INA, Ill. (June 4, 2025) — Blake Patton, inventor of the Set-N-Seed and Director of the Agronomy Innovation Center at Rend Lake College, recently introduced his invention to South America at the 2025 Brazil AgriShow. Held in late April and early May, AgriShow is one of the largest agricultural technology trade shows in the world.
Blake Patton at the 2025 Brazil AgriShow, ready to meet with agricultural technology vendors.
For Patton, attending AgriShow wasn’t just about exploring the latest agricultural technology. It was about connecting with a global community of innovators to empower farmers and improve efficiency. After working with the Illinois Department of Commerce, Patton flew more than 14 hours to get to the AgriShow and pitch the Set-N-Seed to producers.
"My main goal headed down to Brazil was to get the Set-N-Seed in front of as many companies as I could and have conversations with them," Patton shared. "I have always wanted to invent something impactful, so it’s amazing that I am able to help farmers around the world with one product."
The AgriShow took place April 28–May 2, bringing together agriculture equipment specialized towards everything from corn to sugar cane. The Agrishow was abundant in technology that encompassed all areas of agriculture including farm management software, drones, planting and spraying technology and much more. Patton attended the show for three days where he met with 25 companies. It was time well spent as nearly 20 of the companies expressed interested in getting their hands on the Set-N-Seed.
The 2025 Brazil AgriShow's welcome tent.
Set-N-seed
The Set-N-Seed is a first-of-its-kind planter depth calibration tool that not only checks depth but also sets it. This product works by creating the correct distance between the bottom of the planter’s gauge wheels to the bottom of the disk opener using premeasured blocks that set seeding depth.
"Ever since planters have been utilized, farmers will most likely pick a depth setting, they'll go out to the field and then spend a good amount of time digging for seeds to make sure it's on the right depth," said Patton. "What most farmers were unaware of is that even though each row unit was set to the same depth setting, that didn’t mean each row was planting at the same depth as the adjacent rows. The Set-N-Seed makes sure that everything is the exact same in depth, even after many acres have been planted by eliminating the impact on wear parts. It fixes an issue that has been around for a very long time for farmers."
To Patton, his time in Brazil was more than a business trip. The Set-N-Seed is his part in moving global agriculture forward. He is also a wonderful ambassador for agricultural innovation happening at Rend Lake College and Southern Illinois. It's a rapidly advancing industry and RLC's focused programming is preparing farmers for the future.
Interested in the Agriculture program at RLC? Visit rlc.edu/agriculture for more information!
