Part 2 of the segment–“From Whiteboards to Dashboards – How to Transition Your Sow Farm to Digital Data» September 6, 2023, National Hog Farmer
By Kim Flannery, MetaFarms
A few weeks ago, we were discussing the steps to take to achieve digital transformation on your farm. How to prepare for the transition with a comprehensive plan, including timelines, roles and responsibilities. What resources and training would be needed to help your farm teams transition from using their handwritten information on their whiteboard to real-time electronic data on a monitor, as well as how to continually monitor and improve the adoption of innovative technologies on the farm.
To provide even more insight into this digital transition and learn about things like hardware, connectivity, and the impact of production in a barn, we are honored to have the opportunity to showcase the technology transition innovative product from Heimerl Farms Ltd., of Johnstown, Ohio.
Heimerl Farms Ltd. is a progressive family farm established in 1976, which now consists of three sow farms with a combined capacity of 8,000 sows. The Heimerl farm family includes Jim and Kathy, and Matt and Rachel Heimerl. As a PIC genetics multiplier farm, Heimerl Farms is a key player in the pork industry, producing both elite genetics and high quality commercial pork. Heimerl has been using MetaFarms as herd management software since 2016.
Accurate data collection and reporting is essential to Heimerl Farms’ position as a PIC multiplier farm. Their genetic selection program requires accurate recording and analysis of sow performance metrics in order to select the best animals for continued breeding. However, as their farms grew in size and complexity over the past several decades, Heimerl Farms found that its existing paper-based recordkeeping system was prone to errors. Data was manually entered within days of collection on the farm, often resulting in reports containing unknown inaccuracies that hindered real-time management decision-making.
It became clear to the Heimerl family and the farm’s management team that a change was necessary to achieve their goal of operating with 99% accurate data. Driven by their commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, they have embarked on an ambitious journey of digital transformation of their agricultural management information systems. Through strategic technology investments, changes in work processes and a collaborative approach involving all farm staff, Heimerl Farms has succeeded in optimizing efficiency, transparency and animal care. Their story provides valuable lessons for those seeking to make similar transitions to industry-leading, data-driven agricultural management.
The Heimerls were kind enough to allow us to share with other pork producers the steps their team took to achieve their goal of 99% data accuracy on their farms. Working with Heimerl Farms Production Supervisor Taylor Rock, we began gradually implementing mobile technology in late 2021. Here’s a real-world look at what an on-farm transition to real-time mobile digital data looks like, and what it could achieve for your farm.
Data entry in the office
“Before mobile technology, our farms sent hard copies of data to the office on Monday morning (for the previous week’s production data). The data would be entered Monday and Tuesday,” explains Rock. “Once completed, the corrections would be sent back to the farm for completion on Wednesday morning. The reports had to be corrected, completed and submitted by Wednesday at 10 a.m. This was crucial for our PIC indexing.
Mobile entrance to the farm
“For the first month, the only thing that was not to be grasped was withdrawal. The plan was to get all pre-weaning information captured and accurate. It was about allowing the two departments of the barn to operate independently and smoothly,” explains Rock. “The biggest challenge was ensuring all information was captured. Especially when giving birth, there will always be an obstacle to overcome because the data entered in the office corresponds to the date entered by mobile. This was the time when we had the most challenges: learning a new system, changing our routine, and ensuring accuracy.
“Once that obstacle was overcome, things progressed very well. Once the basics of birthing were secure, we spent an additional month working on corrections that only present themselves once an event has occurred. product.
“Over the next two quarters, we transitioned the other two farms in exactly the same way. We were able to become more efficient, learning tricks and correcting common mistakes each time. Then we had about a year of practice before moving on to the new Chainway devices. We only did this once we knew we were getting accurate information and that corrections were being made daily.
Rock says Chainway devices with QR scanning capability was a different process for the team.
“Until we started using the Chainway, we kept a hard copy of all data. With the Chainway, we started leveraging QR codes on sow cards and got to work. Here , we started by entering the information on paper, to “I used the scanner, just to get a feel for the device and the system. For each farm, I began to eliminate paper documents. We did the opposite, removing the breeding documents first,” says Rock. “Once they felt comfortable, we started scanning the sperm doses at Trinity at the help with “Rapid Entry” and barcode scanning feature. This works with large batches, but not single dose bull batches at our other farms. Next on our list is start capturing via mobile during treatments for sows.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc046473819c9a19/blt24fa1d5aff654a47/6542ad60802cf1040a94e365/MetaFarms_Fig_1_110123.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
MetaFarms
Hardware, costs and connectivity
With offline functionality, the Sow mobile app only needs internet access to send and sync data across devices. Have there been any difficulties accessing the internet on their farms?
“We have cellular Internet access, and that’s sufficient. One to two Mbps is enough to send and synchronize data. There are websites that show all the cell towers and their signal range,” says Rock. “With the addition of a $40 omnidirectional antenna, we increased our speeds to 10-20 Mbps, which which was more than enough to handle all cellular networks. our devices. We have at least 8 Wi-Fi connections at all times.
During the Phase 1 process, what worked and what didn’t?
“In 2021/2022 we started using iPads, and they worked very well, especially for learning a new system on a larger screen. (Refurbished units are available on Amazon for around $200). In Phase 2, we moved to new integration with Chainway devices. ($400 to $750+ depending on type and accessories), it really streamlined the process and reduced entry errors,” says Rock.
“Our latest hardware additions are the 50 monitors.” They are used to present data. (less than $400 including surge protector, wall mount, Fire TV and Wi-Fi antenna) Because PIC indexing is based on what’s in the system, not on the whiteboard. This allows the team to have easier access to information, significantly improving accuracy. It also allows them to view their progress in real time. Old iPads were repurposed so all employees could access and share data on the big screen for viewing.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc046473819c9a19/blt02ebd8d811dc4264/6542ae0d943bb8040af59815/Heimerl_Farms_Fig_1_110123.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Heimerl Farms Ltd.
“We are also implementing two software add-ons (SaaS) that will help us train our farm and manage tasks across agricultural systems,” says Rock. “Optisigns digital signage is a very affordable and accessible service that allows you to display a variety of applications, as well as create custom content specific to each location. This is how we will organize the information that will run on monitors. Trello allows us to digitize and manage agricultural tasks in a single shared space. It’s still new to our teams, but it’s taking off, our farm managers are familiarizing themselves with the system to see how it’s going work for them.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc046473819c9a19/bltb13034cb3ddb6a53/6542ae6ea8b40e040a502995/Heimerl_Farms_Fig_2_110123.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Heimerl Farms Ltd.
One of the often-mentioned challenges is farm staff turnover. How has Heimerl’s shift to digital helped farm teams feel a sense of accomplishment and job satisfaction?
“We’re looking for ways to help them visualize and celebrate production wins,” says Rock. “With dashboards such as Sow Farm Rankings, Technician Rankings and our new Veterinarian Spotlight program, where our veterinarians will identify exceptional production practices, we will recognize and reward production achievements.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc046473819c9a19/blt63cb40c6a3442be8/6542aedb9de223040a709595/Heimerl_Farms_Fig_3_110123.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Heimerl Farms Ltd.
“These monitors also seem to make the world a little smaller and more familiar for farms,” Rock says. “Where data is more accessible to the entire farm team, there is more unity in achieving farm production goals. We are already seeing this in our production performance at all levels.
Digital deployment at Heimerl Farms has been an enriching experience, as it has resulted in significant changes to their production system. The Heimerl family has taken steps to involve their farm staff in adopting technological advancements that will also enhance their team members’ personal growth and support retention.
Each stage of technology adoption offers numerous opportunities and benefits in terms of production efficiency and performance. I encourage you to consider taking the first step toward adopting technology and analyzing the results on your own farm. As Steve Jobs once said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. »
If you would like to discuss how to achieve a successful digital transformation on your farm, or have suggestions on which production areas to include in future articles, please email or call us.
We love being part of the National Hog Farmer Weekly Preview Team. Previous columns of the production overview can be found at National pig breeder. If you have any questions or comments about these columns, or if you have a specific topic you would like us to write about, please contact: Kim Flannery by email.