Piwakawaka Farm.

Miles and Nicci, who are sharemilking on their family farm, have been managing their 330-cow operation for over 15 years. However, they found themselves facing a common challenge in the industry – they were seeking greater accuracy and efficiency in their farming practices.

In the past, Miles relied on guesswork and estimation when spreading fertiliser across their 120-hectare property. Before discovering Tabula, Miles and Nicci had resorted to using a tape measure and manual calculations to mark out their spread. "Nicci was running around the paddock with a tape measure, we were roughly marking it out and we figured out how much we were screwing it up." This method proved time-consuming and prone to error but also made it challenging to provide proof of placement – an essential requirement for N190 reporting to their local district council.

Miles Flemming of Piwakawaka Farm

"With FarmVision, I spread 1 ton of urea over 26.5 hectares, saving 6.5 hectares of fertiliser, and reducing runs from six to four. The entire system proved more accurate, resulting in reduced fertiliser usage."

Miles noticed immediate improvements after implementing the Tabula solution in his tractor. "Previously, I spread 1 tonne of urea over 20 hectares. However, with the FarmVision unit in my tractor, I spread the same amount of urea over 26.5 hectares – saving an additional 6.5 hectares of fertiliser. There was one specific paddock where I used to make six runs, but with the FarmVision unit, I only needed four runs. The entire system proved more accurate, resulting in reduced fertiliser usage. The data seamlessly transferred to Tabula Online without the need for manual recording. It was an incredibly user-friendly experience." 

Before, the couple had to meticulously enter data from their dairy diary – a time-consuming and error-prone task. The FarmVision unit seamlessly transferred the data recorded in-cab into the Tabula Online platform, which allowed the data to be sent directly to HawkEye for N190 reporting, streamlining their data management process.

Miles notes the responsive support from the customer experience team, saying "I called, and 20 seconds later, they told me to hit a button to change a setting on the screen and off I went, it was perfect." He also appreciated the modern features. "The FarmVision unit, with its satellite maps showcasing hay sheds, water troughs and everything on our farm, sets it apart as a great selling point compared to other brands I researched."

Miles and Nicci's decision to implement FarmVision into their farming practices provided them with improved accuracy, reduced fertiliser usage and seamless data integration. With Tabula, Miles and Nicci know for sure they are achieving accuracy and efficiency in their farming practices.