Visiting a farm can unknowingly bring in harmful bacteria or diseases that can threaten livestock. Everything from contaminated clothing and footwear to vehicles and equipment can spread a contagion. 

Making its Canadian debut at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show last month, Protocol® is a facial recognition technology for farmers developed by Farm Health Guardian, a leading innovator in biosecurity management tools for the agricultural industry.

The goal is to proactively control who has access to livestock and poultry barns, providing farmers with a tool that helps safeguard animal health and reduce the risk of disease transmission. In a release, Rob Hannam, CEO of Farm Health Guardian, calls Protocol® a “biosecurity game-changer” when it comes to managing barn access. 

“Producers want assurances that any person entering their barns are disease-free, especially with the recent threats of diseases like African swine fever and avian influenza that have become major concerns,” says Hannam. 

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Unlike traditional door locks, access keypads, or RFID cards, the system gives farmers complete and total control over who can access their production site. The software can be configured to consider things like previous visits, downtime between barns, and the overall health status of the farm. The flexibility ensures farms can tailor the system to its specific biosecurity policies and needs to enhance its effectiveness. 

Protocol® is not limited to barns or production facilities alone; it can also be integrated into other farm infrastructures like roll-up doors and fumigation rooms.

You can learn more about Protocol® by visiting the Farm Health Guardian website.