Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Cell phone stories - what do you like and what has worked or not worked for you? What tasks are you using your smart phones for?

I have been talking to alot of farmers and agribusiness people about cell and smart phones the past couple of months and getting feedback on what they like/dislike.  The guys here are Farms.com think that people will want more mobile access to information in the future so we are researching what the new technologies can deliver and what is practical in a farming environment.

 

Here is a bit of what I am learning so far:

 

LB (farmer) has a Blackberry (I think it was a Torch version) and uses it checking email and grain market prices during the day.  He thinks he will need a laptop computer with internet access in the pickup in the future to keep track of things during the spring and fall - not at the office as much...

 

AD farmer has a Blackberry and uses it mainly for email and as a cell phone.

 

iPhone:  I have played with one a couple of times the past few months, I think a durable case is a good idea because they are not made for harsh conditions.  I do like the apps and do like the ability to watch videos etc.  (BB can do that now as well) 

 

Blackberry: I have had one for the past 3 or so years and wondered what I did before...I am a heavy email user and do browse the web for information on mine...use a weather app for forecasts and check market prices on our http://mobile.farms.com site.

 

This is a little info from my discussions, let me know what you guys have as far as hardware and what info might be valuable to you on the go.

 

Thanks,

 

Joe Dales

Farms.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Views: 92

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mackenna Roth on April 11, 2011 at 6:48am

Hi Joe!

I am a recent Smart Phone user and not sure how I managed with out my BlackBerry before.  I have the new BB Bold and have been very happy with it so far. Before now I used a regular ole' cell phone, which are now being called "Talk and Text" phones. Having access to data plans and the ability to check my emails on the go really has made my down time more efficient. I had a hard time deciding between the iPhone or the BB, as the iPhone's screen is much larger and therefore the viewing size of text and images would be larger too. I did not know that the BB hard such great zoom features and many sites are made for mobile devices now, so navigating the sites are much easier. As for apps, I use the weather app all the time, it's in my favorite list and its the first thing I check in the morning. Next would be foursquare, an app based on GPS where you can "check in" at a place you are at and it records that location. It was really fun to use that one for a contest to check in at a location of their choice and win a prize. Using the farms.com mobile site is so easy to use and has been a great way to stay connected and learn lots of great information.

That's just a few thoughts on my new BlackBerry, and as you can tell... I love it!

Mac

Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on April 22, 2011 at 2:55pm
I have a BB for email and weather app.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Drones-as-a-Service Market Surges as AI, Automation, and Industrial Demand Drive Billion-Dollar Growth

Market News Updates News Commentary - The concept of Drones as a Service (DaaS) is rapidly gaining momentum within the broader AI, automation, and industrial technology sectors. This trend is driven by businesses seeking cost-effective solutions for drone operations without the need to internally manage fleets. Instead of investing heavily in various aspects like hardware, software, pilots, compliance, and maintenance, companies are turning to subscription and on-demand service models to outsource their drone operations. Industries such as construction, agriculture, mining, logistics, utilities, infrastructure inspection, and public safety are at the forefront of this adoption, benefiting from the increasing sophistication, autonomy, and integration of drone technology with AI-powered analytics platforms. Active tech companies in the news this week include: ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), AgEagle Aerial Systems I

Helping More Farmers Through Transition With FCC's Investment In Farm Lending Canada

Farm Lending Canada (FLC) today announced an investment from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) that will help expand access to financing for Canadian farmers. This is a component of FCC's recently announced commitment to deploy $2 billion to enhance innovation in Canadian agriculture and food by 2030, to help scale breakthrough solutions and strengthen food security. That includes solutions that address critical challenges like farm transition and succession, which are central to the future of Canadian agriculture. Supporting these transitions aligns with FCC's commitment to keep family farms strong. "We are proud to receive this strategic investment from FCC at a time when Canadian farmers need our help more than ever," said Robb Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of FLC. "The changing global landscape has put a great deal of stress on the men and women who put food on our tables. We are here for them now and will continue to be a source of capital for them into the future. With this capital, w

June 10 At Noon: Demonstration Against Alto's High-speed Rail Project In Front Of Parliament In Ottawa

Agricultural producers from Mirabel, Argenteuil and Deux-Montagnes, in collaboration with citizen organizations from Ontario and Quebec, will hold a peaceful demonstration in front of the Canadian Parliament on June 10, 2026, to express their opposition to Alto's high-speed rail (HSR) project. The demonstration aims to raise awareness among elected officials and the public about the many impacts the HSR project would have on the agricultural sector and affected municipalities. These impacts include potential expropriations, as well as the effects of the project on farms and surrounding properties. The rail line's proposed route would have significant consequences for agricultural operations, local businesses, the natural environment and the vitality of local communities. Agricultural producers and citizen representatives from Quebec and Ontario will also speak at the beginning of the demonstration, starting at noon. In addition to local unions affiliated with the UPA, the following

FCC Investment in Farm Lending Canada Aims to Expand Access to Farm Financing

Farm Lending Canada (FLC) is set to expand its lending capacity after securing a new investment from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), a move aimed at improving access to capital for producers who may struggle to secure financing through traditional channels. The investment forms part of FCC’s broader commitment to deploy $2 billion by 2030 to encourage innovation and strengthen Canada’s agriculture and food sector, said an FLC release Wednesday. A key focus of that strategy is supporting farm transition and succession as aging producers look to transfer operations to the next generation while maintaining the viability of family farms. FLC, founded in 2019, specializes in financing agricultural operations that fall outside conventional lending models. The company currently operates in nine provinces and has worked with more than 100 farm families since launching, with average loan sizes exceeding $2 million. Company officials say the new capital will allow FLC to grow its loan portfol

When artificial intelligence enters the feedyard

Dr. Luis Tedeschi provides insights on how precision nutrition and emerging tech could reshape ruminant systems The future of ruminant nutrition will be driven by far more than feed formulation alone, according to Dr. Luis Tedeschi of Texas A&M University. Speaking during the Ruminant Session at the 2026 Animal Nutrition Conference of Canada (ANCC), May 5-7 in Edmonton, Tedeschi outlined how artificial intelligence (AI), precision livestock farming and integrated crop-livestock systems are beginning to reshape the way producers think about cattle nutrition, sustainability and farm management.  Tedeschi’s presentation, Nutrition as the Intelligent Nexus: Integrating Precision Farming into Sustainable Ruminant Systems, focused on how emerging technologies, including sensors, satellite imagery, AI machine learning and real-time monitoring systems, are enabling more responsive and individualized feeding strategies. “The shift from average-based to precision-based feeding is one of the

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service