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<h1 data-start="110" data-end="178">Precision Spraying: A Must-Have for Permanent Crop Operations</h1>
Spraying is one of the most expensive and closely regulated parts of managing permanent crops. Getting it right matters not just to reduce input costs, but to ensure coverage, meet compliance standards, and protect crop health.
That’s why Fieldin partnered with ARAG and Precision Ag Solutions (PAS) to bring Remote Flow Monitoring to growers across the West Coast. The goal is to deliver real-time data during spraying so growers can take control of every application without changing equipment or adding complexity.
<h3 data-start="705" data-end="751"></h3>
<h3 data-start="705" data-end="751">Industry Recognition and Media Coverage</h3>
The agricultural community has taken note of this innovative partnership. This new collaboration is already being featured across top ag and tech publications. Here’s a look at where it’s been covered:
<a class="" href="https://www.croplife.com/precision-tech/fieldin-and-arag-partner-to-bring-precision-spraying-to-permanent-crop-growers-on-the-west-coast/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="977" data-end="1130">CropLife</a> &#8211; Focuses on how the partnership supports better visibility and performance in spray operations.
<a class="" href="https://www.agritechtomorrow.com/news/2025/05/07/fieldin-and-arag-partner-to-bring-precision-spraying-to-permanent-crop-growers-on-the-west-coast/16604/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="1230" data-end="1407">AgriTech Tomorrow</a> &#8211; Highlights how flow monitoring helps increase accuracy and reduce waste.
<a class="" href="https://www.futurefarming.com/crop-solutions/weed-pest-control/fieldin-and-arag-bring-real-time-precision-spraying-to-california-growers/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="1485" data-end="1644">Future Farming</a> &#8211; Covers how real-time data is changing the way growers spray.
<a class="" href="https://agfundernews.com/farm-management-platform-fieldin-teams-up-with-arag-to-bring-precision-spraying-to-more-us-growers" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="1710" data-end="1853">AgFunderNews</a> &#8211;  Looks at the broader impact for U.S. growers.
<a class="" href="https://www.globalagtechinitiative.com/in-field-technologies/western-u-s-fieldin-and-arag-partner-to-bring-precision-spraying-to-permanent-crop-growers/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="1904" data-end="2089">Global Ag Tech Initiative</a> &#8211; Emphasizes the reach and relevance of the partnership.
<a class="" href="https://igrownews.com/fieldin-latest-news/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="2149" data-end="2208">iGrowNews</a> &#8211; Features Fieldin’s continued innovation in the field.
Also featured internationally:
<a class="" href="https://www.new-techonline.com/2025/05/%d7%97%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%90%d7%92-%d7%98%d7%a7-fieldin-%d7%9e%d7%9b%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%96%d7%94-%d7%a2%d7%9c-%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%aa%d7%95%d7%a3-%d7%a4%d7%a2%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%a2%d7%9d-%d7%97/" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="2279" data-end="2538">New-Tech Online</a>
<a class="" href="https://tech.walla.co.il/item/3747784" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="2541" data-end="2597">Walla! Tech</a>
<h3 data-start="2613" data-end="2649"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-3401 size-medium" src="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray-300x173.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="173" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray-300x173.jpg 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray-1024x590.jpg 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray-768x443.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray-1536x886.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AutoSpray.jpg 1951w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></h3>
<h3 data-start="2613" data-end="2649">More Control. Less Guesswork.</h3>
This partnership is about more than just adding new tech. It’s about putting real-time, reliable spray data into growers’ hands so they can make better decisions with less guesswork.
As Fieldin COO and co-founder Iftach Birger put it: “We’re bringing spray data from the tractor cab to the farmer’s dashboard. It makes precision spraying accessible and immediately actionable.”
By combining ARAG’s trusted hardware, PAS’s in-field expertise, and Fieldin’s data platform, we’re making it easier to adopt precision spraying without overhauling your entire operation. The goal is simple: help growers gain more control, improve application accuracy, and support more sustainable practices season after season.

Explore Fieldin’s Remote Flow Monitoring solution.

Fieldin’s New Partnership Featured in Leading AgTech Media

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Advancements in farming equipment over the past century have positioned tractors and other specialized machinery at the center of modern farming operations. Equipment investments are among the most expensive that growers make, and for good reason. They rely on these machines to produce faster, more efficient, and more accurate results that lead to robust yields.
Protecting these capital investments requires constant attention to maintenance schedules that keep machines running at peak performance and minimize downtime. However, managing maintenance schedules and services across large fleets of tractors, implements, trucks and ATVs can be challenging. Once you get beyond a dozen or so machines in your fleet, paperwork and spreadsheets no longer cut it.
We recently rolled out Fieldin’s new Fleet Maintenance Module to help address some of the challenges that growers and equipment managers face when it comes to caring for their fleets.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2501 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-1024x729.png" alt="fleet maintenance management software" width="1024" height="729" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-1024x729.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-300x214.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-768x547.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-1536x1094.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/laptop-mobile-mockup_maintenance-module-2048x1459.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h3>Benefits of automated fleet maintenance management</h3>
Simplify and eliminate gaps and errors in your equipment service records 
Whether you handle equipment maintenance in-house or leverage outsourced mechanics, keeping track of service records across a large fleet of machinery can be overwhelming. Automated fleet management removes unnecessary paperwork and spreadsheets and provides equipment managers with digital records of each piece of equipment. All of these details are rolled up into a centralized dashboard for total visibility of upcoming (and overdue) maintenance and service history across the fleet.
Go from reactive to proactive with your fleet maintenance 
Unexpected downtime with equipment that is vital to activities, such as spraying and harvesting, can cripple your operations and impact yields. With automated fleet management, you can stay ahead of manufacturer-recommended services based on usage and be better prepared to avoid surprises. You can also plan service schedules in advance to ensure the right equipment is available and healthy to perform the tasks at hand.
Keep your team safe and increase protection against liability 
Ensuring the safety of the people operating your equipment is the most important factor when it comes to keeping equipment in working order. With detailed records of service history, engine hours, and more, operations and equipment managers can have confidence sending their machines and teams into the field. If an issue does occur, they can lean on digital records to accompany their assessment and remedy of the situation.
Protect your CapEx investments and make informed decisions around equipment lifecycle 
Every piece of equipment has its own life expectancy depending on the level of wear and tear it experiences and how well it is cared for. Hence, keeping on top of service schedules and immediately addressing unexpected repairs is a critical activity to extract the maximum value out of your equipment investments across your fleet. With detailed equipment records at your fingertips, you can also better plan for retiring assets and investing in new equipment.
Increase machine utilization to reduce overall machine costs per engine hour 
At a more strategic level, pairing machine data alongside operational data allows you to connect the dots between machine utilization and CapEx investments. When proper maintenance schedules are followed, you’re able to extend the life of your machines and reduce the overall machine costs per engine hour (as broken down in the example below). While you may spend more on regular maintenance across the life of the machine, you’ll avoid the major, unplanned repairs that are particularly costly. At the same time, getting more utilization out of each machine can potentially enable fleet reduction, lowering total CapEx.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2514" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tractor-maintenance-cost-table-300x257.png" alt="farm tractor maintenance costs" width="800" height="686" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tractor-maintenance-cost-table-300x257.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tractor-maintenance-cost-table-1024x879.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tractor-maintenance-cost-table-768x659.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tractor-maintenance-cost-table.png 1240w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> 
Estimated maintenance costs based on study from lowa State University: <a href="https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/a3-29.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Estimating Farm Machinery Costs</a>
More accurately track your sustainability initiatives 
While tractors and other machinery are an essential part of modern agriculture, offsetting the carbon footprint of these machines is critical to ensuring the future sustainability of earth’s resources. Machine engine hours directly correlate to Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and by automatically tracking engine hours across the fleet, growers are able to calculate, benchmark, and take action to improve operational efficiencies that reduce machine emissions.
<h3>Key Features of Fieldin’s Fleet Maintenance Module</h3>
Automatically track engine hours across your fleet 
Tracking down engine hours of machines in the field often involves physically sending a person to get eyes on the machine readings. With equipment often spread across distant fields, this can become a time-consuming endeavor. With Fieldin’s smart sensors installed on your machines and implements, engine and working hour logs are always up-to-date and accessible, no matter where the machine is.
View all of your equipment &#8211; any machine, make, or model, including implements &#8211; in a centralized dashboard 
The Fleet Maintenance Module digitizes your equipment’s maintenance records and compiles them into a single view. With visibility across your entire fleet &#8211; tractors, trucks, ATVs, mowers, backhoes, sprayers, etc &#8211; you no longer need to go digging through file cabinets to track down service records.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2519 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-1024x513.png" alt="farm equipment management software" width="1024" height="513" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-1024x513.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-300x150.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-768x385.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-1536x769.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_all-machines_web-app-2048x1025.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
You can also drill down into each piece of equipment to access detailed service history and upcoming maintenance schedules.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-2523 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-1024x583.png" alt="fleet maintenance module machine card " width="1024" height="583" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-1024x583.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-300x171.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-768x437.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-1536x874.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_machine-summary_web-app-2048x1166.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Customize service events 
Every business has unique requirements when it comes to planning and record-keeping. When building and testing the Fleet Maintenance Module alongside a handful of customers, we understood early on the importance for this solution to be adaptable to diverse processes.
Customizable service events at the machine level help equipment managers track and manage the things they need without boxing them into a pre-defined set of services. Any service, planned or unplanned, can be tracked on any machine.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2526" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_custom-defined-service-300x275.png" alt="fleet maintenance module customize service events" width="400" height="367" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_custom-defined-service-300x275.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_custom-defined-service-1024x940.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_custom-defined-service-768x705.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/maintenance-module_custom-defined-service.png 1192w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />
Mobile app with automated alerts via push notifications 
Sending important reminders and alerts to the right people at the right time is a critical function of fleet maintenance. With Fieldin’s mobile app, you can enable automated alerts via push notifications to kick start the right follow-up actions.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2528" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-171x300.png" alt="tractor service push notification" width="350" height="614" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-171x300.png 171w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-584x1024.png 584w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-768x1347.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-876x1536.png 876w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen-1168x2048.png 1168w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_push-notification_top-screen.png 1216w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2529" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-171x300.png" alt="farm fleet maintenance mobile app" width="350" height="614" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-171x300.png 171w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-584x1024.png 584w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-768x1347.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-876x1536.png 876w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03-1168x2048.png 1168w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Maintenance-Module_mobile_machine-view_T03.png 1216w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />
Works with your existing Fieldin equipment and data 
With Fieldin’s built-in Fleet Maintenance Module, there’s no need to have a separate fleet maintenance management solution. Best of all, all equipment maintenance intervals (based on engine hours) are automatically tracked using the same Fieldin sensors that collect and report your field operations data. With all of your data under one roof, you can start to draw deeper insights around things like workload by activity type for each machine getting serviced, drivers who have been operating the machines, and impact of terrain on machine wear-and-tear.

<a href="https://www.columbiafarmservices.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbia Farm Services</a> (CFS) is one of the largest and most comprehensive farm management companies in the Pacific Northwest, managing over 4,200 acres of tree fruit across owned and contracted properties. Their consulting and farm management services help growers modernize and optimize operations and management of their farms to maximize profitability and sustainability.
<div id="attachment_2394" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2394" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-2394 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-1024x508.png" alt="CFS Quincy orchard" width="1024" height="508" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-1024x508.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-300x149.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-768x381.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-1536x762.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CFS-Quincy-orchard_March-2048x1016.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Columbia Farm Services Quincy orchard in late March</div>
Last year, CFS deployed Fieldin on 300 acres of apple and cherry orchards in Quincy, Washington, and after a successful first year, they are expanding their total Fieldin deployment to 4,200 acres of apples and cherries. With the tools and insights that Fieldin is providing, they’ve gained greater visibility over their operations, allowing them to benchmark and improve operational efficiencies, introduce more sustainable practices, and use data to guide their planning and budgeting decisions.
<div style="border-left: 10px solid #2ab9c3; padding-left: 2%; margin-top: 40px;">
&#8220;Fieldin is essential for daily planning of our operations. With the data provided, I know exactly how many people and machines to send into the orchard so we are maximizing our resources.”
Luis Diaz
Operations Manager, Columbia Farm Services
</div>
<h3>A bird’s eye view of orchard operations replaces time spent driving around</h3>
Luis Diaz is an Operations Manager at CFS’s Quincy ranch where he helps oversee planning and execution of mechanized activities in the orchards (e.g. mowing, spraying, weeding, weed spraying). In his role, Luis is often challenged with putting together logistical puzzles in order to keep up with the time-sensitive needs of the orchards. On a daily basis, he is tasked with ensuring that they have the right machines and people in the right place at the right time. Beyond just getting the jobs done, Luis is focused on maximizing the productivity and efficiency of their resources.
When Luis was introduced to Fieldin, he instantly saw the value that the smart farming operations solution could provide for their team. “Before Fieldin, I was constantly driving around the orchards to see where people were and what they were doing,” says Luis. “With Fieldin, I can see what everyone is doing right from my phone and know right away when something needs attention.”
Some of the specific real-time data points that Luis keeps tabs on are:
<ul>
<li>Activity by block</li>
<li>Speeds (especially in spraying where staying within recommended speeds is critical to the operation)</li>
<li>Operator efficiency (uptime/downtime per operator using Fieldin’s driver keys)</li>
<li>Time spent on a block</li>
<li>Time spent refilling (read more in our previous article <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://api.fieldin.com/blog/refill-monitoring-saves-growers-time-money-spray-operations/">Refilling Sprayers &#8211; The unspoken inefficiencies in your operations</a>)</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2403 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-1024x547.png" alt="CFS Fieldin dashboard" width="1024" height="547" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-1024x547.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-300x160.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-768x410.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-1536x820.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cfs-quincy-dashboard-view-2048x1094.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
CFS uses Fieldin’s driver keys to connect operators with activities being performed. With increased accountability, they’ve been able to identify training opportunities to help increase efficiency across their entire crew. They’ve also been able to correlate an increase in efficiency when operators scan in with the driver keys. They saw an average work efficiency increase of 26% when operators scanned in versus when they did not.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2410" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart-1024x640.png" alt="scan vs no-scan efficiency" width="600" height="375" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart-1024x640.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart-300x188.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart-768x480.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart-1536x960.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/scan-vs-noscan-chart.png 1724w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
An accompanying benefit of the solution that CFS has realized is the fuel savings and reduced engine hours on their trucks and ATVs as a result of not having to drive as much to oversee operations in the field.
<h3>CFS Quincy improves consistency, staying within 10% of target speeds, as a result of real-time monitoring</h3>
Once the CFS team gained visibility into machine speeds across their activities, they saw that there were significant deviations from the target speeds. In spraying, this is particularly problematic. In order for the spray to be effective, it requires adequate coverage of materials, and this directly depends on adhering to the speed defined in the spray recommendation. By spraying at too low of a speed, which was happening regularly (as shown in the graph below), they were applying too much chemical, resulting in material waste and potential damage to the crop.
After identifying the speed variance issues, they were able to implement improvements that have enabled them to remain within 10% of their speed targets.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2416" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart-300x128.png" alt="speed variation in spraying operations" width="800" height="342" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart-300x128.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart-1024x437.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart-768x328.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart-1536x656.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/deviation-from-speed-target_chart.png 1766w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />
<h3>Taking the guesswork out of operational planning</h3>
Today, Luis and his team rely on the data that Fieldin provides to organize their operational planning. Luis says that he used to lean on his intuition and experience to determine how many machines to send, but now with Fieldin, he can see exactly how many people and machines are needed to complete the job in the time frame allotted. “I used to say, ok, I need 3 sprayers. But the ranch needs to be sprayed in 8 hours, and I know it takes more than 8 hours with 3 sprayers. With Fieldin, I don’t have to guess anymore,” says Luis.
In addition to daily and weekly planning, the CFS team looks at summary reports to get a more holistic view of where their time is being spent, what they’re costs are, and where they have opportunities to improve. They also rely on this data to inform their budget planning for the coming season, guide rate schedules for their services, and evaluate taking on new contracts.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2420" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph-300x187.png" alt="orchard activity breakdown" width="600" height="375" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph-300x187.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph-1024x640.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph-768x480.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph-1536x960.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown_graph.png 1716w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />     <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2422" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown-stats-300x167.png" alt="orchard activity stats" width="400" height="223" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown-stats-300x167.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown-stats-768x427.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/activity-breakdown-stats.png 816w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />
At a higher level, the CFS team is leveraging this data to inform their equipment investment decisions. In planning for the season, Luis’ manager will ask him, for example, if 5 sprayers are enough or if they need to invest in more. “I have all of the information I need to give him an accurate answer,” says Luis.
In our conversation with Luis, he was quick to point out the value that Fieldin’s Grower Success team has delivered alongside the technology, from support and training to strategic planning. “You guys have a great team. They go above and beyond to actively contribute to our success,” says Luis
<h3>Growing and innovating with Fieldin</h3>
As CFS expands deployment of Fieldin across more of their orchards in the Pacific Northwest this year, they will be looking to gain an even more holistic view of operations across their orchards. With cross-orchard data, they can now connect and compare operations to continuously improve efficiency, accuracy, and accountability across ranches.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2427" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-225x300.jpg" alt="cfs tractor" width="275" height="367" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8744-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />  <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2428" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-225x300.jpg" alt="cfs tractor" width="275" height="367" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8749-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />  <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2429" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-225x300.jpg" alt="Fieldin sensor on apple platform" width="275" height="367" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_8379-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />
The CFS team will also be rolling out Fieldin’s new Fleet Maintenance Module to help keep their equipment running at peak performance and to minimize machine downtime. They’re looking forward to transitioning from their pen-and-paper processes to a more streamlined system that eliminates gaps in their service scheduling and record-keeping.
“Some people are hesitant to adopt technology,” says Luis. “I believe in the power of technology to improve the way you do things.”

Columbia Farm Services improves PNW orchard operations with Fieldin

<a href="https://www.zirklefruit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zirkle Fruit Company</a> is one of the largest fruit producers in Washington, with orchards, vineyards, and blueberries spanning along the eastern Cascades from the Canadian border to the Oregon stateline.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2870 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-1024x613.jpg" alt="Clay Divis Zirkle Fruit Company" width="1024" height="613" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-1024x613.jpg 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-300x180.jpg 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-768x460.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-1536x919.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_3396_landscape-2048x1226.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
As Ranch Manager at Zirkle’s Jaw Ranch in Okanogan, WA, Clay Divis helps oversee operations across 1,200 acres of apple and cherry orchards. As with any fruit orchard, irrigation is a critical activity, especially in the late spring and summer months to ensure good canopy establishment. Hence, irrigation monitoring is one of Clay’s top priorities.
Having been born and raised on a farm in north central Washington, Clay is no stranger to the nuances of the land in this region. One particular feature that is common with orchards in North Central Washington is inconsistent soils. “One spot will have 6 inches of topsoil and then 4 feet away, it’s sand and gravel. It’s really spotty like that throughout the farm,” describes Clay.
In areas like North Central Washington where soil textures, layers, and depths are inconsistent, frequent monitoring of irrigation operations is even more important to ensure that trees across the diverse terrain are getting the right amount of water throughout the season. Clay’s team is constantly driving up and down the rows of the orchard on four-wheelers looking for things like dry spots, excessive pooling, and broken lines.
In the hot summer months, they also drive the rows to ensure that overhead cooling systems are working in order to prevent sunburn to the fruit. “One plugged emitter out there that nobody sees for a week could damage a couple bins of fruit. So it’s all really important stuff,” says Clay.
<h3>Real-time monitoring and summary reports provide renewed confidence in irrigation monitoring operations</h3>
With orchards spanning over 1,200 acres, it can be tough to stay on top of these activities. Prior to Fieldin, Clay had become accustomed to constantly chasing down operators to make sure every area of the orchard was being covered. “I didn’t know if it was getting done because I would see dry spots out in the orchard, but I didn’t have any data to point to,” says Clay. “So I would just tell our crews to keep on top of it, but I had no way of knowing if it was getting done.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2872" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-225x300.jpg" alt="smart sensor on atv" width="350" height="467" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_9536-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />    <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2873" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-225x300.jpg" alt="4 wheeler sensor install" width="350" height="467" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/4wheeler-sensor-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />
When Zirkle adopted Fieldin, all of the four-wheelers at the ranch were equipped with Fieldin sensors using naming protocols to identify operators in the field. Clay is now able to access all of the transmitted data remotely in real-time, along with post-shift summary reports, to know whether jobs are being completed in the right way. By tracking the location of their machines across the duration of a shift, Clay has a bird’s eye view of blocks that have been covered, where they need to send resources, and how efficiently they’re performing operations.
One of Clay’s favorite features of the Fieldin app is the timeline view that enables him to see patterns throughout the day. “It’s obvious when an operator just pulls up, turns on the valve, and drives off,” says Clay. “To do our jobs effectively, we need to physically inspect the areas where we’re irrigating, and Fieldin gives me the visibility and the confidence to know when things are being done correctly and when they’re not.”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2877 size-full" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/irrigation-monitoring_timeline_med-res.gif" alt="real time monitoring orchards" width="1920" height="1080" />
&nbsp;
In addition to real-time monitoring, Clay leverages activity summary reports to evaluate and compare efficiencies across their operations. He digs into things like how far machines are traveling between blocks, how long machines are idling, and how many acres each operator is covering in a day. This data allows him to make more informed decisions when planning shifts, while also continuously assessing and improving performance across their operations.

Zirkle Fruit Company leverages Fieldin to gain more visibility over critical irrigation monitoring activities

Fieldin’s Fleet Maintenance Module helps keep farm equipment running at peak performance, minimizes machine downtime, and optimizes service scheduling.

New Fleet Maintenance Module automates engine hour tracking and service management to optimize fleet health - Fieldin

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New Fleet Maintenance Module automates engine hour tracking and service management to optimize fleet health

https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c90d3c7e69248d62b2fb725802c400225617aaadfb1713d4f84c454d209e4af0?s=96&d=mm&r=g

Molly Wojcik

As a vineyard management company, Viticultural Management, Inc. (VMI)’s business is based on operational efficiency. Their success relies on how efficiently they’re able to utilize their equipment and labor resources to complete jobs across their owned and managed properties. Speed is important, but ensuring that jobs are completed to quality standards is equally important.
When Carter Collins, General Manager at VMI, began evaluating Fieldin last year, he was looking for a solution to help their business keep pace with changing labor laws while allowing them to be more strategic with their fleet and crews. “Going from 60-hour work weeks to 40-hour work weeks over the past several years has forced us to be much more cognizant of shift times and efficiency within shifts,” says Carter.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2180 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="carter collins vmi" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carter-collins-vmi-fieldin-1.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<div style="border-left: 10px solid #2ab9c3; padding-left: 2%; margin-top: 40px;">
&#8220;I can’t be everywhere at once and neither can our supervisors. We knew we could do better but before Fieldin, we didn’t have the information to tell us how.”
Carter Collins
General Manager, VMI
</div>
<h3>Adjusting rate schedules based on Fieldin efficiency data has resulted in significant cost savings</h3>
Prior to Fieldin, VMI’s rate schedules were based on a best guess of what they believed to be true from a combination of pen-and-paper reporting and talking with supervisors. They had a general idea of the amount of equipment being used to cover a particular area, but they had no way of accounting for wildcards such as breakdowns or crew members not showing up for work.
With the granular data that Fieldin has provided into their operations, Carter and his team are now able to see a complete picture of how their operational efficiencies vary across properties. After collecting data over an entire season, they discovered that they had been underestimating their efficiency metrics in certain areas. Following this discovery, they calibrated their rate schedules, which in turn allowed them to reduce their operating budget on their owned properties, while also passing along cost savings to their customers to deepen trust and brand loyalty.
<h3>Training opportunities enable operators to cover a full extra day’s worth of work in a week</h3>
One of the first areas where Fieldin data was able to deliver immediate value for VMI was in comparing efficiencies across operators and identifying areas for improvement. Carter and his team of supervisors rely heavily on Fieldin’s shift data and efficiency metrics to understand the activity breakdown of area covered by their crew in a workday.
Fungicide spray season is one of the busiest times of year for Carter and his crew. They must stick to tight schedules in order to get through all of their properties and cycle back for the next spray.
Last summer, when evaluating one of their spray shifts, they noticed a discrepancy between two operators. The target speed for this particular application was 3.5mph. One of the operators was sticking close to this target with an average of 3.42mph, but the other was lagging behind at 3.22mph. What may seem like a slight difference actually added up to a difference of 3.2 acres/shift and 16 acres/week, a full extra day’s worth of work in a week.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2199 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App-1024x464.png" alt="vmi vineyard spray efficiency" width="1024" height="464" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App-1024x464.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App-300x136.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App-768x348.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App-1536x696.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEW_Spray-Shift-Efficiency-Comparison-Web-App.png 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
On top of the productivity gap that they identified, and perhaps more importantly, they were concerned about the quality of the spray application. The slower speed meant that they were over-applying chemicals, resulting in excess material costs and potential damage to the vines. According to Carter, “Some tractor operators aren’t as comfortable driving through the vineyard rows and that’s fine, but we need to know so that we can adjust the sprayer to the appropriate application rate to apply the right amount of chemicals.”
Similarly, during harvest, they identified an operator who was picking 3-7 more acres per shift than the rest of the crew. Upon further evaluation, they learned that this operator was using a more efficient style of turning at the ends of rows that enabled the gondolas to stay in sync with the harvesters. They were able to use this as a training opportunity for the rest of the crews, which allowed them to cover more acres, faster. In a low-crop year like last year, where they were having to pick 7-9 acres for a single truckload (compared to ~5 acres in a higher crop year), these efficiency gains were critical to keep up with demand.
<h3>Leveraging historical data to strategically plan for the upcoming season</h3>
Heading into the coming season, the VMI team is leveraging a year’s worth of data on the Fieldin platform to be more strategic in their planning. In fact, Carter used the winter herbicide application as a test program to inform the upcoming fungicide spraying season. They know they need to get through all of their ranches as quickly as possible, but with ranches ranging from 10 acres to 500 acres, they need to be calculated in their approach.
<div style="border-left: 10px solid #2ab9c3; padding-left: 2%; margin: 40px 0 40px 0;">
“Keeping our equipment in an optimized rotation to serve all of the vineyard’s needs in a timely manner is always top-of-mind for me. Fieldin gives me the data I need to plan the best utilization of my equipment and complete properties as fast as possible.”
Carter Collins
General Manager, VMI
</div>
When designing the test program, they first looked back at their data over the past year and identified that they can cover 12-15 acres per day with each sprayer. They then looked at how many sprayers they have in their fleet. The first ranch they started with is a 65-acre ranch, and they quickly realized that 6-7 sprayers was too much equipment for a ranch of that size. Instead, they decided that it was better to use a 4-person crew and extend the job over 2 days. This way, they could leave some equipment behind on the second day while they mobilized the rest of the equipment to start on another job. By the time the crew finished and got to the larger vineyard, they already had 6-7 sprayers going and they were able to complete a 150-180 property in 2-3 days.
“To conduct a test like this without Fieldin would have been a total guess. Using our historical data as a starting point, we’ve been able to guide our planning and decision making in the field,” says Carter.
Prior to Fieldin, they had equipment spread out all over, but heading into this season, they’ve put in the effort to carefully plan for optimal utilization of their equipment and team. Carter hopes to learn a few things in carrying out this season’s planning, including:
<ul class="vmi-blog-post-ul" style="margin-left: 40px;">
<li>Do we have the right amount of tractor drivers?</li>
<li>How many tractor drivers does it take to complete all of our properties and how many extras does that leave us to perform other jobs on the vineyard?</li>
<li>How do we plan for and time all of the other jobs that need to get done during spray season (e.g. leafing, mowing, under-vine cultivation, etc.)?</li>
</ul>
Looking ahead, the VMI team also intends to use their Fieldin data to inform their equipment purchase decisions. If they see, for example, that they have two tractors that sat for the majority of the season, maybe they can remove that capex expense from their balance sheet. On the flip side, they might learn that they’re struggling to keep up with mowing jobs and that they need to invest in more mowers. With data supporting these decisions, they can feel more confident in their planning and investments.
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VMI improves vineyard efficiencies with Fieldin data, achieving significant cost & time savings

With the tools and insights that Fieldin is providing, CFS has gained greater visibility and control over their operations.

Columbia Farm Services improves PNW orchard operations with Fieldin - Fieldin

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With new overtime laws in California and Washington and sky rocketing fuel prices, growers need to optimize their 9-hour spraying shifts to cover as many acres as possible without sacrificing the spray quality. With this notion in mind, there are a few areas of spraying shifts that can be optimized. Refilling is a major one as Fieldin found after evaluating data across more than 300,000 spraying shifts.
When crews are waiting their turn at refill stations or nurse trucks, driving longer distances than necessary, using refills as an excuse for extra break time, or refilling with low pressure, all of this time adds up &#8211; time that could be spent covering significantly more acres per shift (up to 25% in many cases).
At Fieldin, we’ve found that refill inefficiencies occur in nearly 95% of spraying shifts.
<h3>Saving $150/acre by changing behavior</h3>
Take, for example, an orchard or vineyard with several fixed refill stations spaced around the blocks (see below image). All of the tractors have been driving to the Sherwood Water Point to refill their tanks. This water point has low pressure and it takes 12 minutes to refill a 600 gallon tank. However, there is an additional station in the northeast that appears to go unused, and this one is refilling a 600 gallon tank in 9 minutes. Re-routing tractors to the higher pressure refill station, which also happens to be closer in proximity for several of the tractors, could shave off significant time and mileage, while also reducing potential wait times at refill stations during shifts.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2050 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-1024x565.png" alt="" width="1024" height="565" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-1024x565.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-300x165.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-768x423.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-1536x847.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/water-refill-stations-block-view-2048x1129.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
When you add all similar block inefficiencies over an entire season of 8-30 spray cycles, this time really adds up. In this example, apple growers with 25 spray cycles per acre per year and almonds growers with 8 spray cycles will pay an extra $30-$120/acre on this inefficiency alone, which can be optimized by changing behavior.
The graphic below illustrates how small improvements across refill and driving times can add up to significant bottom line savings for growers. In this specific example, shaving 3 minutes off of refill times and 3 minutes off of drive time to/from refills results in savings of $224,320 across the year ($150/acre).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2075 size-full" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Refill-Monitoring-ROI-Infographic.png" alt="refill efficiency roi infographic" width="800" height="1300" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Refill-Monitoring-ROI-Infographic.png 800w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Refill-Monitoring-ROI-Infographic-185x300.png 185w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Refill-Monitoring-ROI-Infographic-630x1024.png 630w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Blog-Refill-Monitoring-ROI-Infographic-768x1248.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />
<h3>Tracking refill activities to close gaps and get more strategic in field operations planning</h3>
Fieldin helps growers remove blind spots around refill activities so they can reduce unnecessary costs associated with inefficiencies. In the Fieldin app, users can see all of their refill stations as a separate layer in the map view (denoted by <a href="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/marker-water-point-1.svg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2048" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/marker-water-point-1.svg" alt="refill station icon" width="22" height="26" /></a> icon), enabling full visibility into refill activities within shifts.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-2052" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/refill-station-layer-map-view-1024x659.png" alt="refill station layer map view" width="550" height="354" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/refill-station-layer-map-view-1024x659.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/refill-station-layer-map-view-300x193.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/refill-station-layer-map-view-768x494.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/refill-station-layer-map-view.png 1408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" />
With this data, supervisors and ranch managers can detect and measure potential inefficiencies related to:
<ul>
<li>Average refill times at the operator level</li>
<li>Acres per hour and shift efficiency, relative to refill times</li>
<li>Distance to refill stations</li>
<li>Average time spent at water points</li>
</ul>
Fieldin’s team of Grower Success Managers partner closely with customers to identify opportunities for improvement across their operations with regular reviews of key activities, including refills. By helping growers maximize their use of fill stations to improve efficiencies, they are able to lower their total cost per acre.
Once inefficiencies are identified, steps can be taken to make improvements that directly boost the bottom line. We’ve seen Fieldin customers drive efficiency improvements through activities such as staggering shift times to reduce wait time at refill stations, identifying and guiding operators to the closest refill station during shifts, and making strategic decisions around location of refill stations and whether to use fixed stations vs mobile nurse trucks.
There are obviously other factors to consider when it comes to placement and usage of refill stations, and with the added visibility that Fieldin provides into these operations, you can now make better-informed decisions based on data from the field.

Refilling Sprayers - The unspoken inefficiencies in your operations

Fieldin has helped VMI keep pace with changing labor laws while allowing them to be more strategic with their fleet and crews.

VMI improves vineyard efficiencies with Fieldin data, achieving significant cost & time savings - Fieldin

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VMI improves vineyard efficiencies with Fieldin data, achieving significant cost &#038; time savings

There’s no shortage of agricultural technologies being developed for growers which is a positive for the industry. It aligns with how the next generation of growers are looking to leverage technology to improve their operations. Between labor shortages, inflation and low market prices, margins are continually being squeezed and sustaining profitable growing operations is getting harder. If technology can offer a way to improve efficiency it certainly improves the outlook for the future.
The problem is that advanced technologies such as robots and drones may well be the ultimate in the future of agtech but are less likely to be an option for many fruit and nut growers right now. What’s more critical is finding ways to improve current operations and grow margins to feel more secure about making bigger investments.
Smart farming technology is one way to do this by accelerating growing efficiency and better utilizing existing assets to increase margins. By monitoring growing activities it gives managers greater visibility across all growing activities which delivers real time command and control. The data collected provides a window into daily activities and when things aren’t going according to plan, corrections can be made on the same shift so that operational efficiency isn’t lost. It’s small gains like these that all add up to improve the bottom line for growers.
<h4>How smart farming technology helps overcome current challenges through efficiency</h4>
Growers have their hands full trying to navigate the many challenges being thrown at them. Each of these compounds the difficulty in maintaining profitable operations. What makes it worse is that the majority of the challenges facing growers are beyond their control. The best they can do is manage the effects and mitigate the risks.
Smart farming data shows growers how efficient their current operations are and then creates opportunities to initiate improvements and monitor progress. These are a few ways in which smart farming technology can be applied to specific growing challenges:
MATERIAL OPERATING COSTS: Inflation is increasing the cost of operations in multiple ways, including the price of fertilizers and pesticides. Cutting back too much on the volumes used can impact the quality and yield of crops. But having data can help growers gain visibility into the spray speed and accuracy to optimize material utilization. This has a dual benefit of ensuring costs are kept to a minimum without impacting possible yields and quality.
MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT: Ensuring machinery and equipment is running optimally helps to reduce excess repairs and operational costs. Plus, accurate usage data helps manage ongoing maintenance. Being able to track the number of hours that a piece of equipment has worked, at what speed, and the fuel used, helps manage and forecast costs.
LABOR COSTS: The increasing cost and limited availability of labor means growers need to find ways to optimize the labor resources they have. Smart farming technology can provide the data to ensure that activities are carried out at the optimum rate. This kind of visibility on a farm management level can optimize uptime during shifts.
WATER USE: Access to water remains a major issue for most growers in California in particular. The ability to ensure irrigation is sufficient for good growth and yields while reducing wastage and runoff takes careful planning and management. Smart farming technology that can track water usage can help improve efficiency.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate wise, shifting and unpredictable weather patterns, as well as water scarcity are making things even harder for growers. It’s also highlighting the need to track growing activities across the seasons. With actual data it is easier to see patterns and how they change from year to year.
ESG REPORTING: ESG is becoming increasingly important, as is the ability to report on sustainability efforts and impact. Consumer trends indicate a desire for greater transparency around our food supply. Additionally investor preferences highlight sustainability as a priority when it comes to farm asset management. To meet these growing demands, it’s essential to have accurate data that shows all growing activities, as this data is then used to calculate ESG impacts.
MARKET PRESSURES: Low market prices, trade tariffs and high exchange rates are making it more attractive for retailers to import fruits and nuts from other growing regions. India and China, two major export markets for almonds, have zero tariff trade agreements with Australia, yet have levied 11% and 45% tariffs on almonds from the USA. While the USA produces significantly more almonds, and is more able to meet demand, cheaper almond imports from Australia may well erode market share.
<h4>How smart farming sets the stage for the next level of autonomy</h4>
Smart farming technology delivers immediate benefits for growers to gain insights into their operations and how to improve them. But a bigger advantage is that it sets up operations for future autonomy. With the data available on the operations platform, it’s easier to forecast, plan, and schedule growing activities. When it comes to advancing towards autonomy, the baseline for operations is already well established.
Take for example the activity of spraying. Currently smart sensors attached to sprayers can measure the speed at which the equipment is moving through orchards and vineyards. This data is fed into a cloud-based operations platform, which can be accessed across devices. This gives managers remote visibility on spraying activities for each machine and operator.
The next step towards autonomy is auto-spray that detects the amount of canopy in an orchard and automatically adjusts the volume of spray. In young orchards where the trees are still relatively small, this can reduce the volume of spraying by up to 50%, which dramatically reduces costs. The auto-spray technology also automatically stops and restarts spraying activities when there’s a gap in the row or when making a turn, reducing wastage and optimizing the spraying process.
The need to optimize growing operations is urgent and the agricultural technologies that can make this happen are accessible. Growers don’t need to buy new equipment or special machinery. Fieldin’s smart sensors can be attached to any type of machinery; tractors, sprayers, shakers, sweepers, even ATV’s and trailers. It’s a great benefit to growers to be able to continue to use their existing assets, with the goal of making them more efficient.
Data sits at the heart of a better farm future, and agricultural technology such as smart sensors are the first step towards accelerating high value crop growing efficiency. If you’d like to find out how to get started with smart farming technology, reach out to <a href="http://api.fieldin.com/forms/contact/">FieldIn</a> for more details.

How agricultural technology accelerates efficiency for a better farm future

Tracking refill activities in spray operations helps growers close gaps and get more strategic in field operations planning.

Refilling Sprayers - The unspoken inefficiencies in your operations - Fieldin

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Refilling Sprayers &#8211; The unspoken inefficiencies in your operations

Agricultural technology growing efficiency FieldIn

2022 was a year characterized by steadfast resiliency among the grower community. Our team is driven by the mission to help high value crop growers thrive in the face of ever-changing conditions and challenges. And while the past year has certainly dealt its share of challenges, we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together with growers, continuously evolving and innovating to squeeze the most value out of every acre, while also helping preserve the longevity of farmlands for future generations.
In this post, we take a look back at some notable highlights, emerging trends, and key milestones from the past year, and look ahead to exciting things to come in the new year.
<h3>2022 Highlight Reel</h3>
<h5>Expanded acreage on Fieldin</h5>
Over the past year, we have continued to see the total area managed on the Fieldin platform expand across new regions, acreage, and crops. Citing measurable ROI as the key driver, we saw many customers double down on their use of the platform by enabling Fieldin across more of their operations. Some of the most valuable returns have come in the form of shift time optimization, fuel savings, and spray material reduction.
Early last year, we expanded our team presence in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. following an increase in demand and are now working with 5 of the top 10 growers in this region, including Gilbert Orchards, Columbia Farm Services, and Zirkle Fruit, to name a few. Additionally, we’ve seen a notable rise in adoption within the vineyard segment across California and PNW regions, growing vineyard acres on the platform over 400% in 2022.
As larger companies seek to gain greater visibility to operate with more accuracy, efficiency, and accountability across their operations, we’ve also seen increased adoption and usage among our corporate grower segment. Growers like Vann Brothers, Taylor Farms, Goldleaf, and Wawona, who oversee diverse and complex operations are finding renewed confidence in their planning as a result of being armed with data-backed insights.
<h5>Operator incentive programs powered by Fieldin</h5>
An emerging trend that we’ve seen develop among several growers is the creation of performance-based incentive programs for operators using the visibility and data that Fieldin provides.
Labor shortages and rising wages are consistently noted as a top challenge for growers. Hence, optimizing shift efficiency is critical. With the real-time visibility of the mobile app and insights from custom reporting, shift supervisors are able to reward top performers while also holding under-performers accountable for excessive breaks and slow operating speeds.
These programs take different forms, including gamification with leaderboards and prizes, career advancement opportunities, and end-of-season bonuses. Incentive programs like these have been especially helpful for ranch managers who face pushback from operators who may have a negative perception of being monitored with tracking devices.
<h5>ESG impact reporting</h5>
As companies heighten their attention around investing and operating more responsibly, they are honing in on practices across three key areas: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). For the agriculture sector, much of the focus has centered on environmental sustainability.
Consumers and investors are increasingly demanding growers and portfolio managers to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability. To meet this need, farmland asset managers are relying on in-field data so they can communicate things like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction, carbon capture, dust control practices, and more. We’ve already started to see Fieldin customers use their data to communicate ESG impact in their sustainability and annual investor reports.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1769 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1024x586.png" alt="agriculture sustainability reporting" width="1024" height="586" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1024x586.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-300x172.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-768x439.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1536x878.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-2048x1171.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h5>Journey to autonomy</h5>
Following Fieldin’s acquisition of Midnight Robotics in late 2021, we spent much of the last year building the first product in our autonomy line, Auto-Spray. Unlike other autonomous spraying equipment that requires a large upfront investment in new machinery, Fieldin’s Auto-Spray solution is made up of a retrofit kit that installs on your existing equipment. It uses LiDAR technology to detect trees and vines to accurately spray the right amount of materials in areas where the system detects that it can save chemicals.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1772 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1024x387.png" alt="autospray retrofit kit" width="1024" height="387" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1024x387.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-300x113.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-768x290.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1536x581.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-2048x774.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
This product became available for order mid-year, and we conducted a series of Fieldin Demo Days to showcase the technology and its capabilities. Working alongside growers, we very quickly realized how much value Auto-Spray provides, delivering up to 87% in chemical savings in some cases. We will continue to expand this rollout over the coming year, with many units already committed for delivery.
<h5>New Fieldin website experience</h5>
Just recently, we launched the new fieldin.com website experience to serve as a dedicated resource to help growers grow smarter. We invite you to take a look around, and of course, let us know any feedback.
<a href="http://api.fieldin.com/newsletter-signup/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> to keep a pulse on industry news, product updates, and upcoming events.
<h3>Evolution &amp; Innovation in 2023</h3>
As we look ahead to the coming year, the near term will include many carry-over challenges from 2022, including high input costs, volatile market conditions, and turbulent environmental factors. In the face of these challenges, growers will continue to harness the power of data and technology to become more efficient and precise in their operations, increasing their bottom lines and yields in the process.
Here are some of our trends and predictions, along with a preview of our product roadmap and event lineup for 2023.
<h4>Trends &amp; Predictions</h4>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-1821 size-large" src="http://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1024x507.jpg" alt="high value crops trends and predictions 2023" width="1024" height="507" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1024x507.jpg 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-300x148.jpg 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-768x380.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1536x760.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-2048x1014.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Profitability &amp; ROI will rank #1 in decision-making 
Growers will continue to reach for solutions to squeeze the most value from each acre, with a particularly strong focus on cost savings. Solutions with strong, proven ROI will win.
Connecting data across different sources will become a top priority 
As the number of point solutions in the agtech sector continues to increase, growers will look for a single dashboard to manage all of their data. To meet this need, we will see increased collaboration between technology companies in the form of data transfer capabilities (e.g. APIs), as well as consolidation of companies to provide more comprehensive service offerings.
Outsider tech will struggle 
Growers will continue to value AgTech solutions built from real-world ag experience versus new entrants with little-to-no background in agriculture.
Specialized technology and data roles will emerge 
“Global spending on smart technology and connected systems in the ag space is projected to triple in revenue by <a href="https://www.morningagclips.com/what-will-2023-hold-for-the-agricultural-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2050</a>”. In line with this, growers will increasingly need to dedicate resources and create specialized positions to oversee technology, data, and analytics across their operations. Roles such as IT Managers, Data Analysts, CTOs, and CIOs will start to make their way into ag.
Autonomous solutions will become more attainable 
To fit into growers’ continually shrinking budgets, autonomous solution providers will look to define growth paths that enable customers to gradually grow into autonomous solutions that allow them to get value today while also investing in their future.
Sustainability reporting will become more standardized 
As ESG impact reporting continues to make its way up the prioritization pole, standards bodies and protocols will start to consolidate and become mainstream. The initial areas of focus will be on quantification of efforts and impact.
<h4>Key Areas of Focus for Fieldin</h4>
Here are a few areas where our team is excited to focus attention over the coming year.
Integrations 
With growers often leveraging many different systems to collect and analyze data, we are working on ways to make it easier to connect and visualize Fieldin data alongside external data sources so that growers can get to the insights they need, faster. This includes integrations with other software used for activities such as pesticide reporting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and other specialized agronomy software.
Machine maintenance and health 
In early 2023, we plan to release the new Maintenance Module. This solution centralizes all of your fleet maintenance schedules and operations (across all equipment &#8211; tractors, trucks, ATVs, etc.) within the Fieldin app, automatically tracking engine runtime alongside manufacturers’ recommended service schedules. With the Maintenance Module, equipment managers can be more proactive in servicing machinery which helps minimize downtime and protect CapEx investments.
Autonomous solutions 
We will continue to roll out Auto-Spray retrofit kits over the coming year across a diverse set of crops and regions. As we collect more data, we will strategically partner with growers to scale implementations at a pace that makes sense for each operation. At the same time, we will increasingly work towards removing the dependency of operators in cabs so that operators gain more freedom to perform higher value activities.
Advanced data insights 
Data is only valuable when it’s translated into insights, and every grower has a unique set of needs when it comes to analytics and reporting. Over the coming year, we will be working on ways to make advanced business intelligence more available to growers.
Improved precision tooling 
With so many operations happening concurrently on the farm all the time, it’s difficult for supervisors to know whether activities are being carried out according to the instructions provided. One particular area of focus for us in precision farming tooling is rate controllers for spray operations, where we’re working on ways to provide more accurate planning, application, tracking, and reporting of materials used.
Fleet Operations Center for OEMs 
Over the past several months, we’ve been working alongside <a href="https://www.goflory.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flory</a> in a pilot program to connect Fieldin smart sensors directly into the Controller Area Network Bus (CAN Bus), or the central brains of their tractor engines. By establishing a direct line of communication between the machine’s engine and Fieldin, we will be able to deliver more accurate and robust diagnostics for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), to remotely monitor, diagnose, and troubleshoot equipment issues.
<h4>Events Calendar</h4>
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming 2023 events. Bookmark the <a href="http://api.fieldin.com/events/">Fieldin Events</a> page and be sure to stop by and say hello if we are in your area.

Predictions and trends for high value crops in 2023

How smart farming enables a more strategic approach to growing and more efficient use of resources to increase yields.

How agricultural technology accelerates efficiency for a better farm future - Fieldin

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Cherelle Leong

With a combined commitment to sustainable agriculture, Fieldin is proud to join <a href="https://www.leadingharvest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leading Harvest</a> as a Program Supporter. Leading Harvest is paving the way in establishing a common framework to help advance sustainability initiatives across the agriculture sector. This partnership directly aligns with Fieldin’s vision to help growers thrive in the face of ever-changing conditions and challenges.
“Every day, we work alongside growers to find new, innovative ways to do more with less, and sustainability is at the core of these efforts. As a Program Supporter of Leading Harvest, we look forward to engaging with the community in meaningful ways to continuously improve sustainability practices in our industry.” 
–Iftach Birger, Co-Founder &amp; COO, Fieldin
Established in 2020, Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture. They provide assurance programs comprised of common standards, audit procedures, training and education, and reporting and claim offerings – all of which have been intentionally designed for flexibility, scalability, and impact. The organization has quickly become an industry leader and trusted partner for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. Today, over 1.5M acres have been certified under the Leading Harvest umbrella, and this number is growing rapidly.
“Program Supporters are a critical component driving Leading Harvest’s mission of continuous improvement. The people, products, and services in this segment of membership drive continuous improvement on-farm benefitting the supply chain, consumers, growers, and landowners. The innovative work that Fieldin is engaging in provides a wonderful addition to our membership as they support the mission and vision of Leading Harvest.” 
– Andrew Lauver, Director of Strategic Alliances and Programs at Leading Harvest
Sustainable agriculture requires collective commitment, effort, and impact. Together, with the Leading Harvest community, we will continue to support the agriculture community in delivering positive outcomes that protect and nurture our earth for future generations.

Fieldin Joins Leading Harvest as Program Supporter

We take a look back at notable highlights, emerging trends, and key milestones from 2022, and look ahead to exciting things to come in 2023.

Predictions and trends for high value crops in 2023 - Fieldin

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