Ontario Agriculture

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Camera’s and their uses around the farm

With the ever rising costs of equipment, inputs and pretty much everything on the farm, protecting your investment is becoming very critical.  Stolen tractors, implements, tools and anything else a thief can sell quickly, or overseas, is becoming common place in our rural communities.  Cameras are an excellent deterrent to stop would be thieves from violating your business and life.  With many farmers living at their place of business, thefts can feel violating to your entire family.

Here is a list of just a few ways todays camera systems are being used effectively around Ontario’s farms:

Yard observation- With material and equipment theft on the rise, protecting yourself and your family is becoming an important part in day to day life.  Camera’s watching over entrance ways, shops, storages are becoming common place as a deterrent for on the farm theft.

Equipment operational viewing- Watching areas within your equipment, that is not visible from the cab has long been adapted as a method to ensure no damage or blockages are effecting your operation.  As equipment becomes larger viewing from the cab is becoming more restricted, damage and blockages are very costly and time consuming.  Installations within equipment, quality is very important since lose cables and improper wiring can cause very costly and damage expensive parts of your equipment.

Rear view cameras- With equipment getting larger and larger every year, seeing behind or around yourself while operating equipment and when traveling to the field is very important to reduce liability and damage.  Even simple operations like backing a combine from a shed, cameras can provide a proper view of the blind areas from the cab of the combine.

Bin/Elevator viewing- With the thefts of grain right from bins in the USA on main stream news, it will not be long before it makes its way to Ontario.  Not only can cameras be used for the protection of your crops, but levels can be observed cost effectively compared to expensive level sensor systems.

Livestock observation- Observation of feeders, milkers/robots, watering stations, temperature readouts all can be view remotely using camera systems, saving you time and money.

High quality, properly installed camera systems are an asset around the farm.  Protecting your assets from damage, theft or just marking sure it operates correctly.  If properly spec’d properly when purchasing internet viewing on your smart phone, from multiple locations and recording for security purposes is very cost effect in protect your business.

 

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Paul Smith is the owner of Northern Equipment Solutions and based in Central Ontario, Canada. Providing Quality Potato Equipment, Precision Agriculture and Other Advanced Equipment, Northern Equipment Solutions ensures that your profits and yields are maximized. www.northernequipment.ca or sales@northernequipment.ca

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Comment by Paul Smith on December 20, 2012 at 6:49am

Honestly I don't know, I just sell the cameras that go with the GPS systems I sell.  I was thinking about this blog since I had 2 customers robbed in the last month. 

I know for about 1000-2000 you can get a pretty cutting edge system that is viewable on a smart phone.

Comment by Joe Dales on December 20, 2012 at 6:17am

Hi Paul,

What kind of cost range are you looking at for a wireless camera system with access on a smart phone?

Thanks,

Joe

 

Comment by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 10:14am

This is an area I see where customers are scared of spending a little bit of money on cameras for whatever reason, but with everything getting so big it simple takes one mistake to pay for itself many times over

Comment by Joe Dales on December 19, 2012 at 9:57am

Hi Paul,

Some good ideas.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Joe Dales

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