Terravion, CHS announce imaging and real-time data partnership

Date:08-05-2016

TerrAvion recently announced a partnership with CHS Inc. Under the terms of the partnership, CHS will offer TerrAvion's aerial imagery and data solutions to its producer customers to drive informed and strategic decisions on where to allocate resources to maximize crop yield. CHS is particularly strong in the Great Plains; thus, this partnership enables TerrAvion to expand to that area, effectively doubling its weekly acreage to nearly 10 million.

Although even the most experienced growers could benefit from more data, traditional crop monitoring techniques have remained essentially unchanged for more than 300 years: workers walk (or more recently, drive) around hundreds or thousands of acres making visual assessments and maybe taking samples to determine the condition of individual crops. Then, with little or no hard data, they must decide what changes or investments need to be made to improve yield.

TerrAvion is changing all of that. Founded in 2013, TerrAvion delivers real-time aerial imagery services for agriculture organizations that provide unmatched detail and timely information on the conditions of every acre, from small family farms to the largest agribusinesses. Every week during the growing season, TerrAvion takes hundreds of low-altitude flights to capture birds-eye views of farms, from which producers can plan scouting, management activities and interventions with unprecedented accuracy.

TerrAvion is already working with hundreds of producers all over the U.S. and in South America on crops ranging from rangeland and silage corn to strawberries and wine grapes, driving double-digit improvements in yield. TerrAvion customers report that the inexpensive service quickly pays for itself.

CHS is one of the largest farmer cooperatives in the U.S., providing services for every stage of crop production, from lending money for equipment, to agronomy consulting, to processing and merchandising. In partnering with TerrAvion, CHS can now provide strategic data that will help producers optimize their resources and supplies.

"TerrAvion is the ideal partner for CHS as they share our mission of empowering producers with the solutions they need to optimize yield and feed the world," said Blaine Schmidt, Regional YieldPoint/Precision Specialist, CHS Inc. "TerrAvion's impact on producers all over the West Coast made it clear that they could give a similar boost in yield to our customers in the Great Plains. TerrAvion's aerial images give producers a real-time picture of what's happening in the field, enabling them to take informed and intelligent action that drives higher yields and business success."

"CHS is a visionary company that understands that their success is tied to the value they deliver to their growers. They are perfectly positioned to help growers use imagery to improve yield," said Robert Morris, cofounder and CEO, TerrAvion. "No one can touch TerrAvion's accuracy or value, and we are excited to work with CHS to expand into the Great Plains and drive even more innovation in farming by helping producers grow more per-acre with fewer inputs."