How does a farmer show a healthy profit when the bottom drops out of the price for forage hay, and when extreme heat reduces the cotton crop yield by close to 30 percent?

It’s not easy, but a conservative management style, close attention to expenses and a substantial investment in technology have safely guided Del Wakimoto and Avi Kwa ‘Ame Farms to an impressive record of profitability through challenging times.

About Avi Kwa ‘Ame Farms

Avi Kwa ‘Ame Farms, a wholly-owned enterprise of the Fort Mojave Tribe, is located along the Colorado River in the tri-state area near the confluence of Arizona, California and Nevada. The enterprise manages farmland that stretches across parts of all three states on the Mojave Indian Reservation in the Mojave Valley.

The tribe farms more than 7,600 acres of irrigated farmland and leases out another 7,000 acres. The farming business produces cotton and forage crops, predominantly alfalfa, but also Bermuda grass seed and grain hay. Projected yields for 2004 are anticipated to be 10,000 bales of cotton (at 480 pounds per bale) and 16,000 tons of alfalfa hay.

By June 1, Del will open a full-service retail outlet and feed store in Winslow, Ariz. The retail center will feature bag feed, ranching supplies, tack, clothing and gifts. About this new venture, Del says, “The main reason for opening the outlet is for us to sell the hay that we grow on Avi Kwa ‘Ame Farms.”

Del Wakimoto, instrumental in the expansion to retail, is also in charge of farming operations for the entire venture, and farming operations represent the heart of this story.

Embracing technology

Avi Kwa ‘Ame has shown remarkable growth since Del became manager in 1990, and, as the operation expanded, Del figured out that the business needed to embrace technology in order to save time and money, make better decisions, maintain profitability and, ultimately, to continue to grow.

"I have never seen another farmer with this level
of detail per field—right at his fingertips!"

—Don Walker, Northeast Regional Senior Vice President
Farm Credit Services Southwest, Tempe office

As expansion of the farm began to exceed expectations, Wakimoto called on Dr. Russell Gum, a friend from Del’s graduate school days at the University of Arizona, where he received his master’s degree in agricultural economics. Dr. Gum is a retired professor and currently a software developer and consultant.

“Fortunately, Russ and I have remained friends,” Del said. “We often talk on the phone about how to take advantage of computer technology.”

Russ Gum recalls, “Del would say that he was spending too much time driving back and forth to check his fields every day. He had so many different fields and locations that he needed a system to identify which fields required immediate attention. Since the farmland is 30 miles across, he wanted a system that would save time and provide better information.”

So began the development of a software product for which there was a very real need, not just at Avi Kwa ‘Ame, but in the broader world of irrigated agriculture.

According to Farm Credit Services Southwest loan officer Del Hegel, “Today, thanks to the new software, Del knows the precise cost of every ‘operation’ per acre. That includes chemicals, irrigation, fertilizer, growth regulators, herbicides, insecticides, irrigation, planting, tillage and harvesting.

“And he knows a lot more about what is going on in those 7,600 acres.”

Let’s take a closer look.

About WebFarm$Sys

The product that Russ and Del created is called WebFarm$Sys and is marketed as a management information system for large irrigated farms. At its most basic level, the system tracks agronomic and economic information on a field-by-field, day-by-day basis. Russ says that it can be viewed as a “digital dashboard” that provides economic and agronomic profiles of all the fields in the enterprise.

Specifically, WebFarm$Sys:

• Monitors water available to the crops as a tool for irrigation scheduling, factoring in variables, such as temperature, humidity and wind .Tracks forage harvest as a tool for irrigation scheduling and harvesting
• Measures inputs such as use of fertilizer and chemicals
• Functions as a planning tool for next season’s crops
• Simplifies forecasting and budgeting
• Includes a sales and inventory module that generates sales orders, records inventory and indicates location of hay for truckers—all on a hay yard map

To enhance the value of the system, Russ Gum went to an Internet-based Web service to create an interface that allows Del to access the system from any computer. Because Del travels extensively on business, this feature allows him to check via laptop on any field on the farm.

Maps: The heart of the system

For Del Wakimoto, farm information is about maps. He wants to see and absorb information at a glance, and maps are the ideal tools. Accordingly, WebFarm$Sys produces an array of color-coded maps that display a wealth of information: crop data, irrigation scheduling, forage harvest scheduling, cotton stage of growth, cotton variety and so on.

In addition, by simply passing the cursor across a field, complete field detail pops up on the screen. The pop-up lists the five most recent operations performed.

Double-clicking on a field reveals a complete set of operations, along with graphics of the estimated water available to the plant from the irrigation scheduling module.

Del can look at a map and in 30 seconds know precisely what needs his attention on any given field.

Good information produces good decisions

Del said, “I need good information to make good decisions. In the past, we relied on experience. But today’s slim margins don’t allow us to make many mistakes and stay in business very long. Now I have instant access to data I need to make decisions.

“I can get up in the morning, look at my computer and see which fields need to be irrigated. When I am out of town on business, I can check the operation anytime, and call the farm to ask the most efficient questions.”

He added, “From an operations standpoint, it is easier because I go where I need to go during the day. I check the system’s weather page first thing in the morning to give me a true picture of what happened yesterday. Or I can log on to the cotton map and see what stage of growth a particular field is in. If I see really good conditions and the weather forecast is favorable, I can increase inputs to take advantage of good weather and the potential for a higher crop.”

The system’s big benefit, Del says, is eliminating the need to regularly travel to the fields. “When you get to this size farm,” he says, “you simply can’t be out there checking all the time. This system allows me to make decisions right now rather than forcing me to go to a field to make the decision.”

A closer look

There are several aspects of WebFarm$Sys worth examining, such as its unique hay inventory system. Del uses this feature to identify the kind, quality and location of hay that is available for harvest and sale, and he can track all his hay details on a daily basis.

The system also maintains excellent records on each of Avi Kwa ‘Ame’s fields. So rather than try to remember details on all 150 or so fields, Del can look at a field map to learn a variety of important details, such as when it was planted, when it was watered and the units of nitrogen and other nutrients that were used.

With the state-of-the-art irrigation tracking system, Del knows exactly how many acre-inches of water are applied to each field and in what timeframe. The irrigation module is linked to the University of Arizona’s Arizona Meteorological Network (AZMET), and features a formula that indicates the rate and volume of water that is depleted from a field after irrigation. Each morning, Del displays maps on the computer to identify fields that require watering. Often, when the computer indicates that the moisture level has dropped to a certain need level, Del travels to the field to confirm this in person.

“Sure enough the field will need water,” Del says.

Del wanted to make certain that appropriate parties received credit for supporting the development of WebFarm$Sys, “Russ and I wouldn’t have been able to develop the software if it weren’t for the cooperation of the Fort Mojave Farm Board, which is appointed by the Tribal Council. Development spanned several years and required their support every step of the way.

“In addition, we also relied on the research and technological assistance from two University of Arizona College of Agriculture experts. Paul Brown, a biometeorologist, and Jeff Silvertooth, a cotton specialist, helped make WebFarm$Sys possible. We could never have completed it without them.

“And, as a result of all their support, we now have the information we need to make the best management decisions for Avi Kwa ‘Ame Farms.”

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