Got Weather Data?

All of us in the business of agriculture know full well the phrase, "at the mercy of the elements"; aka weather

Especially farmers.

We also know full well that this major puzzle piece cannot be controlled and usually is the "one nail sticking up that hangs up your extension cord"; aka Murphy's Law.

And we all love Murphy until he becomes a "team member".

So what can we do to mitigate the risks associated with inclement weather?



Well, one approach, aside from crop insurance, is proactive management using high resolution forecast data.

Seems easy enough given that there are a myriad of weather data sources available. Just plug in your city or zip code and obtain a forecast and off you go. But the data you receive may not be representative of your farm and an incorrect decision can prove costly. We have all been there too; top dressing small grains in the hopes of having enough rain fall only not getting it thereby reducing yield and wasting your money, not protecting your crop from disease or insects in time causing yield loss and reduction in quality, not harvesting your crop and getting hit with rainfall, and a myriad of other scenarios that can dramatically drive your P&L the wrong direction.

But what if you could have site specific forecasted weather data emailed to you every morning based on the latitude and longitude of your location? What could you do with this data? Could you use it to plan out your farming activities to drive your P&L in the right direction?

Yes, you can.

This is just one of the data sets that the Skybit service provides and has been providing since 1992. This service has only grown more powerful over the years as ZedX has accumulated over 60+ years of gridded weather data direct from the NWS and private sources. The product is easy to use and can be used throughout your organization with ease.

Skybit Sample Report

Skybit has also been expanded over the years to cover disease and insect infestations for certain crops.

Skybit Wheat Disease Report

Above are just two examples of what the Skybit service provides. Skybit is easy to sign up for, requires no contractual obligations, and is fully automated. Here are the standard service offerings:

As you are planning your 2010 season, think about how accurate, timely, site-specific weather data can aid in your decision making. We can be reached virtually at ZedX, where you can review the suite of products and services we provide for the agricultural and energy sectors, or our sales group can be reached directly at (814) 441-1867.  When contacting us, please let us know how you found us and be sure to mention this blog posting. Thanks for reading and your interest in ZedX, Inc.