Along with his son, Trevor, Darrell Cordova has led Triple C Farms to become a standout in sustainable management practices. The pair received the Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator award from the University of California, grows cover crops between orchard rows to improve water retention, and participates in programs offered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The problem
Getting crew members exactly where they need to be on a sprawling, 700-acre orchard site wasn’t always easy. In the past, if a tree needed to be removed, Darrell would flag the end of the row. Workers would then drive a backhoe down the line looking for the correct tree, sometimes entering from the far end or bumping and damaging other trees along the way. After removing the problem tree, another worker would come down the same row with a replacement—repeating the imprecise process all over again. This time-consuming approach cost the operation in hourly wages and fuel.
The solution
Darrel realized the Ceres Imaging app could provide a seamless way to pinpoint exact locations within the orchard. Because Ceres Imaging doesn’t limit the number of users on his account, Darrel can allow anyone to reference his imagery on a phone or tablet in the field—or print maps for those working without a mobile device.
Now, the irrigation crew uses Ceres Imaging to mark individual trees as they go about their daily tasks. “We drop pins through the app,” explains Darrell. “The crews can quickly get to those locations and enter the row from the side that will get them to the dead or downed tree the fastest while affecting fewer trees along the way.”
After a replacement is planted, Darrell uses aerial imagery to monitor its growth and changing irrigation needs—an approach he says has helped improve the survival rate for young trees.
The outcome
Darrel saves time and money on tree replacement by sending crews to precise locations within the orchard.
To help his team move as efficiently as possible, Darrell uses the Ceres Imaging app to show his team the exact location of trees to be replaced.
