Can DevOps Improve Efficiency In Agriculture?
In the realm of farming, where tradition and innovation often clash, my dad stands as a testament to the old ways. Yet, his unwavering love for farming, passed down from his own father, sparked an unexpected journey of continuous improvement on our hay farm. Mowing and baling hay, particularly the premium rye grass, is his pride and joy. One day, my dad dropped a bombshell: “I bought a new hay baler.” Shocked, I thought, “What? Hay balers are expensive!”. The John Deer 326 he’d relied on for years was becoming a relic of the past, and my dad’s decision marked the beginning of a transformative process. I suspected this might be an opportunity to apply some DevOps ideas.
The challenges my dad faced were daunting. Georgia’s unpredictable weather patterns, with scorching heat waves and unusually wet summers, created a nightmare for hay baling. The extreme conditions dried the hay on top while the humidity kept the bottom moist, leading to inconsistencies in bale density. Constant adjustments to the baler were necessary to achieve uniform bale sizes, but this led to frequent breakdowns. Moist hay would mold in the barn, and irregular bale sizes wouldn’t fit into the accumulator. The inefficiencies were not just frustrating but also costly.
Determined to help my dad overcome these hurdles, I delved into researching how we could better observe and collect data on the hay baling process. Feedback is the cornerstone of the continuous improvement cycle, and I knew that without accurate data, any improvements would be guesswork at best. My quest led me to the AgXcellence baler performance monitor, a tool designed to provide real-time feedback on hay moisture and density. Though installing this device on our aging equipment was challenging, my dad’s commitment and excitement were unwavering.
With the AgXcellence monitor in place, we could finally close the feedback loop. The mantra “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” resonated deeply as we started collecting precise data. Fine-tuning the baler became an exercise in patience and persistence, but the payoff was undeniable. We could monitor and measure moisture levels throughout the field, allowing us to make informed adjustments and improve the quality of our hay bales. We could also monitor the feed rate of raw hay into the baler and avoid costly damage caused by over feeding, and reduce the number of busted bales.
As hay baling season commenced, the impact of our efforts was clear. The data collected enabled us to optimize the baler’s performance, resulting in more consistent and higher-quality bales. My dad’s initial reluctance to embrace new technology transformed into a newfound appreciation for the power of continuous improvement. By leveraging data and feedback, we not only improved the quality of our hay but also brought a new level of efficiency to our cherished family farm.