Client: Capestone Organic
Location: Haverfordwest
Smart Farming IoT in the UK
Capestone Organic, a leading UK poultry producer, needed a more reliable way to monitor temperature and water usage across its rural farm estate. Manual checks were slowing operations, increasing labour time, and introducing unnecessary risk.
Working with Dragon WiFi, Capestone transitioned to a private LoRaWAN-based Smart Farming IoT network, delivering automated environmental monitoring across barns, freezers and outdoor areas.
The result: improved efficiency, reduced manual workload, and real-time visibility across the farm.
The Challenge: Manual Monitoring on a Modern Poultry Farm
Like many UK agricultural businesses, Capestone relied on physical site visits to record:
- Barn temperature
- Freezer temperature
- Water volume usage
- Environmental conditions across fields
Staff were required to travel between multiple locations daily to manually log readings.
This created several issues:
- Time lost to repetitive site visits
- Increased labour cost
- Risk of human error
- Paper-based record keeping
- Delayed awareness of potential problems
For a growing poultry operation, this approach was no longer sustainable.
The Solution: Private LoRaWAN Smart Farming Network
Dragon WiFi designed and deployed a private long-range wireless IoT network (LoRaWAN) across the farm estate.
Unlike public mobile networks, a private LoRaWAN system provides:
- Long-range coverage across rural land
- Low power consumption
- Secure data transmission
- Independence from unreliable mobile signal
IoT sensors were strategically installed in poultry barns, cold storage and freezer units, water systems, and outdoor monitoring points. These sensors automatically transmit readings at regular intervals via the private network to a secure cloud-based portal.
Real-Time Farm Monitoring Without Manual Checks
The automated system replaced the need for daily physical inspections.
Farm managers can now:
- View temperature data remotely
- Monitor water usage trends
- Access historical data logs
- Receive alerts if thresholds are exceeded
- Demonstrate compliance through accurate digital records
Instead of reacting to problems during physical checks, Capestone now receives proactive alerts if environmental conditions fall outside safe parameters.
This is particularly valuable for:
- Poultry welfare standards
- Food safety compliance
- Grant reporting
- Environmental management schemes
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LoRaWAN and the IoT
What is LoRaWAN?
LoRaWAN is a long-range wireless network designed for rural areas. It allows small sensors around your farm to send data, like temperature or water levels, over long distances using very little power. It works reliably across fields and buildings, even where the mobile signal is poor.
LoRaWAN is a long-range wireless network designed for rural areas. It allows small sensors around your farm to send data, like temperature or water levels, over long distances using very little power. It works reliably across fields and buildings, even where the mobile signal is poor.
What is the IoT?
IoT stands for “Internet of Things”. It simply means small connected devices, like temperature or water sensors, that automatically collect and send data so you can monitor your farm without having to check everything manually.
Why not talk to us?
You can use the form to send a message if you'd like a callback from one of our team.
Alternatively, you can contact us on:
Wales - 01437 76 33 33
South West - 01579 68 60 01
- superfast@dragonwifi.co.uk
You'll be answered by a human in our office!