In Mont-Saint-Grégoire, in the Montérégie region, Robec Farm represents four generations of family farming. Founded in 1920, the farm now cultivates nearly 1,650 acres (corn, soybeans, grains, and forage) and manages 86 dairy cows, 90% of whose feed comes from the farm itself. Not to mention a maple grove that produces maple syrup and maple butter, both of which are sold directly on-site.
Under the leadership of Sébastien Robert, the farm has committed to modern and sustainable agriculture. But to achieve this, the infrastructure needs to keep pace—which was not the case.
The Challenge: Connectivity That Didn’t Live Up to Its Promises
Like many farms, Robec Farm had tried to solve its network problems on its own. They had bought Wi-Fi extenders, tried them out… and then set them aside on a shelf. The promises on the box didn’t hold up against the reality on the ground: scattered buildings, dense building materials, and long distances.
There were numerous practical problems: Wi-Fi dead zones in several areas, unstable cellular service inside buildings, insufficient LTE coverage near the silo shed, and, most importantly, a main garage located on the other side of the road, completely isolated from the rest of the network. Added to this was a growing need for herd monitoring, particularly for pregnant cows and those nearing calving.
These shortcomings had direct consequences: wasted time, unnecessary travel, and difficulty integrating modern digital tools into the team’s daily routine.
The solution: telecommunications services tailored to the farm’s needs
Lumii Solutions’ approach is based first and foremost on planning tailored to the specific site. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions; each installation is designed with the buildings, distances, and actual uses in mind.
To connect the detached garage, a point-to-point wireless connection was installed between the main house and the building on the other side of the street, with a Wi-Fi system integrated into the garage.
In the dairy and the main buildings, a mesh network was deployed, supplemented by additional antennas to ensure stable coverage all the way to the silo shed.
Finally, connected surveillance cameras were installed in the barn and the garage. Their main purpose is to allow for remote monitoring of pregnant cows and those nearing calving, so that the farmer can intervene quickly without having to travel there at all hours.
The results: fewer irritants, greater effectiveness
The impact was quickly felt in several aspects of daily life. Communications are now reliable throughout the farm. Digital tools—including rumination collars for monitoring herd health—operate without interruption. Employees travel less unnecessarily, and herd monitoring has become proactive rather than reactive.
“For us, this system has completely changed the way we manage the farm. Before, we wasted a lot of time and had to deal with daily annoyances. Today, everything is connected, simpler, and safer. We feel that our farm is ready for the future.” Sébastien Robert, owner
Sandra Rolland, the dairy manager, highlights the tangible impact on her work:
“Wi-Fi throughout the dairy is a real game-changer.”
“We can work more efficiently, communicate instantly, and, most importantly, respond more quickly to cows that need help. I’m convinced it has already saved animals, and that, to me, is priceless.”
Toward an even more automated farm
A few months after installation, Lumii Solutions provides ongoing support to optimize the various solutions and the network infrastructure, including repositioning a camera and adding two new units near the calving pen.
Connectivity also opens the door to new projects. The most concrete example: remotely programming an automated feeding robot directly from the farm office.
“Being able to program the feeding robot without having to go there every month is changing the way we work and saving us valuable time. It’s another step toward a more efficient and innovative farm.” Sébastien Robert
Expertise in Support of Regional Agriculture
Robec Farm is a prime example of what a well-planned network infrastructure can achieve in an agricultural setting. Lumii Solutions has been supporting more than 100 farms in the Montérégie region since 2008, in addition to numerous factories and manufacturing companies. Each project is tailored to the realities on the ground to provide reliable, scalable connectivity that is truly useful in everyday operations.
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