In Choteau, Montana, the convergence of tradition and technology within agriculture is exemplified by a new initiative centred on precision farming. Local firm Farmtech is incorporating advanced data analysis to assist agricultural producers in optimising the management of crops and livestock, addressing the growing demands of modern farming practices.
Farmtech, established by Choteau native Doug Weist, utilises soil imagery and crop health data to offer insight into farming operations. The company's innovative approach hinges on its flagship platform, FarmIQ. "Taking all that information and not just making a pretty map but actually making decisions for the farmer, which is our FarmIQ platform,” Weist stated in a recent interview, highlighting the practical applications of their technology beyond mere data representation.
To enhance its operations, Farmtech expanded its team to include a programmer, a challenging task given the scarcity of such professionals in north central Montana. Weist recounted the fortuitous circumstances that led to hiring Chicago native David Cimbalista, who moved to Choteau after selling Weist firewood. "The reason I found David is he sold me a batch of firewood to me, and had just mentioned, 'Hey if you ever need programming,' and kind of blew him off and three months later I was calling him,” Weist explained.
Despite his strong background in software engineering, Cimbalista admitted that his initial knowledge of agriculture was limited. "I probably didn't know the difference between a tractor and a combine," he revealed, expressing a keen enthusiasm for problem-solving and new ventures that drew him to the agricultural sector. "I love just figuring things out and being able to do things I've never done before," Cimbalista remarked about embracing this challenge.
A year into their collaboration, Cimbalista and Weist are witnessing tangible results, developing an online platform aimed at farmers in the local area. "Now we have an online platform we're building for the farmers in the area, and it's really just come so long of a way in the last year or so we've been together,” Cimbalista noted.
Looking ahead, the duo aims for Farmtech to serve over one million acres in the coming years. "To more or less touch that many people's lives, and to touch the food they eat, all the farmers who depend on it for their livelihood, it's gonna save them a lot of money, produce more yield for them," Cimbalista stated, emphasising the potential benefits of their work for farmers.
In this partnership, both Weist and Cimbalista acknowledge the complementary skills they bring to Farmtech. "It's kind of 50/50, I do take a lot of responsibility for making it accessible, but Doug is kind of the one that has that farmer's experience; he knows the touch that it needs to have to make sure it's a success,” Cimbalista explained.
Addressing the evolving nature of crops, Weist warned of the constant changes that farmers face, saying, "Your crop could be totally different in a month." Nonetheless, he remains optimistic about the potential that technology holds for agriculture. "There's really cool stuff out there you can build, and I'm just happy to be a part of it,” Cimbalista added.
As the landscape of agriculture evolves, Farmtech embodies an approach that melds innovation with practical farming knowledge, a combination both men believe is essential for contemporary farmers to thrive in an increasingly competitive field. "These farmers need every advantage they can get and technology is one that can definitely help them — for sure,” Weist concluded.
Source: Noah Wire Services