Five miles from the Michigan-Ohio border sits 3,300 acres of farmland operated by Border View Farms, a multi-generational family farm that grows corn, soybeans and wheat. The operation has steadily grown and expanded since its establishment in 1980. Nathan Baker, a graduate from Michigan State University with an agribusiness degree, spent a few years working for a seed company before joining his father, Mark, to run the farm in 2009. Now, 40 years after the farm’s establishment, Nathan helps manage the day-to-day operations.
When he discovered the AgriEdge® partnership nearly six years ago, Baker was interested in incorporating it into the portfolio at Border View Farms from the get-go.
Sharing the weight of the season
Border View Farms, like many farms across the nation, faces significant challenges that affect nearly all facets of the operation. Baker explains that the unpredictability of weather is a constant struggle, and other uncontrollable factors like market trends and labor shortages threaten farm profitability each year. The AgriEdge cost-share opportunity helps lighten the burden of these challenges for Baker and his team.
Participating in AgriEdge enables operations like Border View Farms to earn financing and money back on eligible Syngenta seed, crop protection and Seedcare brands when they meet a minimum farm spend. “When we signed up for AgriEdge, the most appealing aspect was the cost-sharing opportunity,” Baker says.
Baker already trusted Syngenta for seed and crop protection products before he enrolled in AgriEdge, which made the transition to the partnership and opportunity for savings an easy decision. After discovering the additional benefits of AgriEdge, Baker was eager to implement them on the farm.
Seeing the difference
In 2018, Syngenta began offering AgriEdge growers access to FarmShots™, a high-resolution satellite, drone imagery analysis and scouting technology. Baker quickly integrated this feature into his AgriEdge software.
“With FarmShots, I’m able to see differences within each field,” Baker says. “We do a bit of irrigation, so I utilize the Normalized Differentiation Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps to see where the water is getting and where it’s not. There’s a huge difference in the areas and I’m able to see them with the satellite imagery.”
Having this information gives him the ability to make timely management decisions on a field-by-field basis.
“If I see certain areas of the field showing more signs of stress, I can irrigate specific spots or certain areas.” Ultimately, these insights help Border View Farms act quickly, save time, maximize yield potential and enhance accuracy.
Baker recommends AgriEdge for growers who want access to their data and fields at a glance, along with the benefit of determining the effect their field work has on their acres, firsthand. “AgriEdge gives me confirmation that what we’re doing makes a difference. Whether it’s that little bit of irrigation or spraying a fungicide, I can see a difference in the FarmShots maps; I know that crop protection product made a difference and it’s working for us.”