Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

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.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Views: 667

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

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

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

Rail Inflation Index Increased for Maximum Revenue Entitlement for Western Grain

New VRCPI determinations from the Canadian Transportation Agency show modest increases for CN and CPKC that will influence regulated western grain transportation revenues in the 2026–2027 crop year.

Pet Obesity a Growing Concern

Pet obesity is common but manageable. Veterinarians explain how to identify excess weight, manage feeding habits, encourage activity, and support long term pet health.

Lab on a Drone Lab Tests Farm Waterways Fast

Iowa State researchers developed a drone-based water testing system that measures nitrate levels quickly, helping farmers monitor runoff, protect waterways, and improve fertilizer use with real-time data.

Grain Transport Disruptions Can Cost Sector $540 Million in a Week

A single week of rail and port disruptions during peak export season can cost Canada’s grain sector up to $540 million, with most of the damage tied to lost sales that are unlikely to be recovered, according to a new analysis. Commissioned by the Ag Transport Coalition, the study found roughly 94% of the financial impact from supply chain disruptions comes from reduced sales rather than penalties or added costs. The report said that when Canadian grain does not move, international buyers often turn to competing suppliers, leaving sales permanently lost rather than simply delayed. The coalition released the findings April 27 as part of its Too Much on the Line campaign, which is calling for changes to Canada’s labour regulations to reduce the risk of future supply chain shutdowns. The report said the financial damage can begin even before a strike or lockout officially starts. Uncertainty ahead of a disruption can cause railways to stop accepting new shipments, exporters to pull b

Domestic Canola Crush Rebounds in March

After dipping below 1 million tonnes for the first time in the 2025-26 marketing year in February, the Canadian canola crush rebounded in March. A Statistics Canada crush report Thursday pegged the March canola crush at 1.097 million tonnes, up a hefty 15.3% from February’s 951,353, and 7.1% above the same month last year. The year-to-date 2025-26 crush (August to March) now stands at 8.163 million tonnes, 4.1% above the same period a year earlier. As of the end of March, the cumulative crush for the current marketing year represented 68% of Agriculture Canada’s full year projection of 12 million – nearly identical to the previous year when the crush totaled 11.412 million tonnes. At the end of February, the 2025-26 crush was running 3.7% ahead of a year earlier and represented about 58% of the full-year crush forecast. In its April supply-demand update, Agriculture Canada left its 2025-26 canola crush forecast unchanged from March at 12 million but lifted its new-crop crush ou

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service