Dairy farmers who make the switch to robot milkers are very predictable, says Brussels, Ontario farmer Joe Terpstra. When Terpstra and three other dairy producers took to the stage at the 2016 Canadian Dairy XPO to share their experiences with robot milking, all four seemed to be singing from the same songbook. Improved cow health,... Read More
Category: Technology
Ask Francisco Rodriquez a question about dairy robots and he’ll tell you about people. With more than 38,000 robots milking cows on 19,000 farms around the globe, the technology is becoming ubiquitous throughout the dairy business. But what does it mean for dairy producers as technology revolutionizes the traditional daily milking grind? “The future in... Read More
There's something about sprayers that makes them a "farmer magnet," as Tom Wolf describes them. Tom and his "Exploding Spray Myths" partner-in-crime from OMAFRA, Jason Deveau, stopped by the RealAg studio at FarmTech to chat about what it is about pipes and pumps and nozzles that had farmers rappelling in from the ceiling (apparently) to... Read More
Do you know which fields make you money and which ones don't? At what point in the year do you sit down and determine what your breakeven costs are for a specific piece of land? The FieldValues app was designed to help farmers keep information about costs and break-even prices current throughout the growing season.... Read More
John Deere continues to update its online tools to give farmers easier access to information to manage their operations. The latest updates to the John Deere Operations Center were unveiled at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in February. The Operations Center allows users to see performance over time and collaborate with partners... Read More
Update — March 17, 2016: Glen Kroeker, most recently the director of FCC Management Software for Farm Credit Canada, has been hired as the general manager of technology for Farm At Hand and FarmLink. "I am thrilled to be joining the Farm At Hand and FarmLink team," said Kroeker in a statement on Wednesday. "The... Read More
Agriculture so loaded with changing technology that it's hard to keep pace as farmer, never mind as someone who isn't directly involved the industry. Many of us get upset how modern agriculture can be represented as a non-technological industry. "I don't farm like grandpa did." Increasingly we spend time trying to explain the level of... Read More
The ability to collect machine data wirelessly from farms across Canada is starting to yield practical information that can help farmers become more efficient — evidence that takes colour out of the equation to answer questions like "what's the optimal engine speed of my model XYZ combine during harvest?" or "should I use a fuel... Read More
As drones have gained mainstream popularity over the last year or two, they've become easier to fly, cheaper and safer than ever before, making them more practical and obtainable for use in agriculture. "The technology is so refined, a lot of producers now are starting to see the benefits," says UAV specialist and pilot Chad... Read More
Satellites are helping depict a clearer picture (literally) of what Canadian farmers grow each year. Accurately predicting and measuring production of each crop grown in Canada has been an ongoing quest for the grain industry and government agencies since farming began in North America. Or at least since the start of the 20th century when... Read More