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I am a small-scale diversified livestock farmer who doesn’t use GPS guided tractors, robotic feed controllers, or large amounts of bio-tech seeds. But, I do very much depend on technology for my farming and marketing. The rotational grazing would not be possible without the use of my polywire electric fence and hi-tech energizers with remote controlled on/off features. In some ways my plans are made every week based on the information gleaned from the weather apps on my farm. The Square App has helped make sales that wouldn’t have happened if I was a cash only vendor. And, of course I am very thankful for the Podcast App on my iPhone and all the listeners that use it and other apps!
Technology and the farm go hand in hand these days whether it is online programs, phone apps, or even larger technologies that help keep the farm running or make things more safe and efficient for the farmer. And, those sorts of technology are just for large corporate farms, but also for small-scale beginning farmers like myself. I use technology to help make farming decisions, market, and stay true to my farming values.
Below you’ll find a list of online and phone apps as well as other technologies that I find useful. Are there applications that are useful on your farm? What about applications that you wish someone would create? Let’s brainstorm some ideas!
- Cornell Small Farms List of Tools and Technology
- Stafix Fence Energizer
- Polywire for Rotational Grazing
- BeFunky.com for Photo Editing
- Mail Chimp
- Small Farm Central and their “CSA Member Assembler”
- Facebook iOS App and Android App
- Twitter iOS App and Android App
- Climate App for iOS and Android
- Periscope
- The Square App for iOS and Android
Check out The Beginning Farmer Show on Facebook!
As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I’m thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn.
If you do enjoy the show, don’t forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five star rating and rev
iew (by clicking the link). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!
I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with “The Beginning Farmer” and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links …
I am a new listener and need to get caught up, this was the first of your podcasts I had listened to. This podcast what just what I needed when I needed it. I am a fairly newish farmer, bought my first dairy goats for $40 each for my daughters for 4H projects in 2010 projects. Now I have a growing herd of over 30, plus a small flock of sheep. I have been a techy at heart and am so appreciative that you have brought technology and farming together in such a great and inspiring way. Listening to you share your adventures and mishaps makes me feel we are sittin’ at the grange swapping stories. Keep up the good work!
^^Kat~
http://myterramia.com (Farm site) http://katbierkens.com (Blog)