Beyond Customers: Why Farmers Are Backing Barn Owl's Future
“This is the first time that we have data that shows what the problems are.”
When he spoke these words, Julius captured something profound about farming in 2025: the gap between what farmers experience in their fields and what they can actually prove, measure, and act upon.
After two years of field testing with farms across New England, we're not just launching a Wefunder campaign or opening pre-orders. We're inviting farmers to own a piece of the solution they helped create.
The Data Drought No One Talks About
For six and a half years, Bami Farm has grown eight different African vegetables on their 6.5-acre operation. They've attended classes, studied companion planting, watched countless videos. But without data—without knowing exactly which pests were causing which damage—they were fighting blind.
"They come, they eat, they damage," Julius told us. It's a simple statement that masks a complex problem: How do you solve what you can't identify?
This isn't just Bami Farm's challenge. It's every farm's challenge in an era where extension services are overwhelmed and entomologists are increasingly rare.
When Geography Becomes Destiny
Christian Smith's family has farmed the same land in Southeastern Massachusetts for generations. But geography has become a liability.
“We don’t have access to university extension here. We’re a long ways off. We don’t have any entomologists locally that I can rely on.”
For multi-generation farms like CN Smith Farm, tradition meets innovation out of necessity. When the old support systems fail, farmers must become their own experts—or find technology that fills the gap.
The Organic Equation
Our unnamed organic farmer laid out the economics with stark clarity: "If each spray is costing a couple hundred dollars, that quickly adds up."
For organic operations, the stakes are even higher. Their sprays are "only so, so effective," making timing everything. Miss the biofix—that critical moment when pests first emerge—and you might as well be spraying water.
"With accurate data, hopefully I can spray less," they told us. It's not just hope. It's math. Better timing equals fewer applications equals lower costs equals viable organic farming.
From Test Plots to Transformation
What started as Richard Chen putting out test traps has evolved into something larger. Each farm taught us something:
Bami Farm showed us that specialty crop farmers need identification as much as monitoring
CN Smith Farm proved that even experienced growers need backup when traditional support disappears
Organic operations demonstrated that precision timing can make or break profitability
These aren't just customer testimonials. They're co-developers. Their challenges shaped BOTSight's features. Their feedback drives our roadmap.
Why Farmers Invest in Farmers
When we opened our Wefunder campaign, we expected interest from tech investors and impact funds. What surprised us was the farmers.
"Richard is a great guy and I appreciate all his help," Christian Smith said. But appreciation has evolved into investment. Farmers who use BOTSight are choosing to own part of it.
Why? Because they see what's coming:
Continued extension service cuts
Rising labor costs
Increasing pest pressure from climate change
The next generation needing scalable solutions
They're not just buying a product. They're investing in infrastructure for agriculture's future.
The 2026 Growing Season: A Watershed Moment
Today, we're opening pre-orders for the 2026 growing season. This isn't just about getting devices into fields. It's about building a network.
Every farm that joins makes the system smarter:
More data improves AI accuracy
Regional pest patterns become clearer
Early warning networks strengthen
Knowledge compounds across the community
When Bami Farm identifies a new pest threatening African vegetables, every farm in the network benefits. When CN Smith Farm catches early codling moth flights, neighboring orchards get ahead of the curve.
Join the Movement
For two years, we've asked farmers what they need. They've told us:
Identification they can trust
Alerts that arrive in time
Data that drives decisions
Technology that actually works in the field
Now we're asking something different: Will you help us scale this solution?
Two ways to join:
Pre-order BOTSight for 2026 delivery and secure your place in the network.
Invest through Wefunder and own part of the agricultural revolution *
Because the future of farming won't be built in Silicon Valley. It'll be built by farmers, for farmers, with technology that understands the morning dew on a trap matters as much as the algorithm analyzing it.
As Julius from Bami Farm said, "I think it's a learning by itself."
We agree. And we're just getting started.
Ready to join farmers across New England in transforming pest management? Pre-order BOTSight for the 2026 season or invest in Barn Owl on Wefunder. Because the best agricultural technology is built by those who use it.
* We are 'testing the waters' to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.