There are a few apps that every farmer needs to have at hand - be it for weather, emergencies or to help around the farm.
When jumping into the marketplace it's easy to get overwhelmed with choice so we've taken the time to pick out a few must-haves that are handy to have in easy reach.
Emergency +
This app has been developed by Australia's emergency services (with government and partners) to not only ensure you call the right emergency number at the right time but it also uses your phone's GPS so callers can provide the emergency call-taker with location information, which is great for when you aren't on a main road or easy to find location.
It's a must-have to have on-hand in case of an emergency.
Fires Near Me
This app from the NSW Rural Fire Service maps fires around the state as well as providing critical information and alerts when conditions change. Users can set up a "watch zone" and if a fire pops up in that location a notification will ping on the user's phone. They'll also get notifications every time a fire in their watch zone changes alert level or it's information is updated.
There is also a Fires Near Me Australian version of the app.
Weather
There are a range of good weather apps from the Bureau of Meteorology's own app, to Weatherzone, and Elders Weather app. All are good and the choice really lays with whichever one you prefer to navigate as a user. Try a few different ones out, or keep a few and see what different forecasts you get.
Drought Feed Calculator
From the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) the free app is designed to assist sheep and cattle producers deal with drought and dry seasons. The app helps determine cost effective feed rations and calculate minimum feed requirements.
FeralScan
The FeralScan app allows you to map sightings of pest animals and record the problems they are causing. The information you log can be seen by community groups, pest controllers, local government, catchment groups and individuals managing pest animals. The information can be used to help co-ordinate on-ground control tactics to address the problems the pests are causing.
Good Bulls
Designed in consultation with dairy farmers and advisers the Good Bulls app from Dairy Australia builds on the Good Bulls Guide to make building a bull team easy. With detailed ABVs on more than 20,000 bulls, Good Bulls helps to sort, filter, short list and export bulls to match breeding objectives.
DataGene HerdData
This app is designed to make it easy for farmers to enter herd records from anywhere without needing a computer. Farmers will also be able to access key animal level information quickly and easily, improving on decision-making capabilities.
Kim Chappell
As Senior Producer - Digital for ACM's regional titles I assist newsrooms in digital best practice. Before this role, I was the digital journalist with ACM's national team and prior to that, the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division. I started as a general rounds journalist with The Land in 2006, moving up to hold the title of chief of staff before switching to digital reporting in 2015.
As Senior Producer - Digital for ACM's regional titles I assist newsrooms in digital best practice. Before this role, I was the digital journalist with ACM's national team and prior to that, the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division. I started as a general rounds journalist with The Land in 2006, moving up to hold the title of chief of staff before switching to digital reporting in 2015.
