The Science Behind the Farm: Exploring Technology at Fairmont Farm

Written by: Tucker Purchase

One of the most frequent questions during farm tours is, "What are those blue earrings?"

Well, those blue earrings are actually a cow "fitbit," and we call them SCR tags. These tags collect data from the cow and transmit it to our computer. They act as activity monitors, tracking the number of steps each cow takes daily.

During the first week of wearing a tag, we establish a baseline activity level for each cow. If a cow's activity deviates significantly from this baseline – either increasing or decreasing – it alerts our herdsman. High activity could indicate she's in heat and ready to breed, or perhaps she's joined a different group. Low activity might suggest lameness, illness, or even calving.

But SCR tags do more than track steps. They also monitor rumination. Rumination is the process where cows regurgitate their feed to rechew it, breaking down particles and improving digestion. Our system establishes a baseline rumination number for each cow. A significant drop in rumination can indicate changes in the rumen due to feed changes, intake issues, or potential illness. Monitoring rumination across the herd helps us evaluate the effectiveness of dietary changes.

This technology has significantly improved our labor efficiency and enhanced cow health on our farm.

In our cropping system, we've embraced auto-steer technology. This allows the tractor to follow a pre-set course, preventing overlap and ensuring even seed distribution. Overlapping wastes seed, time, and fuel. Auto-steer is used for various tasks, including seeding, fertilizing, and operating mowers and mergers, reducing operator fatigue and minimizing human error.

We also utilize Krone flow meters on our manure injectors, which connect to our Ag Leader software. These flow meters track the volume of manure injected per acre, allowing us to create color-coded maps of our fields based on application rates. This data is invaluable for our nutrient management plans and reporting.

Our CLAAS Chopper also utilizes Ag Leader software, creating yield maps that help us evaluate field performance, drainage, crop health, and spreading plans. The chopper also measures the dry matter content of the chopped feed, enabling us to adjust our harvesting and storage strategies.

These are just a few examples of the technologies we employ on the farm. We are constantly exploring new technologies to improve our field management practices, enhance efficiency, reduce costs, increase yields, and protect our environment.