Reading Time: 3 minutes I have been thinking about artificial intelligence (AI) and the impact it has on consumerism. AI is used to track your buying habits and predetermine your buying needs. It is also the robotics that clean fields or make cars, do complex surgery or make a digital diagnosis. It is the smart fridge that knows what […] Read more
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and it’s just getting started
The invisible tracking of our buying habits should challenge us so we are not defined by a database
Olds College acquires self-driving DOT platform
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College has acquired a DOT Power Platform for its Smart Farm. The self-driving platform can be equipped with a variety of implements. In addition to the platform, the college has acquired a DOT Seeder-SeedMaster Ultra DSR, DOT Sprayer-Pattison Connect, and the DOT-ready New Leader NL5000 nutrient applicator. “Our goal is to demonstrate how this […] Read more
Rationing internet a pandemic side-effect
Streaming a dream in rural Alberta as download speeds slow to a trickle
Reading Time: 3 minutes The pandemic has created an unwelcome blast from the past for rural Albertans dealing with internet speeds not seen since the days of dial-up. “I can see downtown Calgary from my window right now, and I feel like I’m in the sticks,” said Shelagh Blatz, who lives near Priddis. “I’m so close to Calgary, but […] Read more
Dot Technology creates Edmonton branch
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dot Technology Corp. has established an Alberta subsidiary in Edmonton. Dot Intelligence Inc. will focus on developing leading-edge technologies — such as computer vision, machine learning optimization, and intelligent navigation — and enhancing adoption of the Dot robotic system for use in autonomous farming. Saskatchewan-headquartered Dot, a sister company of SeedMaster, is the maker of […] Read more
College adds ‘data lab’ to Smart Farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is donating $200,000 over the next four years for a “data lab” at Olds College’s Smart Farm. The lab is a technologically advanced workspace, available for students, instructors, and industry partners “to meet, collaborate and learn,” the college said in a news release. “The AgExpert Data Lab brings together data from our […] Read more
Cattle traceability app upgraded
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is making it easier for producers to report mandatory traceability data and stay compliant with an improved Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) MOBO app. The upgraded and free app enables easy access to the CLTS database from Android and iPhone devices and is more user friendly than the basic […] Read more
Updated version of CropChoice$ now available
Program offers profit scenarios for a variety of crops by using different yields and prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes The crop planning and risk management software program CropChoice$ has been updated with current crop insurance information from Agricultural Financial Services Corporation along with projected crop costs. “Producers can also adjust individual crop costs and evaluate the effects that different risk management strategies will have on their operation — such as purchasing crop insurance and […] Read more
Producers value farm data, but fear how it’s being used
An FCC survey found that one in four farmers has become less comfortable sharing data
Reading Time: 4 minutes The topic of data management tends to draw a lot of yawns from farmers. But in an increasingly digitized world, it shouldn’t. “This is one of the hottest topics in agriculture,” said Fred Wall, Farm Credit Canada’s vice-president of marketing. “It’s something that I think the industry needs to take very seriously.” And that shift […] Read more
‘Smart barn’ technology is on its way for pork producers
Sensors and software monitor pigs — and workers — in real time and in new ways
Reading Time: 2 minutes There is no argument new smart technologies are coming in swine production, says an expert in monitoring and task automation in livestock facilities. Tom Stein, senior strategic adviser for Quebec-based Maximus Systems, gave nine examples of “smart barn” technologies already in use or on the way at the recent Banff Pork Seminar. “One must remember, these […] Read more
Environmental Farm Plan sees upgrades
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan is releasing a new version of its online tool. The online platform has already helped more than 1,000 farmers manage environmental risk across the province and will soon have an updated look and functionality. The new version is mobile friendly and a revamped FAQ section matches relevant resources with each […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
