to plant their crops. By Livia Albeck-Ripka The powerful ...

Riley Moser is a digital producer who covers breaking news and feature stories for CBS Minnesota. Riley started her career at CBS Minnesota in June 2022 and earned an honorable mention for sports ...

Massive solar storms this year have meant that people across America have been able to see the Aurora Borealis like never before. The massive jets of charged particles that have been emitted by the ...

MOULTRIE, Ga. -- Darrell Williams spent part of his childhood behind a mule, plowing the fields on his family's tobacco farm. "It was hot," he said. "I had to follow that plow and that mule. There was ...

This is where John Deere’s satellite-guided tractors, the aurora borealis, and peak planting season all overlap. This is where John Deere’s satellite-guided tractors, the aurora borealis, and peak ...

The powerful solar storm that made those dazzling northern lights visible across the U.S. also reportedly caused some headaches for North America's farmers. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Over the last few days, heightened solar activity (and those heady geomagnetic storms) led to outages in the GPS navigation systems that guide some modern tractors from John Deere and other brands.

When the sun's fury disrupts high-tech farming, precision turns to chaos. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Modern-day farming is a ...