Power fails. Networks drop. The system keeps working.
Four stages, each one simple. Built for Nigerian field conditions: no grid power, patchy internet, real dust, real rain.
1. Sensors in the soil
Rugged probes measure soil moisture, temperature, and conductivity every few minutes. They run for years on one battery and talk to the gateway by radio — up to 2–8 km line of sight. No SIM cards. No wifi. No power lines in the field.
2. The gateway hears them
One gateway covers a whole pilot cluster. Off-grid is normal: a small solar kit runs it. When internet is available it forwards data. When it isn't, readings queue and sync later — we proved 10 out of 10 replay through a forced outage.
3. Your own computer keeps the records
A box the size of a paperback on your premises stores every reading, backs itself up nightly, and enforces memory limits so it behaves for years. It passed 9 out of 9 minimum-spec checks on a $60-class board — while sharing that board with ten other services.
4. You read answers, not dashboards
Open the app on any phone: field cards in plain words — "Musa's plot: DRY — consider irrigation" — plus history and battery status. Power users get a full dashboard. Everyone else gets the answer.
Why self-hosted?
Because your season's data is worth more than the sensors.
You own the data
Your season books live on your hardware. No vendor can lock them, sell them, or switch them off.
No subscription to exist
The system runs because the hardware runs. Support is a choice, not a ransom.
Built for the field
Store-and-forward design means poor internet is an inconvenience, not a failure mode.