Paul is a GLOBAL G.A.P. grower, meaning he’s certified for his commitment to advancing good agricultural practices. “The food companies that we supply are GLOBAL G.A.P. certified, and if they have a recall or question, in a matter of minutes I can get back to the day that we planted that crop, the day we stored it, the day we shipped it, the truck that it was on… and all the inputs we put into that crop, be it any chemicals or anything, it’s all in that report, and I have it within minutes.” Sproule receives better pricing for their GLOBAL G.A.P. certified crops.

Recordkeeping has been a huge benefit for Sproule Farms. “The biggest thing is we have historical data on our fields now that we've had for a number of years,” said Paul. “We can go back, we're not only looking at rotations, but we can look at our yields, inputs, and everything that we've done on that particular field.” This insight helps Sproule review their land processes to determine if their practices are worth continuing.

“Basically, when you farm, not every year is the same,” Mike said. “Sometimes products change, sometimes your way of thinking changes. Maybe that practice is no longer working, but it's your way electronically to look back at what you've done, what you're going to do, and where you want to be.” Mike often goes back to review input records, whether it be spreading, planting, or spraying. During harvest season, he enjoys knowing what their yield is from the moment the last truck leaves the field. Conservis helps Mike where his memory falls short. “It's the proof right there at your fingertips that this is what you did,” Mike stated. 

Carla thinks back to a time when excellent recordkeeping really benefitted the farm, causing them to catch missing loads. Carla appreciated having the Conservis team watching, serving as another set of eyes on their farm. She recalled a missing load. “We figured somebody had entered it twice instead of once, and then when the elevator’s numbers came out a little different than ours and we talked to someone at Conservis, they were able to look back and figure out what happened,” said Carla. “They've called me sometimes, too to say, ‘You have a load out there that's sitting unattached.’

It’s no secret that the Sproule Farms is excited to work with a software company that’s rooted in farmer input. “One thing that interested me was that Conservis came to their customers asking what we wanted,” Mike said. “Conservis was never the company that was trying to tell the farmer what they needed. They were trying to build a platform that would help the farmer make better decisions with information that is created in their platform.”

Mike elaborates on how impressed he was when Conservis looked to farmers to develop new technology. “When it came to Work Orders… Conservis took some of the customers from different locations, brought them in, and we sat down for two-three days, and hashed out what we're looking for as individuals,” Mike said. “Within the next year, Conservis had it and it seemed like they took a little bit from everybody's perspective to create the product.”

Paul chose Conservis farm management software because he found it very easy to adapt. “It wasn't one way of doing things,” Paul said. “If you had an idea or a thought, you'd present it to the team and within a couple days, they get it edited and give us the data or the platform that we wanted to use on our farm.” Paul’s daughter feels the same. “They're great about coming out and doing field days, visiting the guys and asking us what we want,” said Mollie. I feel like they're very innovative and helpful.” The Sproule team clearly knows that Conservis originated from farmer input. 

“Over the years, as Conservis has grown, they’ve put together some fantastic data,” said Paul. “It can respond to a customer's needs. It's not a boilerplate software. If you have a specific need, they'll see if they can work it into what you want.”

Paul chose Conservis because he desired fast, hard data that would lead to improved yields and cost-saving efficiencies. Paul uses real-time present and historical data to assess Sproule’s yield and productivity. This helps him plan and benchmark against himself. “One of the biggest things I look at is yield,” said Paul. “And how it performs overall as far as by soil type, by fields, by region, and plant population.”

Another Conservis feature that Paul values is the ability to manage his input costs in real time. “That platform has gotten very, very good,” he said. “Then, when we look at our yield data… what it comes down to is, what is your ROI? Are you making the right decisions, right timed decisions, and are you doing the right things?” Paul asks these very important questions that can mean the difference between just getting by and managing a profitable business with high-performing, cost-efficient yields.

The instant, accurate data that Conservis provides is clearly appreciated by Paul. In fact, it’s his favorite part of the farm management software. The time-saving, instantaneous data sets him up for success. He raves about getting the yield data of each field before the last trucks even make it off the field. “I've got that yield data before all the trucks are dumped,” Paul said. “It gives you real-time data at your fingertips within seconds.”

“Conservis puts me into a position of knowledge,” Paul said. “Timing knowledge, which gives you intelligence, because intelligence is what makes good decisions.”

The team appreciates that Conservis reports are customizable and can be filtered in different ways, depending on what you’re seeking. “They've always had a ton of different reports, but everybody wants their report to read a little bit differently,” stated Mike. “What works for me, maybe does not for somebody else.”

Mollie primarily uses harvest reports to share in house, or to leverage externally with 3rd parties for crop insurance. The ability to quickly pull accurate, organized data helps her look and feel prepared, even for unexpected inquiries. “Conservis has saved the day when we'll have a third party come in and ask us a question that I may not know off the top of my head, such as the seeding rate, or chemicals and whatnot,” said Mollie. “And they will be amazed at how quick we can pull our data and print reports on what exactly happened on this field on what day. It just kind of blows them away.” Administrative Assistant Carla uses the yield reports most often and is grateful that the records stand up seamlessly for insurance claims. “When we've had a year where we didn't see the outcome, yield-wise, those [Conservis] reports are fully accepted by our insurance company as accurate.” Volatile weather is tough enough on farmers, so being able to readily pull and filter existing data is a real asset. “The data I get from Conservis is now acceptable for our federal crop,” said Paul. “When they come in, they want us to prove our yields and prove our data regarding where our fields are at. We hit the report, give it to them, and it's golden for federal crop. That saves a pile of time.”