As producers prepare for the 2024 season, a Canadian digital agriculture company is making sure they have the tools to leverage their data and efficiently source their real-world inputs.
Farmers Edge, a global leader in the field, is building out FarmCommand, its flagship farm management platform, to be used across multiple devices as well as adding smooth integration with its FE Labs service through its new LabCommand portal, launching in a couple of weeks. This allows all submission information to be made online, so results from soil, plant or manure samples are available instantly through FarmCommand.
On the input side, the Winnipeg-based company is rolling out its CommoditAg vendor access platform in Canada after its success in the United States. CommoditAg connects farmers with vendors across the country, making it easier for them to source crop inputs and other components they need to run their businesses.
“We’ve got services, we’ve got equipment, we’ve got crop inputs, we’ve got fertilizers. We’ve got everything that a farmer needs and we’ll keep on adding more and more,” said Sangeeta Motwani, director of ecommerce for Farmers Edge.
We support farmers in data collection of different assets across their operations whether that be field-related, weather-related or equipment-related and turn that into insights, farmers’ data is valuable but without a platform like FarmCommand it’s just information.
“We’re also supporting local vendors that don’t have the manpower or the expertise to create a marketplace for themselves. There’s only so much a local small retailer can do to promote their products and CommoditAg is going to give them that platform.”
KRIS KINNARD, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC OPS, FARMERS EDGE
Motwani has been busy signing both farmers and vendors to CommoditAg with the goal of making it a one-stop shopping destination for Canadian farmers.
“What we’re trying to do is to complete the circle and take the guesswork out of where do I go find the nutrients I need? Where do I go to find whatever else is required? What’s the price in my area or in neighboring towns?” she said. “CommoditAg gives you that information. You can check on the platform and find where [these things] are available and what the pricing is. Maybe there’s a vendor that you haven’t worked with in the past and maybe there are other brands that you’ve never looked at before.”
On the digital agriculture side, Farmers Edge is adding enhancements to its FarmCommand platform to allow farmers to harness the power of their own data to inform better decisions.
“We support farmers in data collection of different assets across their operations whether that be field-related, weather-related or equipment-related and turn that into insights,” said Kris Kinnaird, director of strategic partnerships for Farmers Edge. “Farmers’ data is valuable but without a platform like FarmCommand it’s just information.”
FarmCommand is a comprehensive digital platform that integrates all areas of farm management, helping farmers analyze and visualize data collected on their land. This can then be used to make key decisions regarding crop planning, field management, grain inventory logistics, revenue tracking, supply inventory management and more.
“The intent of FarmCommand is to be the go-to agronomic dashboard for farmers and agronomists,” Kinnaird said. “When you first log in, you basically see a dashboard telling you what’s going on. What’s happening with your equipment? What is happening in the field? What is the growth stage, yield forecast, or where does variability exist via remote sensing, before heading to the field? FarmCommand turns that valuable field data into actionable insights helping farmers understand the current status, risk and potential of their crop production, while giving agronomists the backing to make the best recommendations for their clients.
Farmers already familiar with FarmCommand will note that its navigation has been improved to make the platform both more intuitive and more accessible.
“We also understand that in the busy times of the year farmers aren’t sitting in front of their computers. They’re utilizing their smart phones, so we made sure the platform is usable in our mobile application as well,” said Kinnaird.
As part of Farmers Edge’s efforts to be a onestop shop for farmers, its Winnipeg-based laboratory (FE Labs) recently launched a submission platform that makes it easier for agronomists, agriculture retailers and farmers to submit soil samples, plant tissue or manure and reap the benefits of having the results integrated into FarmCommand.
“Farmers will be very used to a lab or an agronomist sending them a PDF of their soil test report with different tables and values displayed. We do that as well, but we also have a map and a spatial way to visualize that — I’m a farmer too and when I look at my farm, I can quickly glance at which areas of the field are low on residual nutrients and which are high so that I can very quickly understand where I can more efficiently apply my inputs and, of course, produce as much crop as I can while maintaining and improving my soil health.”
Agronomists need to meet the timelines of farmers’ purchasing windows when advising on crop input applications to be effective. FE Labs continues to demonstrate their exceptional customer experience and delivers on their quick turnaround times, striving to maintain their positionon being the fastest in the market. This, and the roll-out of the new LabCommand portal enhances the already excellent customer experience.
“Our goal is to support the agronomist and farmer with longevity and profitability of their businesses. Understanding where inputs can be more efficiently applied supports that goal while maintaining and improving soil health”, Kinnaird closes.
Farmers Edge has been focused on updating and improving their digital solutions for 2024 – from their new lab experience, continuous updates to the FarmCommand platform and the launch of CommoditAg in Canada, Farmers Edge is building must-have capabilities for all western Canadian farmers and ag retailers.
