Interactive map details planting progress

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) has turned to young, internet savvy farmers to help with data collection for an interactive planting and harvesting map.

The map, which can be found through the GFO home page was launched last week as a way to help keep pace with planting activity. The 60 young farmers who are helping with data collection all participated in Grains in Action courses held earlier this year, one in January and a second in February. Thirty young farmers from the across the province participated in each course.

Erin Fletcher, GFO manager of public affairs and communications, said after the course, the young farmers were looking for ways to stay involved with GFO and help out. “This is the perfect thing because most of them are on their BlackBerrys and really in touch with technology,” Fletcher said. “We’ve built a network starting with those Grains In Action participants and our directors and some of our delegates. We just ask them what the progress (of planting or harvesting) is in their area and just for any information they can provide about things they are seeing around the community and we add that information to the map.”  Fletcher said information is also gathered from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Agricorp.

The map - click on a county and crop information pops up - will be updated weekly on Wednesdays. The map is intended to provide planting and harvesting information to a wide range of users, not just farmers.

“We are getting a lot of calls from the media, usually community media, wondering what planting progress is in their area,” Fletcher said. “We always get tons of calls in the fall about harvesting progress,” she said, adding they created the map to be more proactive in providing that information. BF