Data collection, and who owns it, is a hot topic across all levels of agriculture. One startup, Farmobile, is trying to make farm data collection easy and useful — and puts the power directly in the hands of farmers. Farmobile showcased its system to intrigued visitors at the 2020 Farm Machinery Show.
“We got started in 2013 with a primal focus on data collection,” explained Farmobile’s Jeff Pio. “What we have is one device that can float from tractor to tractor and sprayer to sprayer while gathering machine and agronomic data.”
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Farmobile’s advanced technology delivers a collect-share-monetize digital strategy. Powered by big data, cloud computing technology, it collects and organizes more data attributes on more machines. That means customers get more data visibility into operations faster than ever before. With a simple electronic box, which can be simply connected to machinery in as little as 15 seconds, allows for second-by-second data from a farm’s entire fleet. And, it is organized it into a portable data standard for live viewing, easy downloads, API streaming, and permission-based sharing with trusted advisors.
Additionally, Farmobile offers its customers revenue-generating opportunities through its Farmobile DataStore. Here, customers can elect to share their data with other ag companies who are interested in data for their own research and product performance. This puts more control directly into the hands of farmers, a huge bonus in a world where everyone is concerned about who has control over their data and how it is used. This allows farmers and the allied industry to share vital information to collectively improve agriculture as we know it.
Another perk of using Farmobile to collect data is its visualization. For an annual fee, the company provides all-inclusive access to the farm’s data and visualizes it in a way that is easy to use and share with everyone on the managerial team. In real time, the information can be accessed as equipment moves through the field doing heavy work or applications. It’s also an easy way to help keep records and inventory and get a snapshot of what’s going on.
