How Von Hardenberg Farms is Utilizing an Autonomous Irrigation System to Reduce Costs and Improve Yields

Technology is transforming sectors across British Columbia, empowering industries to stay competitive, productive and future-ready. In this success story series, we’re exploring how B.C. farms are leveraging innovative technologies to solve challenges, drive growth and unlock new opportunities.

B.C. farmers looking to grow their businesses amidst rising costs have been receiving support through the BC On-Farm Technology Adoption Program (BCOFTAP) which is helping them access new technologies – such as robotic and automated equipment, farm management software, and digital sensors – that boost production, efficiency, and profitability.

During its first intake in 2023, BCOFTAP awarded a total of $2 million across 54 projects to support farmers and producers in investing in new equipment. A second intake, recently completed in 2024, also provided $2 million in funding to 31 projects, with a focus on labour-saving technologies.

The program is delivered by Innovate BC and funded by the governments of Canada and British Columbia, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year (April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2028) $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial, and territorial governments aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, innovation, and resilience of Canada’s agriculture sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that the partnership commitment is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for agricultural programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Through the first intake of BCOFTAP, Von Hardenberg Farms, a family-owned dairy farm located in Dewdney B.C., received $150,000 to support them in purchasing an autonomous irrigation and manure application system. The irrigation system, with a full project cost of approximately $611,822, was adopted with the goal of increasing yields and lowering costs.

For dairy farms like Von Hardenberg, one of the biggest expenses is feed. While many dairy operations attempt to grow their own, Von Hardenberg often needed to purchase additional feed to ensure they had enough to sustain their cattle. To maximize yields from their fields and reduce reliance on external feed, accurate and timely application of irrigation and nutrients is crucial. One key advantage of dairy farm sustainability is the ability to recycle manure as fertilizer for future crops, but traditional manure application methods have limited time windows, making it challenging to fully capitalize on this resource.

To help tackle these challenges, Von Hardenberg utilized the program funding to adopt the 360 RAIN® irrigation system, which automates water and nutrient delivery directly to their crop. By integrating this technology, Von Hardenberg Farms aimed to reduce manual irrigation and manure management tasks, minimize water waste, and improve crop yield in a more cost-effective way. By applying manure with irrigation water throughout the growing season, the crop is spoon-fed small applications of nutrients, limiting losses and improving uptake and yield. The system’s data-driven insights also enable remote monitoring and adjustments, with the goal of saving time and fertilizer, and further improving yield.

We sat down with Chris Von Hardenberg, the farm’s owner, to learn more about their farm and the challenges they’ve faced, and how adopting new technology with the support of the program has impacted their operations.

Tell us about your farm, what do you do?

Chris: We operate a 200-cow dairy farm located east of Mission, B.C, farming across 360 acres to sustain our cattle.

What challenges or opportunities have you faced where technology could provide support?

Chris: Our main challenge was the lack of an irrigation system and the inability to apply manure effectively during the growing season. Before this technology, we didn’t have a way to irrigate or efficiently manage our manure application throughout the season. Now, with this infrastructure in place, we can both irrigate and apply nutrients to our crops more effectively, which improves plant health and increases yields. This has allowed us to grow larger crops, feed our animals better, and reduce the acreage needed to produce enough for the year.

How has the BCOFTAP funding helped your farm?

Chris: Without the program funding, we wouldn’t have been able to install this advanced system. It would have likely taken another three or four years to implement, or we would have been forced to rely on a more basic irrigation system that couldn’t incorporate nutrient application. The funding allowed us to adopt a comprehensive solution that enhances both irrigation and nutrient management.

How has the technology you adopted impacted your operations?

Chris: The impact has been significant. Compared to last year, we’ve seen much better yields, but the real savings have come from not having to apply side dress fertilizer, which is typically applied when corn crops are about a foot tall. This year, we didn’t need to apply it at all, and our crop still performed very well. This saved us roughly $30,000 in chemical fertilizer costs.

What has been the biggest benefit of this technology to your farm?

Chris: The biggest benefit has been the ability to apply both manure and water during the growing season. This irrigation method is also preventing nitrogen leaching, improving the overall efficiency of our fertilizer use, and we are able to reduce our dependence on chemical fertilizers. Previously, we didn’t have irrigation systems on our fields, so this has been a game-changer. Additionally, the technology tracks all the irrigation activity, so we can analyze the data to make more informed decisions on where and when to apply manure. This system put out over a million gallons of manure over the growing season, which also saves the full-time labour of two people for 4 or 5 days in the fall.

What does adopting this technology mean for your customers or consumers?

Chris: People might not always appreciate seeing manure applied in large amounts, this technology applies it in small doses, twice a week, so it’s more efficient and less noticeable, which helps with public perception. It’s also a more sustainable and controlled method of managing manure, and ultimately benefits our customers by contributing to healthier crops and better feed for the dairy.

How does new technology or innovation support the farming sector here in BC?

Chris: New technology makes farming more competitive and efficient. It allows us to do more with less – saving on input costs, improving crop yields, and increasing nutrient use efficiency.

To learn more about the BC On-Farm Technology Adoption Program, visit www.innovatebc.ca/programs/bc-on-farm

To learn more about the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, visit www.agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/initiatives/sustainable-canadian-agricultural-partnership