Efran Orozco and Alex Batteer, a Nevada County resident and cannabis cultivator, began exchanging stories about farm chaos and came up with the idea of BizBud, an agricultural management app that empowers any type of worker.
Batteer laughed as he ended his litany in loose ends early 2019, saying: There should have been an app for that.
Three years later, it is still there.
Batteer explained that there were many things I was lacking in organizing and knowing what was happening. We mapped out our goals and created a plan that would make my life much easier.
BizBud, a smartphone app that helps farmers track and pay their workers is called Batteer. It works on smartphones, so users can access and input information on site.
Submitted to The Union
Orozco says the app helps bridge the gap between large corporate operations and small farmers by helping to log and track hours in an industry that has many moving parts.
Orozco was raised in Mexico and studied environmental engineering. Because of the connections he made during his time in Denver, Orozco first visited Denver. Young Leaders of America Initiative. Diego Orozco, Diego’s younger brother, invited him into Nevada County for the first-ever time in 2018.
Orozco explained that legalization is similar to a startup. He has seen many disorganized farmers, who had the land or lease to cultivate their profit, but didn’t have the system in place.
Orozco stated that it is easier to have the energy and workers in an open loop factory than in agriculture. You suddenly get cold weather or a late-season genetic failure. Many farmers who apply to licenses are not able to keep up with the requirements. We offer a tool to facilitate it.
The app logs the hours of each employee, and allows users distinguish between strains. BizBuds creators believe that the app will eventually be a platform through which agricultural cultivators of any fragrant edible or inhaleable plant can document and observe changes in climate, soil quality, and other aspects.
BETTER CONTROL
Before the apps next iteration comes out there have been three so far BizBud’s current purpose is to manage payments for any and all licensed and unlicensed agricultural projects.
Orozco stated that the app is flexible in terms of legal status and may prove to be particularly useful for those who are still undecided or in the middle of pursuing the legal pipeline.
Orozco stated that while I believe regulation is necessary and beneficial for the industry, it should not exclude smaller farmers who have been producing and supplying it from the beginning. Many of these small farmers don’t have the resources or education to learn the administrative side of being competitive.
Orozco stated that some cultivators avoid compliance due to the costs and complications involved in the pursuit.
“In order to be compliant, farmers must understand software like Metro and other tracking systems that from the ground-up require an organization that is structured in a systematic way, Orozco said. “Farmers that are not capable chances are, they wont be able to to compete with whats happening in the future.
Orozco explained that the app can convert project data and hours into an Excel sheet. In this digital format, business owners and operators can use the app to file taxes if necessary. This is another example of how Orozco’s app works with farmers, licensed and unlicensed.
Orozco spoke of the difficult process of transitioning the time card to regulation as one of the reasons that the black market is still alive. Our tool is not comparable to the software that is based on deregulation. It is complementary to the farmer.
Orozco stated that any information shared via BizBud remains confidential, regardless of whether the project involves strawberries, apples, or the Birthday Cake strain cannabis flower. Amazon Web Services is the encrypted server used by the apps designers.
Some farmers have already seen the app help them gain greater control.
Itamar Cohen, a Nevada County farmer, said that I can get information about my business right away and in my hands without having to go through the tedious set up processes required for similar solutions.
Orozco stated that there is a paid version and a free version. The free version does not include advertisements and allows you to log hours and projects.
Orozco said that BizBud is now doing what it needs after troubleshooting the past year.
Orozco stated that he believes the app could help to generate financial support for projects that are more directly focused on protecting the environment.
Orozco said that California-based company can raise capital within a booming industry. Orozco stated that the company may eventually be able to offer a broad range of environmental analytics.
Rebecca ONeil is a staff journalist at The Union. Contact her at [email protected]
