Canadian Farmers Go Mobile

By Shaun Haney

Who spends less time at a desk than farmers. One of the advantages of farming is the ability to be outside in the elements growing crops and being stewards of the environment. Farming has become a much more complex career in the last 15 years where they need access to information and analysis at their fingertips.  With the advent of the smartphone many tasks that had to be done at a desk can now be down from the tractor or pickup truck.  When I talk about using mobile apps in agriculture, I’m not talking about Angry Birds or The Score.  We are talking about apps that provide the ability for the user to be more productive and efficient in their common business tasks or more informed based on more timely information.

Having said this the smartphone is still a very underused technology as many people still only use the device for phone calls, facebook and text messaging instead of using it for it’s full capabilities.  As time moves on, this under use will diminish as more people are exposed to the productivity benefits of using applicable apps in their your business.   SEE MORE BELOW

Get information on Dekalb app

Get information on the Genuity app

Get information on Syngenta Mobile

Sara Sutherland, Syngenta discusses Syngenta Mobile and what benefits they feel that it provides to growers.

If you cannot see the below embedded video, click here

Denice Hockaday, Dekalb Marketing Manager, Eastern Canada discusses their new mobile app and how farmers are using mobile technology.

If you cannot see the below embedded video, click here

In other industries many people use apps on their iTouches, iPhones and Blackberry’s to become more productive through calculators like Dekalb’s or get news and information like Syngenta’s mobile site mentioned above in the interviews.  Besides the two examples that I have just given there are many non-ag apps that will have great benefits to farmers as they get exposed to them more in the future.

Farming is one of the occupations that lends itself to reliance on mobile technology in the future.  I really think that we will see agriculture as one of the industries in Canada that will truly engage in mobile technology.  Farmers love technology, they love innovation and mobile is both.  Personally I am a lover of mobile apps.  I have many apps on on my iPad and Blackberry that I use everyday at work.   These devices are not just for facebook and playing games.  There is significant productivity and informational gains to be made when your smartphone is utilized to its full potential.

Try out the apps and mobile sites mentioned above and let us know what you think.

Are they useful?

Will you use them?

What are your favourite business type apps that you use on the farm?

Do you think mobile apps have  a fit on the farm?

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