AFTER years of testing and refining, Mansfield–locals James and Paul Diamond are ready to launch AirAgri, a satellite mapping and farm safety app.
"Our key focus is safety, and our goal is to improve outcomes with a simple digital tool.
"AirAgri is virtual peace of mind for farming families," said James of the agtech start–up.
The brothers have been trialing the app in a closed beta for over two years, with over 200 properties on board and a couple of hundred active users.
"It was very important to ensure that the platform was perfect before launching it, so we spent the time finessing the product and also listening to feedback on how to improve the product and expand its capabilities and reach," said James.
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"Every property is different, as is every operation, and we spent the time exploring a multitude of scenarios so that we were confident that AirAgri was working as we envisaged and that it would make a difference."
AirAgri was initially born out of necessity on the family's fourth generation cattle and sheep operation just outside of Mansfield, at Goughs Bay.
"We have family, employees and contractors who work on the property every day, and we couldn't live with ourselves if something ever happened to anyone on the farm," said Paul, who oversees operations at the farm.
"Our 90 year old grandfather is still very present and active on the farm, and every time he heads out and we don't hear from him for hours we worry and wonder if he's okay.
"I often work alone and there was always that question in the back of my mind as to what would happen if something went wrong and nobody knew where I was.
"Knowing that the agricultural industry experiences some of the highest rates of workplace accidents and fatalities, James and I set about changing this space.
"And so the app was created to address three main concerns– farm safety, mental health and the high risk factor for lone workers in agriculture."
The app provides that reassurance when working alone, which for Paul on their 2000 acre property is essential, as the countryside is remote and hilly in parts, with no cellular range.
"The tracking device gives me the confidence that I will be going home to my wife and kids every day, and should something go wrong this could potentially save my life," he said.
The mobile app works in conjunction with a pocket–sized iOT (Internet of Things) tracking device, with AirAgri employing technology which provides extended coverage across Australia.
iOT is the term that refers to a collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between those devices and also the cloud.
"All of our software runs in the cloud – there is nothing to download or install, and all our software works offline which is important for the rural sector," said James.
Once the app is downloaded, regardless of whether there is mobile reception, the application can be used.
Utilising GPS and beyond cell tower technology, a simple click of a button sends an alert to other members within your network pinpointing an exact location.
"When the button is pushed the situation is serious," said Paul.
"The alert effectively means something is wrong, come to this location."
It also works in reverse, in that if the button is not pushed and the device registers no movement for a period of time, an alert is also raised.
"Every ten minutes the tracking device will ping its location back to AirAgri and the system uses a set of proprietary rules to determine if that person is in trouble or not," said Paul.
"If the person doesn't dismiss the alarm or audible cue, an alert is sent to the registered users.
"AirAgri also provides a series of automated safety notifications using proprietary rules, location, emergency and medical information, along with access to inventory and safe handling working documents like a digital filing cabinet sitting on the farmer's phone."
However both James and Paul believe that technology should be about reducing the flow of information, whilst at the same time getting the right information to the farmer at the right time.
"Technology should assist, not hinder," James said.
"Record keeping and technology can prove incredibly beneficial when it comes to safety.
"Nationally, there is a consistent approach to Occupational Health and Safety with every farm required legally to demonstrate their farm map, where the first aid kits and evacuation points are.
"Our research has shown that 80 per cent of farm businesses don't have that in place.
"AirAgri can enable access to safe work handling documents and even insurance polices in click and set reminders."
It is just another aspect to the platform, which the brothers have meticulously researched and trialled.
Functionality is key; farming smarter and more efficiently has always been a priority.
It's how they run their business.
No strangers to innovation, it was around the kitchen table on the family farm back in the 1980s that the Diamonds began exploring digital mapping.
They went on to develop an early prototype of an individual livestock and property management system for recording assets, stock rotations at a mob or individual animal level, and animal health treatments.
The brothers look for solutions.
The satisfaction that both brothers feel from backing and capitalising their initial concept and then bringing it to realisation, is only superseded by the knowledge that they're making a difference, that AirAgri can save lives.
"There is no better reason to get out of bed than to try and make sure every Aussie farmer comes home at the end of every day," said Paul.
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AirAgri was one of 20 emerging Ag tech start–ups to benefit from a $50,000 grant under the Victorian government's $1 million grants program.
Within AirAgri, 100 per cent of the data is stored and sovereign in Australia and is owned by the individual, who at any time can delete their data.
