The Monitoring Plan for Farmers Edge Smart Carbon Soil Carbon Project 2 integrates very well with Farmers Edge regular customer procedures for agronomic consulting and services. Data collection for monitoring purposes follows Farmers Edge processes and data systems already available (Please refer to Smart Carbon Program Standard Operating Procedure documents for details). Customer facing staff ensure data collection processes are executed and tracked in Farmers Edge data systems, FarmCommand, as well as SharePoint system and CRM system. Figure 6 below outlines the Farmers Edge project Data Flow.
Field staff who work directly with customers, which includes Solution Sales Specialist, Precision Agronomists, Precision Technicians, Client Success Managers and Administrators, each has a unique, secure login to the FarmCommand system. All additions and changes to data in the FarmCommand are logged by person so all data and documents can be tracked back to the person who last handled it. Also, many Farmers Edge Agronomists, Precision Agronomists and Solution Sales Specialists are certified CCAs and/or Professional Agrologists (P.Ag.). Designations are noted in system for review purposes.
Customer farm data is input into the FarmCommand system at two levels, Farm or Field. Farm level documents such as signed emissions contracts and Customer Service Agreements are collected during customer sign-up or renewal process, captured as a DocuSigned pdf, or scanned to pdf format, and uploaded to the CRM system. Our agronomic services contracts last four or five years. Then, each year, technical field staff work with the grower to help develop the annual crop plan for each field, which then forms the core of the agronomic data gathering system that is FarmCommand.
Field level data is mostly passively collected and gets monitored by the Precision Technicians and Precision Agronomists and any system issues are corrected. Field specific details not available electronically such as crop insurance and irrigation receipts are collected by the Tech’s and Agronomists. Most Field level data is “monitored” or collected electronically using a Farmers Edge proprietary system, the CanPlug. The CanPlug system is a telematics-based data gathering device supplied for customer’s tractors, combines and sprayers. The CanPlugs monitor the machinery data systems, harvest the GPS encoded data from the in-cab and attached machinery controllers (computers) and sends the data over cell networks to our cloud database. This data is processed and becomes available information in the FarmCommand system. As a backup to this system, controller data is collected by our Precision Agronomists & Technicians from the in- cab controllers and then uploaded to FarmCommand.
The electronically collected data includes much of the crucial information for detailed agronomic consulting and CCP GHG calculations. Information tracked includes tillage activity from As Applied seeding and/or fertilizing application dates, the machinery involved and the location of each event in all zones of every field.
Monitoring for CCP specifically happens through our consulting process with farm customers:
• The initial crop plan is prepared in consultation with the farmer.
• Agronomists prepare fertility recommendations before fertilizing and seeding events.
• As Applied activity is gathered electronically during seeding by CanPlug and directly immediately post-seeding by the Precision Agronomists and Technicians.
• After spring seeding the crop plan is reviewed by an Agronomist at the Field Level. Any discrepancies or missing information is addressed with the Farmer. Any electronic gathering or processing issues are addressed with the data management development team and field staff.
• It should be noted that pre-seeding and pre-harvest farm visits are done by Precision Technicians and/or Agronomists to supply the machinery ready data files for fertility and other prescriptions and to ensure the CanPlugs and other machine data systems are operational. Once operational, prescriptions can also be sent to the seeding unit controller via CanPlug.
• A final post-harvest review is done by an Agronomist at Field & Farm Level to ensure each Field will qualify for CCP inclusion and that all Field & Farm Level documentation is in place for the GHG calculation and eventual assertion.