SWOF Data Management Requirements and Tips
By Rowan Collins, Field Operations Specialist
For participants in the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF), maintaining well-organized records at the field level is required to ensure contract compliance and help in the event of an audit or request for proof of practice implementation.
What Is an Audit?
An audit is an independent review conducted by a third-party to verify that SWOF’s processes, as well as the data provided by farmers, are accurate and meet the standards required for high-quality outcomes.
For producers this means providing proof that the data submitted to SWOF is accurate and reflects actual activities in their enrolled fields. An audit will likely involve a visit to the farm and field and a request for documentation of cropping practices.
For example, if a farmer reported planting corn on April 20th, the audit would request documentation to verify this, such as records from a farm data management system or notes recorded by the farmer.
Acceptable Field Data Records, Example 1 of 2
What Is Proof of Practice?
SWOF must verify that farmers have implemented the crops and conservation practices outlined in their contract. This is typically done through field visits. However, certain practices, such as fertilizer management, are not visible, and some practices may not be evident during a field visit. In these cases, farmers are asked to provide proof of practice implementation. Farmers can provide the necessary information quickly and easily by maintaining good records.
Key Data to Organize
Below are the key pieces of data SWOF farmers are required to document for their enrolled fields:
Crop planting dates and rates
Fertilizer application dates, rates, and products used
Pesticide application dates, rates, and products used
Cover crop species, rates, and dates
Tillage activities, dates, implements used, and depth
Harvest dates and calibrated yield data
These data must be captured and stored at the field level, allowing for easy comparison to your SWOF application and contract.
Acceptable Field Data Record, Example 2 of 2
Acceptable Data and Records
Records and data can come from many different sources, including but not limited to:
Equipment sensors
Planting and yield monitors
As-applied maps
Receipts or invoices with dates, fields, and rates or volume information
Location and date and time-stamped photos
Seed tags
Nutrient testing results
Recommended Data Management Tools
Participating farmers can use the SWOF platform to store their records by using the upload tool. Farmers can also use a dedicated data management platform; some popular data management platforms include:
John Deere Operations Center
Climate FieldView
AgLeader SMS
Bushel Farm (formerly FarmLogs)
Granular
Take the First Step
We understand there are challenges and barriers to utilizing some of these tools, but with the wide variety of options available and assistance from SWOF, we are confident you’ll find a solution that works for your farm. By taking these steps, you will not only be fully prepared when data is requested, you’ll also improve the efficiency of your operation.
SWOF is committed to safeguarding your personal and on-farm information. If you have questions about how we use and protect your data, please review our Data Privacy Policy or contact your SWOF field program representative with any additional questions.
Rowan Collins
Field Operations Specialist
As a Field Operations Specialist, Rowan provides critical support services to the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund team. He works as a lead on our field compliance checks in the fall and spring, collects soil and water samples, and assists our Field Team with farmer enrollment when needed. He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. Rowan is originally from Grimes, Iowa and enjoys sports and working outside.