METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING AND REPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND AGRICULTURAL-PRODUCER INFORMATION

• US 20140108280A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureHarvest Services LLC (Where Food Comes From, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SureHarvest, Inc. (Where Food Comes From, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dlott, Jeffrey W., Rosenberg, Harry W., Ohmart, Clifford P., Connolly, Rebecca
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for tracking and reporting environmental impact and agricultural-producer information. In an example embodiment, a method comprises receiving first data associated with an impact on groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the impact on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution resulting from a production of an agricultural product, the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution comprising a contaminant of at least one of an inorganic or organic pollutant, the first data being received from a single representative sampling location; receiving second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution and the surface water pollution from at least one of a plurality of representative sampling locations; generating a benchmark percentage-based result based on the first or second data; calculating comparative data using the benchmark percentage-based result and at least some of the first or second data; and reporting the benchmark percentage-based result and the comparative data to a user.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

receiving first data associated with an impact on groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the impact on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution resulting from a production of an agricultural product, the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution comprising a contaminant of at least one of an inorganic or organic pollutant, the first data being received from a single representative sampling location;

receiving second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution and the surface water pollution, the second data being received from at least one of a plurality of representative sampling locations;

generating a benchmark percentage-based result based on the first or second data;

calculating comparative data using the benchmark percentage-based result and at least some of the first or second data; and

reporting the benchmark percentage-based result and the comparative data to a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the single representative sampling location includes an agricultural production system, and wherein at least one of the plurality of representative sampling locations includes an agricultural production system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the single agricultural production system is included in a series of operations defining a chain of custody of the agricultural food product and the first data is received from a monitoring location or sample population at the single agricultural production system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a benchmark percentage-based result further includes generating an aggregate result based on the first or second data.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating comparative data includes calculating a descriptive or inferential statistic based on or derived from the second data, the descriptive or inferential statistic comprising a statistically derived confidence interval.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the contaminant of the at least one of the inorganic or the organic pollutant comprises a nitrogen-based fertilizer.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the contaminant of the at least one of the inorganic or the organic pollutant comprises a phosphorous-based fertilizer.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the contaminant of the at least one of the inorganic or the organic pollutant comprises a sediment.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second data include environmental data.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the impact on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution results from a production of an agricultural product within a predetermined time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined time period is one of group including a production cycle, a season, multiple seasons, an end of season, and a twelve month period.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the single agricultural production system and the at least one of a plurality of agricultural production systems are the same agricultural production system, and wherein the first and second data relates to impacts on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution at the beginning and end of the predetermined time period respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first or second data relates to or includes one or more of a group including an end of cycle balance, an aggregate, a comparative analysis, a percentage-based rating, a nutrient ratio, a nutrient balance, a descriptive classification, and a compliance result.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein reporting the benchmark percentage-based result and comparative data to a user includes providing one or more of a group including an end of cycle balance, an aggregate report, a comparative analysis, a percentage-based rating, a nutrient ratio, a nutrient balance, a descriptive classification, and a compliance result.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparative data includes one or more of a group including a ranking, a rating, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second data relates to a biologically meaningful unit, the biologically meaningful unit including an ecosystem or a watershed.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second data relates to a politically or geographically meaningful unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the politically or geographically meaningful unit includes one or more of:

a parcel;

a field of land;

a farm;

a section;

a township;

a range; and

a location identifier.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the impact on the groundwater or surface water pollution relates to one or more of:

a water quality;

a water quantity;

a water flow;

a water duration;

a water seasonal timing;

a water temperature;

a water turbidity;

a water pH level;

a water percent dissolved oxygen;

a water particulate level;

a water toxicity;

a mineral concentration;

a carbon level; and

a nitrogen level.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein the impact on the groundwater or surface water pollution relates to a water contamination by a pollutant, the pollutant including one or more of:

a pathogen;

a sediment;

a nutrient; and

a pesticide.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the pollutant includes an inorganic or organic pollutant including one or more of:

a pesticide;

a fertilizer; and

a pesticide-breakdown product.

23. The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second data includes a measured metric or an observed value.