Method and system for tracking and reporting environmental impact and agricultural-producer information

• US 9,684,879 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US14/133,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 13711802, 701468, 701494, 701 50, 705 11, 705317, 705 711, 235375, 235376
• 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

Various 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 first data being received from a single representative sampling location; receiving second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the second data being received from at least one of a plurality of representative sampling locations; generating an aggregate result based on the second data; calculating comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first data; and reporting the aggregate result and the comparative data to a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, in a database accessible by an agricultural management information system, a environmental compliance requirement;

receiving, by one or more modules in an agricultural management information system, 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 first data being received from a single sampling location, the first received data including a first data record from a first custodian device located at a first location in the series of agricultural operations at which the first custodian device read a first code that pairs a data type with the first location, the first data record pairing a first value that quantifies the data type with the first code that pairs the data type with the first location;

receiving, by the one or more modules in the agricultural management information system, second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the second data being received from a plurality of sampling locations, the second received data including a second data record from a second custodian device located at a second location in the plurality of locations in the series of agricultural operations at which the second custodian device read a second code that pairs the data type with the second location, the second data record pairing a second value that quantifies the data type with the second code that pairs the data type with the second location;

generating, by the one or more modules in the agricultural management information system, an aggregate result for the data type based on the first or second data and a determination or condition that an aggregated set of data records that includes the first and second data records is sufficient for automatic generation of a report about the data type;

generating and including in the report, by the one or more modules in the agricultural management information system, comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first or second data, and indicating in the report whether the data type that is paired with the first and second locations by the first and second codes meets or does not meet the aggregate result for the data type; and

causing a user device to receive and display the generated report about the data type, the user device being distinct from the first and second custodian devices from which the first and second data records are collectively received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the single sampling location includes an agricultural production system, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sampling locations includes an agricultural production system.

3. The method of claim 2, 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.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an aggregate result further includes generating a percentage-based result based on the first or second data.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 5, 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.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the single agricultural production system and the at least one agricultural production system in the plurality of agricultural production systems are the same agricultural production system, and wherein the first and second data relates to an impact on the groundwater pollution or the surface water pollution at the beginning or end of the predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first or second data relates to or includes one or more of:

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.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the aggregate result and comparative data to a user includes providing one or more of:

an end of cycle balance;

an aggregate report;

a comparative analysis;

a percentage-based rating;

a descriptive classification; and

a compliance result.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparative data includes one or more of:

a ranking;

a rating;

descriptive statistics; and

inferential statistics.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second data relates to a biologically meaningful unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the biologically meaningful unit includes an ecosystem or a watershed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second data relates to a politically or geographically meaningful unit.

14. The method of claim 13, 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.

15. The method of claim 1, 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.

16. The method of claim 1, 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.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pollutant includes an inorganic or organic pollutant including one or more of:

a pesticide;

a fertilizer; and

a pesticide-breakdown product.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second data includes a measured metric or an observed value.

19. A system comprising:

one or more modules incorporated into an agricultural management information system to configure a capability of the agricultural management information system to generate environmental impact information, the environmental impact information including an aggregate result and comparative data, the one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to, at least;

receive 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 first data being received from a single sampling location, the first received data including a first data record from a first custodian device located at a first location in the series of agricultural operations at which the first custodian device read a first code that pairs a data type with the first location, the first data record pairing a first value that quantifies the data type with the first code that pairs the data type with the first location;

receive second data associated with the impact on the groundwater pollution or surface water pollution, the second data being received from a plurality of sampling locations, the second received data including a second data record from a second custodian device located at a second location in the plurality of locations in the series of agricultural operations at which the second custodian device read a second code that pairs the data type with the second location, the second data record pairing a second value that quantifies the data type with the second code that pairs the data type with the second location;

generate the aggregate result for the data type based on the first or second data and a determination or condition that an aggregated set of data records that includes the first and second data records is sufficient for automatic generation of a report about the data type;

generate and include in the report the comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first or second data and indicate in the report whether the data type that is paired with the first and second locations by the first and second codes meets or does not meet the aggregate result for the data type; and

cause a user device to receive and display the generated report about the data type, the user device being distinct from the first and second custodian devices from which the first and second data records are collectively received.

20. A system comprising:

one or more modules incorporated into an agricultural management information system to configure a capability of the agricultural management information system to generate environmental impact information, the environmental impact information including an aggregate result and comparative data, the one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to, at least;

receive first data associated with an impact on water quantity, the impact on the water quantity resulting from a production of an agricultural product, the first data being received from a single sampling location, the first received data including a first data record from a first custodian device located at a first location in the series of agricultural operations at which the first custodian device read a first code that pairs a data type with the first location, the first data record pairing a first value that quantifies the data type with the first code that pairs the data type with the first location;

receive second data associated with the impact on the water quantity, the second data being received from a plurality of sampling locations, the second received data including a second data record from a second custodian device located at a second location in the plurality of locations in the series of agricultural operations at which the second custodian device read a second code that pairs the data type with the second location, the second data record pairing a second value that quantifies the data type with the second code that pairs the data type with the second location;

generate the aggregate result for the data type based on the first or second data and a determination or condition that an aggregated set of data records that includes the first and second data records is sufficient for automatic generation of a report about the data type;

generate and include in the report the comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first or second data and indicate in the report whether the data type that is paired with the first and second locations by the first and second codes meets or does not meet the aggregate result for the data type; and

cause a user device to receive and display the generated report about the data type, the user device being distinct from the first and second custodian devices from which the first and second data records are collectively received.

21. A system comprising:

one or more modules incorporated into an agricultural management information system to configure a capability of the agricultural management information system to generate environmental impact information, the environmental impact information including an aggregate result and comparative data, the one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to, at least;

receive first data associated with an impact on air quality, the impact on the air quality resulting from a production of an agricultural product, the first data being received from a single sampling location, the first received data including a first data record from a first custodian device located at a first location in the series of agricultural operations at which the first custodian device read a first code that pairs a data type with the first location, the first data record pairing a first value that quantifies the data type with the first code that pairs the data type with the first location;

receive second data associated with the impact on the air quality, the second data being received from a plurality of sampling locations, the second received data including a second data record from a second custodian device located at a second location in the plurality of locations in the series of agricultural operations at which the second custodian device read a second code that pairs the data type with the second location, the second data record pairing a second value that quantifies the data type with the second code that pairs the data type with the second location;

generate the aggregate result for the data type based on the first or second data and a determination or condition that an aggregated set of data records that includes the first and second data records is sufficient for automatic generation of a report about the data type;

generate and include in the report the comparative data using the aggregate result and at least some of the first or second data; and

report the aggregate result and the comparative data to a user.