Choosing the “Smartest” Phone for Your Operation

Posted By Team Latham

Katy Flint

Guest blog post by Katy Flint, Sales Manager / Team Leader for CellTech

I was raised on a farm, belong to a Century Family farm, worked in the cooperative system for almost five years, and am married to an agronomist.  Now I’m putting my background and experiences to work at CellTech, a premium Verizon retailer, in Hampton, Iowa.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had someone say to me, “I don’t need anything fancy; I’m just a farmer”.  The first thing I think is, “JUST a farmer”?  The second thing that comes to mind is, “What makes a phone fancy?”  Is it a phone that you can only use if you’re in your Sunday best?  🙂

What if picking a phone or tablet was about choosing something fancy?  Would you be more interested in a new phone if it could make your work easier and perhaps even make farming more profitable?

I’ve never met a farmer who didn’t want to make more money, so let’s consider how a Smartphone or tablet could do just that!  The first place we typically look at is apps ,or applications.  While there are literally thousands to choose from, here are a few of my favorites:

  • Market Strategies by DTN will keep up-to-date on market prices.  Create a watch list based on the commodities you want to follow and the futures board on which you want to sell.  You can see both the futures and the cash bids around your area – no more having to call the co-op 4 or 5 times a day to see what the markets are doing! Get for your iPhone | Android
  • Accuweather and Weatherbug keep the weather at your fingertips.  You can also plan your day accordingly because these apps use GPS to follow your location. Get WeatherBug for your iPhone | Android. Get Accuweather for your iPhone | Android
  • Monsanto and Precision Planting recently launched a new app that is compatible with your variable rate (VR) planter.  Did you know that 90% of planters sold today have VR capabilities but only about 5% are being used because the people don’t know how to use them?  Simply plug your iPad into your VR planter.  Your planter will adjust as necessary so there isn’t any waste, which means more money in your pocket! Get for your iPhone | Android (not available)

Technology today has never made it easier to optimize every dollar you spend.  At CellTech, we pride ourselves in being connected with farmers.  We would love an opportunity to show you how technology can help you!

Agronomics