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How Sensors and Software Turn Farms Into Data Mines
Nerval's Lobster writes that business intelligence tools have come to agribusiness, with farmers and cattle ranchers using many of the same tools found in numerous corporate cubicles, but fed by sensors you won't find in cubeland. "Machines (such as this one from DeLaval) keep track of all kinds of data about each cow, including the chemical properties of its milk, and flag when a particular cow is having problems or could be sick. The software can compare current data with historical patterns for the entire herd, and relate to weather conditions and other seasonal variations. Now a farmer can track his herd on his iPad without having to get out of bed, or even from another state. And Farmeron attempts to aggregate all farm-related data in a single Web portal. The company was started by Matija Kopi, the CEO who calls himself the 'Main Cowboy in the Saddle' and Marko Dukmeni, the CTO who is their Chief Tractor Hacker. They offer monthly accounts (starting at 25 cents per animal per month) to track animal physical characteristics along with milk production, medical treatments, and even particular feeding group schedules."
SlashBI = shit. So are more of these cloud articles going to be the new state of this website since it's owned by dice.com, now? Slashdot = dead. No wonder Taco left...
How much is this going to cost? (I don't think the "25 cents per animal per month" is a total cost, but I'd guess that that's just the monitoring fee.)
Everything I see is hundreds of dollars per plant/animal monitored.
Yes, probes can probably be used for years. However, if the per-monitored cost would come down, data on this stuff could go crazy.
I'm not just being theoretical. I just bought a small farm a few weeks ago and want to do this very thing.
Being an opensource kind of guy, I'd rather do it myself, anyway.
The fact that business intelligence tools are also well suited to monitoring dumb animals dedicated to a life of exploitation and eventual slaughter is just one of those crazy coincidences, and has no deeper implications.
There are a lot of TV ads for farm equipment, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, etc. There's also a farm show early Sunday morning that's often quite interesting. Modern farms are tech marvels using smart phones, GPS, all sorts of mechanical wizardry.
It ain't a mule and a plow no more.
Free Martian Whores!
Farmers don't need iPads. They need to have the government stop screwing up the markets and inadvertently creating monopolies like Monsanto. They created genetically altered seeds that, when they blow into neighboring fields, they sue those farmers, forcing them into bankrupcy, and thus getting a cheap new addition to their mega farm.
The other problems caused by government is they're endangering the food supply -- look it up online, we're about one drought away from a food shortage right now, the corn supply is down to about 6 months now, the lowest its been since the 50s. Part of it is because 40% of our corn gets turned into ethanol (a non-viable alternative to gas, used presently as an additive, at a premium), instead of food. Part of it is because the mega farms don't do proper crop rotation, but instead follow the market -- leading to diminishing yields and land overuse. And part of it is, ironically -- subsidies. The government steps in and says that there are certain price floors and ceilings for farming... and since eventually every farmer has a bad harvest, and they can't pay their mortage or whatever, they go bankrupt. It's inevitable; Just a matter of time. And then their land is bought up by the next door mega farm.
The consolidation of the agricultural industry is going to screw us; and iPads are not going to help. Not in the slightest. What's even more funny... not many younger people want to work on a farm. A lot of family farms are closing up because the kids moved away. Not much money in it... So you're asking people in their 50s and 60s "Hey, wanna use an iPad to do something you've been doing for the past, uhh... forever?" No. They don't. They're worried about making the next mortgage payment and repairing the roof of the barn. an iPad is not high on the list, and it offers no real benefit in productivity or return on investment. It's a convenience, nothing more.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
moo.
Anybody have any experience with those?
I'm talking about the ones where the cow gets up and walks by herself to the (robotic) milking machine. The machine throws water on the udder to clean it, and then positions the suckling cups on the teats.
The cow can (and does) go for milking as many times per day as she wants, as opposed to the normal 2 times per day, every 12 hours.
Anyway, what's the cost of these things? Cost of maintenance per year? Do they have ongoing problems?
Also, any different between the major makers? Delaval, Lely, GEA?
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
If you can contain the mess to your under-garment, then you can salvage the day by making it to the restroom and discarding your under-garments. Otherwise, it's time to leave for the day, but not before grabbing some paper towels to place over the seat of your car. For your sake, I hope you don't use public transportation to get to work.
Their systems are completely closed. You cannot access the data without voiding your warranty. I realize this is their preoperative, but there would be some much more possible if they would open that system up.
We've got clients in this business and I've seen IT used in all sorts of ways there.
I even remember a TV presentation plenty of years ago about automated monitoring/feeding of cows on a farm here in the Netherlands.
The principle is simple, tags and sensors, and the rest is software to make sense of it.
home
They handle the cattle like office workers
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Historically farms have usually been hi tech to a degree. The exceptions seem to be more related to economic/social collapse than a lack of interest.
//e computers being delivered to a local university. They were for the agriculture department. They may have had the first microcomputer lab on campus. The computer science labs were dumb terminals connecting to the minis and mainframes via a serial port.
In the early 80s I remember a bunch of Apple
One thing the dairymen told me was that one of the first signs of an animal getting sick was that it would usually eat less. Our system at the time each animal had a collar with a transponder on it-- an unpowered device about the size of two decks of cards. Something like a very primitive RFID chip. How much each animal ate was recorded and any unusual patterns were brought to the attention of the owners or managers. As soon as such pattern developed, the animal could be examined and treated. This makes good economic sense, because healthy cows produce more. But it struck me as compassionate as well.
We also discovered that some cows would game the system, realizing that every time they stuck their head into the feeder, that auger would start up and dump grain into the trough. We fixed it so they would only get a healthy amount at a crack. They figured out that putting your head in, pulling it out, and putting it in again would get you another pile of goodies. We modified it again, so it wouldn't do that. The cows that had been gaming the system were fine, but certain others would never go back after it stopped delivering feed for them. So we modified it again so that even if you'd already had your allocation, sticking your head in again would still net you another handful. Just enough to keep them coming back when they got hungry, and more importantly, the next day, and the day after that, etc.
It was really fun trying to outthink cows. It wasn't nearly as easy as you'd think.
Farmers don't need iPads. They need to have the government ...
The two are completely unrelated. Tablets are just a modern way to do things that farmers have been doing for centuries. Looking up data (almanac), researching historical trends (memory, chats with neighbors), communicating with suppliers and buyers, etc.
Sell Bossie to McDonalds ASAP.
I've seen models at county fairs. They contain computers, GPS guided pathing, hazard cameras on all sides. I think you can have the computer pretty much design and automate your plowing or harvesting. You are there to prevent unexpected problems.
It was originally called HerdStar.
By Northhouse Associates / Compco in Milwaukee, circa 1978?
Lots of ex UW-Milwaukee CS friends worked there.
I'd happily pay a bit more per lb, to have a more healthy meat products come out...less contaminated by growth hormones and anti-biotics (contributing to the rise of anti-biotic resistant strains)....
You and I might be willing to pay more but many/most people are not. If everyone was willing to pay more and demanded better products, what we consider upscale grocery stores like Whole Foods would be the norm. As it stands, price is a huge factor and the only way to get low prices is with some industrial techniques that are often a bit scary. Look up how orange juice is made and you'll never drink anything buy fresh squeezed again.
how did we get to the stage where we need to electronically track the chemical makeup of their milk?
Agriculture is a highly technological business and always has been. Your mental image of farming appears to need some updating. There is a HUGE amount of sophistication that goes into farming. People like getting a consistent product and you don't get that without technology.
Shouldn't the milk be more like...err....pure milk?
You think all milk is the same? Go spend some time on a farm. What you are saying is a bit naive. The chemical composition of milk is quite variable. It's like saying "pure wine" assuming all wines are identical. Farmers are paid to deliver a fairly specific product which can easily spoil or be contaminated and that often requires careful monitoring.
This is just on Slashdot because it's some minor iPad app. This isn't where the action is. Here are the the top 5 tech trends in precision agriculture.
The biggest trend is automatic steering. Self-driving cars are still experimental. Self-driving tractors are mainstream farming. Automatic plow height adjustment is routine. (The bottom of each furrow should be level, so extra water isn't needed to get over the high spots.)
The second biggest trend is integrating sensors and controls. Measuring soil properties and adjusting inputs (fertilizer, seed, sprays) to compensate is a key part of precision farming. The trend is to do this continuously based on real time measurements, rather than based on a few samples taken in advance.
The overall effect is to reduce wasted inputs and thus costs, improving profits. It doesn't increase yield per acre much, but it may make it feasible to farm more acres.
You have a disability. Under ADA they must make reasonable accommodations. Sit on your trashcan for the rest of the day, if you are technical remove a toilet seat and put it on the top of the trash.