Kessler Ag Ventures (KAV) is well-known as Southern Saskatchewan’s team of precision ag experts. Comprised of five full-time employees, four of which are consulting agrologists, KAV has been providing SWAT MAPS services for over 10 years.

Doubling Their Client Base

“We started as an agronomy consulting business and then partnered with SWAT MAPS, which complimented our business very well,” says owner, Tyler Kessler. “We doubled our client base because of SWAT. We have the best map - it’s the only map we trust for doing variable-rate (VR) fertilizer, seed, and now VR herbicides. Clients are confident in the data and the integrity of map.”

Every farm operation KAV works with has a different story to tell, which is where good agronomy and good communication between growers and their staff comes in.  “A SWAT MAP is the foundation layer to start that conversation with precision ag.  Having this layer is a crucial piece to the entire precision ag system.” Kessler remarks. 

When asked about his customers’ outlook on adopting VR technology, Kessler states, “There are clients who jump right in, and they can’t map their farm fast enough. When we come in with the SWAT MAP and they have previous maps, they want to convert those to SWAT MAPS. They see things from their previous maps that weren’t quite right, but the SWAT MAPS make sense to them because the soil properties are solid.”

As for the clients who are concerned with the adoption of new technology, Kessler comments that the KAV team can help remove that roadblock. Through their confidence with SWAT MAPS and ability to troubleshoot problems remotely, Kessler finds the process to be quite seamless for their team and their clients, which helps put their clients at ease.

‘Aha’ Moments

The Regina Plains area of Southern SK where KAV operates is known for their heavy clay topography. Kessler comments on two particular cases where SWAT was paramount in helping them understand the landscape and apply their findings to their VR recommendations.

Speaking of the variability of their ‘flat’ landscape, Kessler says, “Our land can look completely level but it does have depressions. When we have producers who are pushing the upper limits of yield, we need to be careful with our depressions. SWAT is a complimentary tool we can use to manage those risks. We can concentrate on getting more out of those higher zones and pushing that yield where possible while maintaining the depressions and not over-extending their maturity.”

Another ‘aha’ moment that Kessler likes to refer to when discussing how SWAT MAPS helped develop their knowledge of the landscape in relation to inverted electrical conductivity (EC); relating to soil erosion and movement of soil within a field.

“It can be shocking to see the EC layer showing something completely different than what we are physically standing on in the field,” remarks Kessler. “You come upon an eroded knoll and the SWAT MAP shows inverted EC, meaning that soil has moved into a depression. When you can explain to your growers what’s really going on and the map backs that up, that’s really valuable.”   

Achieving Sustainable Growth with SWAT MAPS

KAV prides themselves on developing relationships with their clients to get an understanding of how each farm operates because they are all different. “There’s no cookie cutter recommendation,” says Kessler. “We offer a high level of service, very experienced staff, and we value every connection we’ve made within the network we’ve built over the past 10 years. I think that’s the recipe for success.”

Kessler acknowledges the environmental challenges across their trading area over the last 5 years. “It’s not super exciting to try new technology while experiencing multiple years of drought conditions. However, a SWAT MAP can be utilized to mitigate risk during these times when you factor in topography, EC changes and field variability.”

The KAV team has achieved a pattern of sustainable growth in their business over the last 10 years. “SWAT has been an important part to our sustainable growth” says Kessler. “With SWAT MAPS, we are able to offer our clients more data, resources, and information to grow their operations.”

The SWAT MAPS Team is proud to work alongside passionate, independent agronomy service providers like Kessler Ag Ventures. Learn more about their business and what’s happening in their corner by following them on social media or visiting their website and Twitter page.

Twitter: @KAVagronomy

Website: https://kesslerag.ca/

Farmers: visit https://swatmaps.com/partner-locator/ to find a SWAT MAPS Service Provider near you.

Service providers: Contact us for partnership opportunities.