This customer showcase blog is focused on Croptracker user, Sandhar Farms. Sandhar started using Croptracker's software in January 2022 and is now in its third growing season with it. They use Spray, GAP Audits, Punch Clock, Production Practice and Harvest modules.
Sandhar Farms, founded in 2008, is a multi-generational family farm located on the edge of Kelowna, British Columbia. Manpreet Sandar works closely with his family to manage their nearly 25 hectares of apples and sweet cherries. Sandhar has focused on modern growing techniques and in-demand varieties as they have expanded over the years. Sandhar started record keeping by writing down all their farm activities in a notebook. As they expanded, this quickly became unmanageable. They switched to digital farm record software to manage everything more efficiently.
Sandhar narrowed down their farm software options and decided on Croptracker because of its comprehensive features. Additionally, Croptracker has been working with the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA) to provide their members with Spray and GAP modules since 2019. BCFGA members are able to opt into the Croptracker program and the association will cover the costs for a one Spray and GAP Audit module user. Sandhar decided to add on Production Practice, Punch Clock and Harvest in order to keep track of all their farm records in one place.
We save hours during audits, especially spray and GAP. I don’t have to rush and stress gathering records. We just print out a report."
Sandhar Farms records all their chemical and fertilizer applications using Croptracker’s Spray module. Spray records are printed out and posted to meet employee safety standards and to communicate spray instructions to applicators. Using Croptracker’s extensive list of Canadian registered chemicals, Sandhar maintains up-to-date chemical inventory records in order to ensure they have what they need for the season and to maintain cost records for chemical applications.
Croptracker has also helped Sandhar farms centralize their GAP required activity and inspection records leading to faster and smoother annual audits. When talking to other growers about Croptracker and farm software in general, Manpreet stresses the importance of diligence in recording information to get the most value.
Croptracker helps us plan our labor for the season. We have total hours spent on our farm activities and are able to plan for how many employees we will need for the season using this information.”
One of the biggest sources of value for Sandhar has been in recording farm activities and employee hours together. Employee data and wages are updated in the system as needed. Seasonal employees are archived at the end of the season and can be quickly re-activated upon returning. Payroll processes have been sped up as the total number of working hours for a pay period can be pulled into a report and exported with a few clicks.
It has been easier to make hiring decisions season over season as the farm has expanded over the years because of the detailed history of time taken on specific tasks. For example, knowing the average time taken to prune a hectare of cherry trees in previous seasons makes it much easier to determine the total amount of additional labor needed for new growing areas.
The Total Farm Cost Report has helped us a lot. We know right away when we finish picking how much each bin of cherries costs us to grow, including spray and labor. We use this report to help make cost-saving decisions. We know the total amount of time spent on pruning so we can try and improve staff training and efficiency for the following year to cut down these hours.”
During harvest inventory and picking time are also logged in Croptracker. The total number of bins from each block during a pick is linked to the work crew harvesting so the time taken to harvest each bin can be determined. The time taken to harvest a bin is the last piece of information needed to be able to calculate the total cost of growing a bin of cherries or apples.
Sandhar Farms uses Croptracker’s Total Farm Cost Report in order to determine the profit margins on inventory from each growing area. This empowers Manpreet and his family to make data-driven decisions on cost-saving measures for the next harvest or next season. Determining best practices based on different approaches taken in different orchards is much easier when the time and cost details of each practice are easily accessible and comparable.
By transitioning from manual record-keeping to Croptracker's comprehensive suite of modules, Sandhar Farms has streamlined operations, enhanced efficiency, and optimized resource allocation across their 25-hectare orchard.
Sandhar Farms' success story with Croptracker exemplifies the transformative impact of digital farm management software on modern agriculture. By transitioning from manual record-keeping to Croptracker's comprehensive suite of modules, Sandhar Farms has streamlined operations, enhanced efficiency, and optimized resource allocation across their 25-hectare orchard.
The implementation of Croptracker's Spray, GAP Audits, Production Practice, Punch Clock, and Harvest modules has not only facilitated compliance with industry standards and audits but has also empowered informed decision-making based on real-time data insights. Manpreet Sandhar's testimonial underscores the tangible benefits, from time savings during audits to labor planning and cost analysis, which have contributed to the farm's growth trajectory. The value put into record keeping in Croptracker is the value you can get back out. More complete records have meant greater returns on time and money for Sandhar.
