Networking the Nation

Craig Jaeschke - Clare, South Australia

Craig Jaeschke works in a farming partnership involving his parents (Robert and Lyn) and uncle and aunt (Andrew and Michelle) in the mid-north of South Australia. The main enterprises are export oaten hay, livestock and grain production. The operation has three locations, Clare (3,300 ha), (Robertstown 1,400ha) and a station property 180 kilometres east of Clare (1000 sqkm).

The total cropped area is around 2,500 hectares with about one third this area devoted to oaten hay. A hay processing plant and pelleting plant are also operated.

The Jaeschkes have been connected to the internet for about three years but have only recently started to increase its use for business purposes.

HARVEST MANAGEMENT

Craig used the www.Ezigrain.com.au site for the first time during the 2001 harvest. “We use a carrier to transport our grain and by the end of the season some of your records can get a little mixed up. It was really useful to be able to print off every delivery you sent to a silo, regardless of who you sold it to, and have a whole sheet of records you could cross check with your record of loads. Also storages were filling up so we could find out quickly what silos were accepting grain and what grades” says Craig. “If we lost contact with a particular carrier who delivered the load we could go on at night and get the delivery details”.

MACHINERY

Jaeschkes operate the John Deere Green Star Geographical Positioning System. Licences for this system have been purchased and downloaded over the internet. If John Deere have a product enhancement you can download the latest version directly through the internet. “You can also obtain help and advice about operating the system off the John Deere site (www.deere.com), we find it really useful.

The internet has also proven useful in locating some uncommon tractor parts. “We wanted to get an optional part for our tractor and locally the suppliers were saying they couldn’t get it. However through some research on the John Deere site, again we were able to locate exactly what we wanted and requested that the dealer source it, which they did”.

“We have also looked up information on new products and models at the manufacturers websites just to imform ourselves of what is available” says Craig.

FINANCES

The Jaeschkes have recently taken the step to internet banking and have not had a lot of experience with it at this stage.

With 8 employees the ANZ internet banking is expected to streamline and cut the cost of tasks such as paying wages. Automatic reconciliation of the Phoenix financial software and dowloaded bank statements is also anticipated to be a significant benefit.

WEATHER

With a major hay enterprise the Jaeschke’s rely heavily on weather forecasting to plan their paddock operations. “The weather is probably our main use of the internet and I think it has improved our decision making” The www.thefarmshed.com.au/weather facility is used for the 5 - 10 day precipitation outlook, which is very important to decisions about cutting hay, and the radar images from the Bureau of meteorology site are monitored at critical times to understand how intense an approaching rain band is.

FARM500

We attended a Farm500/ Networking the Nation e-business workshop at Mawson Lakes in late 2000 and we came away from that saying “this is the way of the future, we just have to learn how to use it”. “The workshop really showcased the potential of the internet, particularly what it could do in a business sense” says Craig.

When Craig looks to the future he can see an ever increasing role for technology in the family farming business. The vision includes a larger role for the internet. Craig has embraced the internet for what it will deliver and the family is carefully building an increasing role for the internet in their business.

VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

Craig thinks that the internet could help them take more control over the marketing of their products. “Take wool, for example, we do our own complete wool testing and in the future it may prove beneficial to market the wool directly via the internet”.

Craig looks forward to when he will not have to come in to the office and turn on the computer to access the internet. “I would like to have a lap top and be able to use the email and internet in the header during harvest, for example. To be able to plug in and get prices or a weather update would be great”.

Aside from the internet, Craig can see that, in the future, they may be inputting and analysing yield mapping and other data in the field.

Currently, alot of documents are faxed between the hay processing plant and the marketers and customers in future these could be done by email which Craig thinks would help with recording, storing and retrieving them. “I think faxes may become a thing of the past” says Craig.

The Jaeschkes’ have recognised the potential benefits that computerised record keeping, GPS and the internet could bring to their business. They also believe that they do not have the required time or skills to take full advantage of the technology. They are considering employing someone to be responsible for the computer technology, data management and administration of the business.

Craig feels that there is a generation gap in accepting the internet as a business tool. “Dad has not really embraced it yet, my mother is starting to see the efficiencies it will bring and I’m keen, but I need more skills in actually using the computer!”.

“We are still only rookies but we think it is definitely the way of the future, that is why we are considering employing someone to help us make the most of it”

Farm Management 500 is supported by: