Five questions for… Yannick Smedts
For our latest blog, we spoke with Yannick Smedts. In five questions, he tells us more about WolkyTolky and his role within the company.
Who are you and what is your role within WolkyTolky?
“I am Yannick Smedts; together with Luc Verkoelen and Han Fleuren, I founded WolkyTolky in 2018. At WolkyTolky, I work as a Sales Advisor. I am familiar with all the ins and outs of the WolkyTolky and enjoy engaging with growers to discover how the WolkyTolky can best be utilized for various crops. This month, I am answering five questions to give you a better insight into WolkyTolky.”
What does WolkyTolky do?
“WolkyTolky is a cloud-based measurement station, meaning it connects to a data center via a mobile network. Through the WolkyTolky app, a grower stays informed of all developments on their plot. WolkyTolky will automatically send a notification if a value set by the grower is reached or exceeded. For example, if a grower uses a soil moisture sensor, WolkyTolky can send an alarm if it threatens to become too dry for the crop. This allows a grower to respond in time. WolkyTolky originated from a unique collaboration of specialists – a nurseryman wanting more insight into growth on the plots, a weatherman with a passion for measuring and recording the weather, and a software architect operating in the meteorological sector.”
Yannick Smedts on the left of the photo
Why did you choose the name ‘WolkyTolky’?“
It is important to choose a name for a company that sticks with people. Together with Han and Luc, we organized a brainstorm where we quickly arrived at WolkyTolky. ‘Wolk’ is the Dutch word for Cloud, an online environment where hardware, software, and data can be made available. A ‘Tolk’ is an interpreter who must immediately and accurately translate spoken text into words or gestures. Here, it stands for translating measurement data into usable information for the grower. Together, they form WolkyTolky.”
Where does the strength of WolkyTolky lie?
“The strength of WolkyTolky lies in its flexible character. WolkyTolky is an ideal measurement station for every farmer, whether they are a fruit grower, nurseryman, horticulturalist, arable farmer, or bulb grower. WolkyTolky is designed as a weather station to support and unburden you as a grower. With our user-friendly and clear WolkyTolky app, growers stay informed of all developments on their plot. WolkyTolky will automatically send a notification if a value set by the grower is reached or exceeded.
We can measure, among other things, precipitation, soil moisture, temperature, soil temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, solar intensity, UV radiation, barometric pressure, and leaf wetness (disease pressure). Multiple sensors of each type can be connected. Sensors that are not relevant to a grower can be omitted. It is also possible to connect other types of sensors to the WolkyTolky measurement station. Always up-to-date with WolkyTolky.”
Which project within WolkyTolky has stayed with you the most?“
I am proud of all the projects we have been able to realize for our customers so far. But the one that has stayed with me the most is definitely the very first request. This was a grower from Kessel with a mixed horticulture/arable farm who was growing Chinese cabbage at the time. Chinese cabbage can burn from the inside if the temperature becomes too hot. Together with the grower, we installed a WolkyTolky that measures the core temperature of the heads of cabbage using five sensors. When the temperature began to rise significantly, the grower received an alarm from WolkyTolky. This allowed them to take timely action and prevent internal burning. Three weeks later, I received a phone call from the customer saying he was extremely happy with the help of our WolkyTolky in protecting the crop and thus saving his harvest. Creating that added value for a grower is something I find fantastic.”
Curious about what we can do for you? Please contact us via +31 (0)85 130 4781 or email info@wolkytolky.com.