‘Drowning in data, starving for information’

The late Nichols Farms founder Dave Nichols often said his farm was “drowning in data and starving for information.”

Mike Naig stepped into that dilemma Friday during a visit to Nichols Farms’ bull barn north of Bridgewater, where he learned how the operation turns data into practical decision-making tools.

Nichols Farms is a family-owned seedstock operation focused on data-driven breeding. The farm offers bulls, semen and embryos designed to improve feed efficiency and carcass quality. Naig noted that precision agriculture is often associated with row crop production, but Nichols Farms demonstrates it extends well beyond that.

During his visit, Naig got a firsthand look at the farm’s state-of-the-art C-Lock system, installed in 2019, which helps keep the operation at the forefront of the beef industry.

The system tracks feed efficiency and assists staff in evaluating the effectiveness of the farm’s genetics. It also allows employees to quickly identify abnormalities, such as illness, in specific animals.

Nichols Farms Marketing Coordinator Ross Havens showed Naig a promotional video about the C-Lock system before leading him on a tour of the barn where it is used.

“It’s made us better feeders. You’re paying more attention to what you’re doing, how they’re eating. The behavior of the cattle is really monitored, making sure you don’t have a lot of waste,” Havens said in the video. “It probably helps you pick up a little efficiency that way as well as the genetic efficiency you can improve on.”

Havens said the system is especially helpful in identifying outliers within the herd. The data generated by the equipment contributes to ongoing genetic improvement efforts.

“It’s awesome data, but it’s what we get back after the test that really helps us achieve what we’re after, which is genetic improvement,” Havens said. “Dave came to me in 1994 for me to come to work for him, and since then, we’ve wanted to be the leader in beef genetics.”

Naig said he was most impressed by how Nichols Farms uses the data it collects.

“How does that improve the end product, the productivity and sustainability? I just think it’s a testament to the fact that a lot of times, when people are thinking about precision ag, they’re thinking row crop,” Naig said. “That is absolutely not true.”

Earlier Friday, Naig attended the quarterly meeting of the Hungry Canyons Alliance in Audubon. The organization was formed to research and implement solutions to stream channel erosion and degradation in 23 western Iowa counties, including Adair County. Naig said the alliance represents a meaningful, long-term effort.

“It’s protecting infrastructure like bridges and roads by implementing conservation practices upland. That’s good for everybody — soil conservation, soil erosion prevention, soil health and protecting that infrastructure that costs counties and taxpayers to maintain,” Naig said. “It’s also improving water quality.”

Naig also noted that at last year’s Iowa State Fair, Nichols Farms was one of 40 Iowa farm families to receive the Environmental Leader Award. The award recognizes farmers and farm families who go above and beyond in taking voluntary actions to improve and protect the state’s natural resources, including soil and water, while serving as community leaders.

Ultimately, Naig said visits like these are about gathering information and sharing stories.

“I want to hear from Ross and what we can do to help,” Naig said. “We certainly talked about CRP reform, and those are things that would have to happen in a farm bill. It always helps to be able to tie it back to a visit I made or to find an expert to speak on the ground. That can be powerful as we’re trying to make these policy changes.”