What colour is a farmer’s collar?
Historically, the distinction between blue-collar and white-collar work was the difference between manual labour versus clerical work; between getting your boots dirty and working in an office. Farming was traditionally seen as blue-collar work – but as any farmer will tell you, there’s always been plenty of white-collar work to do. In fact, the volume […]
Major milestone for NFF Farm Data Code
It’s a year since we celebrated the universal farm data dashboard, Pairtree Plus, becoming the first service in Australia to be officially Farm Data Code certified by the National Farmers Federation. The NFF Farm Data Code aims to promote the adoption of digital technology, by ensuring farmers feel comfortable and understand how their data […]
Farmers to control agriculture AI
I wear two very different hats when it comes to watching the development of agriculture AI (that’s AI for Artificial Intelligence – not Artificial Insemination or Active Ingredient). As a farmer, the concept of giving up some of the decision-making on my farm to a computer algorithm doesn’t sit well with me, but as someone […]
When less is best
The idea of using the latest technologies to drive efficiencies and increase profits on farms is an exciting prospect for some farmers and completely daunting for others. Farmers want to know the ‘return on investment’ before they fork out money for new equipment, but that can be hard to calculate on smaller, family run or […]
What next for cattle prices?
There was always going to be a cattle price correction after the steep rise experienced during Covid 19. The price graph below, from Pairtree’s Livestock Markets dashboard, shows the picture clearly. The big rise starts in January 2020 and peaks around May 2022. What’s taken many by surprise, however, is the speed it has dropped […]
Bright Future for NT Farming
It was great to attend the Northern Australia Food Futures Conference (NAFFC) in Darwin last week. The 30+ degree days were a bonus compared to the frost of Orange, but the best thing was the chance to learn so much about the big issues, opportunities and challenges facing northern farmers. The bi-annual conference brings together […]
Oils ain’t Oils and neither is Farm Data
Through this blog series we have covered a step by step approach to identifying the correct connectivity networks and tech for your farm – See recent blog: Where do I start with Farm IoT (Internet of Things) – and also the first contemplation of what is needed within the Australian Agtech ecosystem to allow […]
Farm data gaps; Black holes or Gold mines?
These gaps are really now the low hanging fruit to change the on-farm data approach and turn these black holes into gold mines. Through this series we have been looking at how farmers can kick start their agtech experience and ensure that they are making the most informed decisions as possible to maximise productivity […]
Interoperability, What does that mean for farmers?
Have you ever looked at your phone and wondered why there are so many apps and why the apps can’t all talk to each other? Now imagine you’re a farmer on a large property, managing a livestock and cropping operation. Every decision you make will affect the health of your crop or the well […]
So I Think I’ve got my network sorted?
After spending much time researching which network will be most suitable for your operation – See recent blog Where do I start with Farm IoT (Internet of Things). THE ONE, most likely will still only service a large percentage of your property and so there still may need to be some additional data connectivity […]