The Dairy Innovation has been influential in a lot of dairy research and today our focus will be on the SnapPlus Manure Application Realtime Tracker (SMART) mobile manure app. This app helps farmers identify restricted manure hauling areas and help maintain better manure hauling records. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guests Hava Blair of UW-Madison and Jeremy Heim of Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy and Heim Brothers Custom walk through the app, opportunities, challenges, data protection and questions from dairy farmers. Joanna, Hava and Jeremy discuss the following topics:

• Overview of the SMART app


• Opportunities with the app


• Challenges


• How to get support


• Data protection and access to the maps


• Compatibility with other apps


• Future of manure tracking

Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests:

• Hava Blair, soil scientist with the SnapPlus team. She received her Ph.D. in Land and Atmospheric Science from the University of Minnesota. She helps lead the SnapPlus team and works on the science behind the SnapPlus software, including soil fertility, erosion, and nutrient loss components. In addition, she develops trainings and educational materials on how to use SnapPlus and related tools.  


• Jeremy Heim, owner of Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy and Heim Brothers Custom in Algoma, Wisconsin. The dairy farm milks 825 cows and runs 1,800 acres. The custom business operates 26,000 acres and assists with crop harvesting, manure transportation and other trucking needs.   

Resources:

• For tech problems and support: support@snapplus.wisc.edu


• What is the SMART mobile manure app, download information here


• Guide: Getting started to SMART here


• Project summary of SMART here


• SnapPlus3 information


• UW Nutrient Management Education self-paced program


• DATCP Nutrient Management Trainings and resources


• About the Dairy Innovation Hub
  
  
  
  

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.