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WASHINGTON GRAIN COMMISSION
ting into a permanent Conservation Reserve Program.
Although he still uses a D-5 crawler tractor on his farm
with levers instead of a steering wheel, Hair is a bit of a
geek when it comes to his smart phone. He laughingly
begs to differ, arguing mastery of the phone isn’t about
being a geek, it’s about desire and patience. But then, in
all seriousness, he’ll brief you on various phone operating
systems including Froyo, Gingerbread and Ice Cream
Sandwich. He’s very excited about trading up to Ice Cream
Sandwich. Enough said.
Despite his technical know-how, Hair’s No. 1 use of
his phone is to access email. He’s learned to text mainly
because that’s how his kids communicate.
The camera function on cell phones may be old hat now,
but Hair finds it to be incredibly useful. He uses the smart
phone camera as a visual journal of what is happening on
the farm. For instance,
by taking a photo of
his initial tillage, he’s
not only able to see
later how it looked,
but the date attached
to the photo tells him
exactly when he started
the operation. He also
takes photos of parts he
needs to ensure he gets
what he’s ordered. If his
daughter is gopher for
the day, he can email
her the photo on the
A photo with the time it was taken attached
can communicate a thousand
words to the trucking company that didn’t
adhere to its schedule said Nicole Berg.
way to the dealership.
And in a nod to social
networking, he will
use the camera’s video
function to record “massive breakdowns,” which he posts
to YouTube for a select few.
Brett Blankenship, 53, who farms near Washtucna,
initially purchased a smart phone to aid him as he went
through the officer chairs of the Washington Association
of Wheat Growers. Now, he is chairman of the domestic
policy committee of the National Association of Wheat
Growers and in the running to serve as an officer in that
organization.
Although his role as a WAWG officer is what compelled
him to make the transition to a smart phone in order to
check and respond to emails on-the-fly, he subsequently
became aware of its capabilities for the farm.
“Once I had the phone, I discovered the other things it
could do, such as checking the markets and being more
Sometimes, a single phone just isn’t enough. Kara Rowe, editor of Wheat
Life and outreach coordinator of WAWG, packs two: one for work and one
for her personal life.
During a break at a recent Washington Grain Commission meeting, Mike
Miller checks the latest wheat prices.
What would a meeting be without a cup of coffee and a Blackberry
52 WHEAT LIFE JANUARY 2012