AgriSuccess
Clear the roadblocks to efficiency
Kevin Hursh
Every day, you’re bombarded by offers to make you and your farm more efficient. “We’ll save you time.” “We’ll save you time and money.” “We’ll increase your profit margins.”
Just walk through an ag trade show. Practically every booth is promoting efficiency gains of one sort or another.
A certain level of skepticism is healthy. Not everything that’s promoted will actually work on your operation. Still, you know there are many systems, products and procedures that probably fit. What’s stopping you?
The most obvious factor is money. What does the new product or idea cost? Can you afford it? What’s the likely payback period?
But not all efficiency gains cost money and sometimes money isn’t the barrier at all. There are other underlying roadblocks.
Lack of knowledge
We don’t know what we don’t know. Back in November, Helge and Candace By, owners of By Livestock in Regina, launched Cowpool.ca, a free trucking forum for purebred cattle producers.
“During the busy bull sale season, I always get calls from producers wondering if they know of anyone hauling cattle one direction or the other,” Helge explains. “We try to help guys get loads of cattle together instead of everyone making individual trips, but you always hear of someone who just made the trip and could have taken a few more head.”
Producers can simply log onto Cowpool.ca to enter information and read what’s already posted. Co-operating to fill a truck or find a backhaul leads to efficiency gains. And the more producers who use it, the better the idea will work.
Here’s another example. Most field crop producers use some form of GPS machinery guidance, but they could be missing some handy options.
For instance, it’s usually possible to record exact field locations while seeding, spraying or harvesting. Some producers mark the locations of rocks that need to be picked, or small patches of Canada thistle that should be sprayed in the fall.
Instead of running all over a large field to do the job later, they can use the GPS locations and simplify the process. It’s also easier to pass the job to someone else – and maybe make the whole exercise a bit of a treasure hunt.
Not knowing about features – or how to use them – is a common problem in today’s technology-rich world. There can be significant efficiency gains from taking more time to understand our software programs and technology gadgets.
Fear of technology
It happens all the time: your cell phone meets an untimely end and you need a new one. You tell the 20-something sales agent that you just want a basic phone to make and receive calls. She smiles and politely tells you that there aren’t phones like that anymore.
You might as well go with the flow and try to get over your fear of technology. Maybe you don’t need to save 5,000 songs, but the camera could come in handy. And rather than stepping out of a meeting to make that phone call, maybe you’ll be able to send a text message.
It’s amazing how many producers have never established message manager on their cell phone, or even their home phone. When you call a business and don’t get an answer, you expect to be able to leave a message. Why is a farm business any different?
Lack of technical support
For computer software problems, you can often trouble-shoot over the phone. For a lot of equipment problems, you need a service technician.
Dairy producers in some parts of the country say they would seriously consider robotic milking systems, but they worry about getting quick service if something goes wrong. This is particularly true in regions with a low concentration of dairy farms.
Being among the first to adopt any new technology can be frustrating. That’s why the leading edge is sometimes called the bleeding edge.
Complete system change
It’s relatively easy to make little tweaks to a production system. It takes commitment and planning to alter an entire system.
Moving to a minimum tillage cropping system requires more than just the purchase of a direct-seeding implement. Your weed control measures have to change. Residue management at harvest time becomes critical. Rather than just buying a seeder, you may need a better straw and chaff spreader on the combine, as well as the capacity for more herbicide applications.
The cow-calf sector has also seen revolutionary changes in production systems. Extended grazing can save money on harvesting and transporting feed. Calving later in the spring when the cows are already grazing can make it easier to manage a larger cow herd.
On most operations, labour is in short supply, but complete system changes can shift the work regime. If there’s no harrow packing after the seeding operation or there’s no need to monitor cows in indoor calving shelters, the people who normally do those jobs might feel unneeded.
Changing entire systems can cause family members and employees to worry about their roles, which can be a barrier to adoption.
Too many irons in the fire
There are obvious advantages to running a dairy and growing your own forage crops. The same goes for running a grain farm alongside a cattle operation.
However, there can also be disadvantages, as Dan and Marie (not their real names) found out. The two crop about 1,500 acres and calve about 200 head of cows in March and early April.
“We’ve considered moving to a later calving date,” Dan explains, “but the plan has always been to complete calving before we have to start seeding.”
While most of their neighbours include profitable specialty crops in their rotations, Dan and Marie have avoided crops that require more time, effort and investment. After all, in the summer, they’re busy putting up feed.
The straw from their cereal crops is baled for use in the cattle operation and manure is spread on grain land, which is mostly fenced so the cows can forage the stubble in fall and early spring. But are the gains compensating for what they’re missing?
It’s possible to capture the gains and avoid the roadblocks, but it takes more management and organization.
Recognizing roadblocks to efficiency is the first step in dealing with them.
Subscribe now to get your free AgriSuccess delivered to your mailbox every two months.
