Rich Bradbury is a respected US based ranching influencer. The management digitization tool he advocates as fundamental, and irreplaceable? A spreadsheet. We concur. A spreadsheet offers a rancher the fundamentals they need in a management tool: - affordable - simple to implement and use - ensures the rancher possesses, and has absolute control over, their data - is independent of connectivity services, so can be accessed anywhere - is customizable to their specific requirements Where a spreadsheet is not effective: - cannot be used chute side unless you can afford dedicated labour and are prepared to risk delicate and expensive equipment in an environment it is not suited for - any movement of data off of the ranch requires manual transcription The solution? Retain what works, add only what is needed. Flokk is affordable, purpose built to work at the animals side, and is agnostic; we automate data driven relationships with any industry partner who is prepared to add value. And when the rancher bring their Flokk back to the truck and plugs it into their laptop, there is their data in a spreadsheet, ready to use in the form they are familiar with. Flokk lets the rancher take that spreadsheet they are familiar with, carry to the animals side and complete data updates and additions, and then return it to the office completely, and accurately, updated. And their data never leaves the palm of their hand.
Regenerative Ranching Zealot | Specializing Ranch Property Analytics | Real Estate | Water Rights
In ranching, constantly I get asked what technology could we help you implement to make your life/business better? Umm... None? I need a new fenceline—maybe some more trees. I would like to be able to afford more skilled help. When you step back and look over generations, very few technologies have truly created a lasting shift in how ranch operations are executed day-to-day. Here’s my list of the shifts that I think have had the biggest impact on ranching: Vaccinations Cattle/Horse Trailer Tractor Squeeze Chute ATV Spreadsheet GPS Barbed Wire Electric Fence Here’s something interesting to think about? With the exception of the horse trailer, ATV, squeeze chute not much on this list has fundamentally changed the day-to-day operations on a ranch today compared to 40 years ago—or even 100 years ago. The core of what we do has remained remarkably similar over time, despite all the promise and hope of next big innovation. That raises a question: What’s the next technology that’s going to bring that kind of fundamental shift? Right now, I’m not sure I see it. We’re asked to try all these new tools and systems, but will any of them truly have the same impact that something like GPS or barbed wire did for our operations? Maybe Solar? What technologies have really moved the needle in ranching? And where we think the next big shift might come from?