Smart Phone Apps for Smart Farmers making informed decisions on-the-go

Updated: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 12:50 PM

A new company’s smartphone apps answer questions and do it while you are in your truck, on your tractor, at the sale barn, or wherever you are with your smartphone. Farmer Apps, LLC is dedicated to creating various tools on your smart phone. The tools are for farmers and ranchers who are not sitting at a desk in front of a computer. The first of these tools is the Grain Bin Contents Estimator. The second is a Silage-Dry Matter Comparison Calculator. Others include the Live-to-Cut-Meat Estimator, Freight Estimator, Cotton Yield Estimator, Manure Pit Capacity Estimator. The apps are all available for iPhone/iPads via the iTunes appstore. Some are available on the Google Market for Androids and Blackberry Market for Blackberry smart phones. Eventually all will be available for all smart phones. The Company has a suite of 6 tools available and have many more planned.

Farmer Apps was born from the imagination of its founder who, working as a grain merchandiser, recognized that farmers need handheld tools to help them make informed decisions when they are not in the office. All of the members of the team that is Farmer Apps have ag backgrounds from Kansas to California to Pennsylvania to Texas. This company is comprised of two brothers (CEO and CFO) with degrees in Agricultural Economics and Finance from Texas Tech University, who saw a way to meet the needs of those farmers by using smart phones. They are joined by two more TTU graduates (CIO and VP of Sales). Both have Management Information Systems degrees from Rawls College of Business at TTU. One is responsible for application development and support and has seven years of programming experience. The other is responsible for all sales and marketing activities. The final member of the team is a retired MIS instructor with 35 years of MIS industry experience and a BS in Ag Econ and MS in MIS.

Grain Bin Contents Estimator

The Grain Bin Contents Estimator app is designed to help farmers or others estimate the volume of grain in a bin. The user keys in the diameter and height of the bin in feet and inches. Also the user keys in the number of inches down to the average top of the grain in the bin. The user selects the type of grain (i.e. wheat, corn,..) and enters the test weight. And the user selects the type of bin whether it is a round bin with flat bottom, a round bin with cone bottom with 45 degree angle on the cone or a round bin with cone bottom with 60 degree angle on the cone. The user then clicks on calculate. The app returns the estimated capacity of the bin in cubic feet and bushels. And the estimated volume of the contents in cubic feet, bushels, CWT, tons, and metric tons. The user then clicks on next estimate. then the user can enter new numbers and click on calculate, clear the numbers entered or quit the application. The estimates are plus or minus 5% precision. This app is available on iPhone and IPad through the AppStore, on Droid through Google Market, and on Blackberry through Blackberry Appworld. The next release will work with either US Standard measurements (feet, inches, bu, cwt, lbs/bu) or metric (meters, centimeters, hectalitres, tonnes).

Silage Dry Matter Comparison Calculator

The Silage Dry Matter Comparison app is designed to assist farmers either marketing or buying wet feed. The app uses one or two cases with input of actual weight in pounds, actual percent dry matter, basis percent dry matter, and price at basis. The app then calculates and returns the actual pounds of dry matter, the tons at basis (pay wt.), total cost, and the price at actual % dry matter and price at 100% dry matter. This enables the user to compare two cases on an equal basis while on the go and from a smartphone or iPad. This is currently available on Android. and iPhone/iPad.

Freight Estimator

The Freight Estimator has two sides, one for the farmer and for the grain hauler. The farmer can enter information about location and get an estimate for how much should be paid for freight. The grain hauler can enter information about the daily income requirements, mpg, and miles and get an an estimate on how huch he should charge for a given load/destination.

LIve-to-Cut-Meat Estimator

This app takes the live weight of a meat animal for slaughter and calculates the average, and high low range for cold carcass weight and cut meat weight. If the cost of butchering, cost for cutting and wrapping and price per pound for the live animal is input, the app calculates the average cost per pound as well as the high low range.

Cotton Yield Estimator

The Cotton Yield Estimator asks questions about number of bolls in a fixed row length, row width and estimates the yield per acre as well as the yield for a field in pounds and bales.

Manure Pit Capacity Estimator

Of interest to dairy farmers is the manure pit capacity estimator. WIth minimal input, the farmer can estimated the remaining capacity in a round or rectangular manure pit. With additional input, the app will calculate an estimate of total capacity as swell as current contents. This if useful for any confinement livestock operation that requires manure management.

Upcoming Apps

More crop yield estimators are on the drawing board. Also apps that keep records from year to year like the N-P-K Fertilizer Calculator, and the Digital Farmer’s Notebook. Others waiting for development are the Livestockman’s Notebook, the Barn Feed Chart, the Ration Balancing Calculator, and the Cattle Feed Supplement Calculator. They also have ideas for many more solutions for today’s mobile farmers. The website for Farmer Apps is www.farmerappsonline.com and they have a Facebook presence under Farmer Apps. Farmers are welcome to contact Farmer Apps for app requests and questions.