Farm406

FARM 406 36 • MAXAG OF MONTANA An agricultural business that is not tied to a commercial product is MaxAg of Montana out of Carter, Montana. MaxAg of Montana was started by Charles and Tami Good after seeing the results of having used a similar fertilizer program in their farming operation. Rob Evans, an employee of the Goods and a Cer- tified Crop Advisor (CCA), conducts the agronomy, mapping, and fertilizer recommendation portion of the business, while Good handles the day-to-day de- cisions, as well as sales, and the business end at MaxAg of Montana. After almost three years in business, MaxAg now offers a full-service line to area farmers, such as creating accurate digital field borders and using high-res- olution satellite imagery for examination of fields; testing soils by mapping each individual core taken from a field with GPS technology; writing fertilizer, chem- ical, or seed prescriptions; and creating geo-spatially referenced yield maps from farmer-supplied information. For instance, MaxAg of Montana offers several steps to writing fertilizer recommendations. According to the analysis of the various soil sample cores, the intended crop, and the agronomist's expertise in reading the satellite imagery, MaxAg of Montana experts make fertilizer recommendations and utilize variable rate technology (VRT) to assist farmers in set- ting up and programming their fertilizer application system to apply the right fer- tilizer at the right rate where it is needed within the field and at the right time. First, accurate field boundaries are created using either farmer-supplied in- formation or by utilizing high resolution satellite imagery. Then, a member of the team takes soil samples throughout the field. When starting the business, the owners of MaxAg of Montana had a hydraulic soil sampling unit installed in the cab of a pickup, so that soil cores could be taken in all types of weather from the driver's seat of the vehicle. The setup is efficient enough that one person may sample up to a thousand acres per day. An open- ing in the truck cab's floor allows the hydraulic ram to force the soil sampling probe into the ground and then retract it so the topsoil and subsoil samples are taken simultaneously. In preparation for the soil to be sent to the lab for analysis, the topsoil and subsoil samples are each put into containers labeled with different colors representing the various field man- agement zones. A notebook computer is mounted in the cab, so the driver can follow the GPS system to the exact spot where each soil core is to be taken. "In addition to providing information for the immediate crop, the readings from the first year provide a base in relation to read- ings that can be taken over the following growing seasons. All of this information belongs to the farmer," said Evans. MaxAg has an office near Carter containing computers with software that process the satellite imagery. This is the center for making reports that the farmers will use. The consultants at MaxAg have discovered that although many of the farmers they have worked with already have the precision equipment to do vari- able-rate application, many of them don't have the experience or knowledge to use it. MaxAg agronomists work side by side with the individual farmers to ensure that their needs are met. A personal experience motivated the beginning of MaxAg. "I cut 130 tons What a Grower Considers When Hiring a Consultant COMPONENTS OF DATA GATHERING 1. Exactly what data, information, and advice are being con- tracted? 2. Is it needed on a regular basis or as needed? 3. What are the techniques for collecting data used by the consultant? 4. What type of report is being requested? 5. What are the expenses and fee structure? 6. The role of the consultant and the role of the grower during the life of the contract. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONSULTANT 1. Years of experience in the area. 2. Testimonies from other users. 3. Education and professional training. 4. Availability and length of time for the report to be completed. 5. Up to date with industry trends and developments. 6. Ability to relate to the grower. ABOVE: A lap top computer with GPS directs the driver of the vehicle to the exact spot shown on the adjacent map where a soil sample needs to be taken. BELOW: The driver checks the soil after the sample has been taken.

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