Finding the right field can be tricky. Once you’re there, finding the right area of a field or spotting subtle landscape trends can complicate things. As I do my work, I often find it useful to have air photos, orthophotos, or satellite images of fields.
Here are the sources that I use.
Orthophotos:
Manitoba Land Initiative has orthophotos for Manitoba. You have to register with the site, but the photos are free. The downside is that the photos are over ten years old (taken 1992 to 1998). There are a number of useful shapefiles on the site as well. The Agri-Maps Viewer is a web based application that provides access to much of the MLI information without requiring a specialized GIS program.
Air Photos:
If I want a quick photo of a field with some basic GIS functions, I use the free version of Google Earth. If they have a photo, it’s usually more recent than the Manitoba Land Initiative photos. The downside is that some areas are not covered and I can’t use the photos in my GIS system.
Prairie Agri Photo can take pictures of sites on demand. This is very useful for crop damage claims, especially when you need to take photos on specific dates. They do charge for their photos and unless you’re lucky there are no historical photos for a site. Prairie Agri Photo has done some work on geo-referencing images as well.
Satellite Images:
Agri ImaGIS can supply some images, though I’ve had difficulty discerning damaged areas from their images. They are probably the best source for images for precision ag.
The Geomatics Branch of Manitoba Conservation can also provide access to satellite maps. The person to contact there is:
Patricia Hurlburt
Remote Sensing Technologist
Geomatics Branch
Manitoba Conservation
1007 Century Street
Winnipeg MB R3H 0W4
ph. (204)945-6595
mailto:Patricia.Hurlburt@gov.mb.ca
Classics:
Finally, for paper maps or air photos, talk to Canada Map Sales. They can supply you with air photos as well as a variety of maps that are not available in a digital format.
When I’m looking to develop the right map for a project, these are the places I look. If you’re looking for a custom map for your operation, give me a call!
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