New app matches farmers with agricultural experts

In the age of social media, video calls, and smartphones, humans have never been so connected. Still, the constant chatter can make finding gems among the duds a chore. A new app aims to change that, matching information seekers with industry experts in just a few swipes. 

“The AGvisorPRO app is designed to connect somebody who’s seeking advice or wisdom with an expert,” says Wilson Schultz, AGvisorPRO product manager.

Those seeking information and connection on the app can ask anonymous questions in a variety of categories: crops, equipment, business, and livestock. Each category is then divided into high-level subcategories to better segment questions for experts. 

“Say I have a question about fertilizer that I am applying,” Schultz explains. “I would click on crops and choose fertilizer, soil, nutrients. This ensures that the right experts receive the question and those who can help respond with comments. Sometimes the answer is short and simple, other times a deeper dive is needed.”

Users can add photos, videos, and location information for added context. 

Professionals can join the platform through a company partnership or independently. Independent experts also have the option to charge for their services. 

“Every time a new pro downloads the app, they can’t just automatically start answering questions,” Schultz says. “They actually have to go to their profile and complete a process ensuring identity transparency to the question askers.” 

Experts can subscribe to categories and get notified when new questions are asked and can choose whether to respond.

Founder and CEO, Robert Salik, promises to give farmers confidence in their decision-making by tapping into a number of specialized ag experts. “When an operational question comes up on the farm, you can post your question to Twitter or a forum and wait for days for sometimes nasty and often unqualified replies, or try AGvisorPRO,” says Saik, “Who do I ask? How do I find someone? How do I find the answer to that? The burden and decision fatigue these questions create is what we’re trying to alleviate for farmers.”

Saik says, “The app will help farmers avoid too much time in on-farm problem-solving.” With the app’s continuous expansion, the AGvisorPRO team hopes the app will further connections within agriculture and help spread knowledge that might otherwise be lost. Saik explains,“This platform allows people to stay engaged and help others in the industry learn and ask questions, gaining insight to help them become better at whatever it is they do in agriculture.”