In GeoFarm, the prefix “Geo” came from “Geo”graphic Information Systems (GIS).  A GeoFarm is a farmer’s GIS.  It is the input, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of on-farm spatial data.  Furthermore, Geo in greek stands for “earth” it is a prefix for many of the terms, systems, and technology we use everyday at GeoFarm.  This list includes:

- Geology, the study of the Earth's structure
- Geodesy, also known as geodetics, the study of the measurement and representation of the earth
- Geometry, the study of spatial relationships
- Geocentric, a model of the universe that places the earth at its centre
- Geostationary orbit, a circular orbit directly above the earth's equator
- Geosynchronous orbit, an orbit that has the same period as the Earth's sidereal rotation
- Geocaching, an outdoor activity that involves using navigational techniques to finds geocaches
- Geocoding or GeoTagging, encoding coordinates in to features, images, web pages and other data records
- Geolocation, the science of determining the real-world location of a website or website visitor

The concept of record keeping in a farm business can sometimes be overlooked. The power of keeping good records comes with time. As years of data (spatial or non-spatial) are recorded, trends can be seen and these trends can be used to make better decisions. As the world we live in strives to become more environmentally friendly, it is likely that you will eventually need "proof" of your production practices on the farm. Spatial data is that proof. This kind of information is extremely valuable to you and it's important not to overlook.

GeoFarm offers you the ability to create a custom solution based on the needs your business has. The rapid changes in agriculture technology makes it hard for you to stay ahead and trained on the tools, equipment, or software programs. Hiring someone in your business to stay dedicated to your precision needs may not be affordable, or findable! GeoFarm is in the business of precision agriculture and can offer you the services and solutions you need on a per need basis. Freeing up time for you to run the other aspects of the business.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System and refers to a network of satellites which are designed to help determine a radio receiver's position in latitude, longitude, and altitude. GIS stands for a Geographic Information System and is a system, usually computer based, for the input, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of geographic data. The GIS database is usually composed of map-like spatial representations called layers. These layers contain information on a number of attributes.  A GeoFarm is a GIS made up of GPS data!

Spatial data contains not only information about the attribute being monitored, but also the geographic location of the attribute.

GeoFarm's imagery products are captured today entirely in Canada.  Depending on the area your fields are located you may be subject to different acreage order requirements for different imagery products - expand the image below and contact us to find out the order requirements for the imagery product you are interested in.  If you are not in an area shown below, contact us to learn about alternative options. 

Remote sensing is the detection or identification of an object, series or objects, or landscape without having the sensor in direct contact with the object. Remote sensing in agriculture can occur from satellites, aerial planes, un-manned aerial vehicles (UAV's), or sensors attached to equipment. The sensors can measure different wavelenghts of light across a broad spectrum.  Remote sensing is the term used for the capture of Real Shot™ imagery.

You can log your own data in either a truck, tractor, sprayer or combine, but we'd only advise you do this if you are a competent computer user. You will also require some specialist software to actually log the data.  Often, post-collection data cleanup and error correction is required that would be charged in addition to the program rates. 

Another thing to remember is that you'll also need to drive the existing ditch bottoms, so usually this means transferring equipment into a truck or ATV then adjusting the data to match that logged in the larger, higher vehicle. 

When there is such little slope topographic maps are actually extremely useful. While the naked eye can't figure out which direction the slope is, a topo map will show this. As part of our map creation we produce a map that identifies depressions within the field: these are areas that can't drain and will therefore be prone to standing water. We also produce maps that tell us where the watersheds in your field are (a watershed is an area of the field that drains to a single outlet), and the natural flow routes that water will take.

There are a variety of methods depending on how serious you are about eliminating all depressions, and your equipment and budget. The most basic approach would be to display our recommendation map on a GPS-enabled laptop or screen in your tractor while out ditching and use this to guide you to the required locations to cut new ditches &/or make improvements to existing ones.  While this doesn't guarantee you'll get the gradients exactly right, you will have your ditches in the right place, and can take note of any that don't perform as well as desired so you can improve them in the next fall. 

The second option is to use a laser. If this is your intention we'll provide a map that you view on-screen on a GPS-enabled laptop where each required cut is labelled with the required gradient. You simply drive to the starting location, set the gradient, and follow the line on the screen to cut the ditch. 

The third and most effective option is to use a GPS guidance system on your scraper or rotary ditcher. Systems such as AGPS DitchPro can be used to control the blade height and cut ditches at the required gradient quickly and easily. You just need to load the base map we provide into the DitchPro console, drive to the start of the ditch to be cut, press a button, then drive along the length of the ditch to be cut, press another button, then sit back and (if you have autosteer) the unit will drive you back to the start of the ditch and keep you on track while it takes care of cutting it too!

This is very hard to estimate as every field is different and has very different characteristics. However, to give an example of the losses that poor drainage might be causing you consider the following:

- If 20% of a 160 acre field is subject to standing water, that is 32 acres.

- If we assume that we are losing on average, 20 busheles per acres on those acres, that's a 640 bushel loss.

- If your field average is 40 bu/ac and you break even at 30bu/ac, then it is taking the profits from another 32 acres to cover the losses on the 32 acres that have drowned out.  In other words, you aren't making money on 64 acres, or 40% of the field. 

- If you could improved the drainage so that you average a 10bu/acre loss on the 32 acres that are prone to standing water, you'd reduce this figure to 20% of the field.

These sorts of statistics, numbers, and calculations are included and can be performed with the drainage recommendation report.  It's important to do these calculations on a field by field basis to ensure your efforts are economically viable.  In most cases, they are.