This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated, However, all opinions are all mine. Many people think you have to be in a big city for the best network and technology. But, smart technology is changing the way rural communities live and work. They help keep farms running more smoothly then every before. Sharpe Farms and Heartland Creamery in Newark, Mo. are using U.S. Cellular’s smart farm program to improve their cheese production. U.S. Cellular has countrywide coverage. So they can reach places no other network does so you stay connected anywhere.
They’re doing this as part of U.S. Cellular’s Smart Farm program. It helps you stay connected, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere. In small towns like Newark, Mo. With a population of only 90 people, a strong signal is crucial to their everyday life. I take for granted that I live in a larger town. I love my service with U.S. Cellular. I never have lag time or dropped service while I am on my iPad or iPhone. Every day farms across the U.S. are doing more thanks to smart technology. Things like…
Fleet Monitoring: John Deere tractors have GPS technology that uses the U.S. Cellular’s network. The farm’s team uses their iPads to access the information
and track the location of each of their tractors. This allows for remote monitoring and support of this equipment. They also give access to the controls and input/output remotely.
Irrigation And Soil Monitoring: Farmers can take soil samples of their fields by using a technology called variable rate seeding. This enables them to formulate a “prescription” based on the data of the nutrients and pH levels of the soil. They can then run this prescription by their fertilizer spreaders in the tractors. These tractors are automatically controlled to provide the correct nutrients to the right areas in each field, providing a greater crop yield. The irrigation system includes 11 pivots that are controlled remotely using an app on their smartphone or tablet. I am blown away at how this technology is helping farmers in this way.
Wearables for Goats: Radio frequency identification ankle bracelets on goats allow farmers to identify a goat in the field. With a wand device, the bracelets are scanned, making it easier for the more than 2,000 goats to be identified. The bracelets also gives them access to health information like age, milk fat percentage and vaccination records. All of this can be looked up on the farmer’s mobile device. Isn’t that brilliant?!
Real-Time Cheese Monitoring: Cheese production at the Heartland Creamery is improving with access to information about their operation. When combined, their goats will yield 7,000 pounds of milk per day. That was surprising to me! How about you? Since 2005, the creamery’s daily production capability of their fresh and aged cheese has grown to about 6,000 pounds! The staff at the creamery can access real-time information on their mobile devices. They can track the quality of the milk, temperature of the coolers and tanks. With this information, farmers are able to increase their output. And make cheese more efficiently. In the last year, the creamery has been able to reduce cheese production time by 67%.
I thought it was so cool that YouTube star and tech enthusiast, Judner Aura, spent a day in the life of a farmer at Sharpe Farms and Heartland Creamery in Newark, Mo. He wanted to showcase how smart technology and a strong cellular network like U.S. Cellular not only keeps the farm running, but increases productivity and efficiency. Be sure to stay current with U.S. Cellular and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. One reader will win one $15 Walmart Gift Card!
