The full process

From soil sensor to sale — in four steps

FarmLink Intelligence connects farms, data, and buyers into a single trusted pipeline. Here is exactly how the platform works, from the first sensor reading to a buyer placing a pre-order.

Readings every 30 minutes
IoT-verified quality scores
28-day harvest forecasting
The pipeline

Four steps. No guesswork.

Every listing on FarmLink is backed by real sensor data moving through all four stages below.

1
IoT Hardware Layer

The sensor reads your farm

An Arduino Uno with a DHT22, soil moisture sensor, BH1750 light sensor, and DS3231 real-time clock is installed on each farm. Every 30 minutes, it captures five measurements and transmits them via ESP8266 Wi-Fi to Firebase in real time. The farmer does not do anything — the data flows automatically.

Soil moisture0 – 100 %
Temperature°C (DHT22)
Humidity0 – 100 %
Light intensityLux (BH1750)
RainfallYes / No
FrequencyEvery 30 min
Arduino Uno ESP8266 Wi-Fi Firebase Realtime DB DS3231 RTC
2
Quality Score Engine

The system computes a verified quality score

As sensor readings arrive, the FarmLink backend immediately calculates a quality score from 0 to 100. Each sensor reading is evaluated as Good, Fair, or Poor based on crop-specific thresholds. The combined score is attached to the farm and automatically carried into every produce listing. The farmer cannot edit it — which is exactly what makes buyers trust it.

Score range0 – 100
Ratings per sensorGood / Fair / Poor
Update cycleEvery reading
Editable by farmer?Never
QualityScoreEngine Flask + MySQL Auto-attached to listing
3
Harvest Forecast Engine

The platform predicts the harvest window

After 28 days of readings, FarmLink has enough data to forecast when the crop will be ready. The HarvestForecast engine analyses moisture trends, temperature patterns, and data completeness to predict a harvest window with a confidence percentage. When a forecast is ready, the AlertDispatcher automatically notifies all buyers who registered an interest in that crop type, region, and quality level.

Data required28+ days of readings
OutputDate window + %
Buyers notifiedAuto — via alert
ChannelsWeb, email, SMS
HarvestForecast AlertDispatcher BuyerAlert matching
4
Marketplace Layer

The buyer finds verified produce — before harvest

In the marketplace, every listing shows the IoT quality score, trust score, and — if available — the harvest forecast window. Buyers can filter by crop, region, quality threshold, trust level, and forecast availability. They can also register a standing alert, so they are notified automatically when a matching harvest approaches. This turns FarmLink into a supply intelligence engine, not just a listing board.

Filter byCrop, region, quality
Score shownQuality + Trust
Pre-order alertsYes — standing alerts
Login required?No — browse freely
ProduceListing TrustScoreEngine BuyerAlert
Who it's for

Three roles. One platform.

FarmLink serves farmers, buyers, and administrators — each with their own dedicated portal.

Farmer portal
Smallholder Farmers
Register farms and link IoT sensor nodes
View live sensor readings and quality scores
Create and manage produce listings
Track harvest forecast countdown
Monitor trust score and delivery history
Buyer portal
Wholesalers & Traders
Browse marketplace freely without an account
Filter by crop, region, quality, and trust score
See IoT-verified quality and trust breakdowns
Register standing alerts — get notified at harvest
Contact farmers directly through the listing
Admin panel
Platform Administrators
Verify and approve farmer accounts
Monitor all sensor nodes across the country
Investigate offline nodes and alert farmers
Review trust score complaints and suspend accounts
Generate regional agricultural reports
Questions

Common questions answered

Q
Do I need the IoT sensor to list produce as a farmer?

Yes. The quality score can only come from real sensor readings. Without a node linked to your farm, you cannot create a listing. The sensor is what makes your produce trustworthy to buyers.

Q
What happens when the sensor goes offline?

Every page that shows sensor data has a clear offline state — displaying the last known readings and time since last sync. Your listing remains visible but is flagged with a warning so buyers understand the context.

Q
Can a farmer change their quality score?

No. The quality score is read-only and labelled "system computed" on every listing. This design is intentional — an uneditable, sensor-generated score is the only kind buyers can fully trust.

Q
Do buyers need an account to browse the marketplace?

No. Anyone can browse listings, read quality scores, and view harvest forecasts freely. An account is only needed to register a standing alert or to contact a farmer directly.

Q
How is the trust score different from the quality score?

The quality score measures the farm's growing conditions. The trust score measures the farmer's reliability — built from transaction completion rate, on-time delivery, buyer ratings, and profile completeness.

Q
How long does a harvest forecast take to generate?

The engine needs at least 28 days of readings. Once that threshold is met, the forecast is generated automatically and matching buyers are notified — with no action required from the farmer.

Ready to start?

Join FarmLink Intelligence today

Farmers get a verified quality score. Buyers get supply intelligence. The platform does the rest.

Join as a farmer Browse the marketplace