# Sowsay

> Sowsay is a free, voice-first spray and fertiliser diary for New Zealand growers. You tap the microphone, say what you sprayed or spread, check the record Sowsay fills in, and confirm it. The record is saved in your private diary and can be exported as a PDF or CSV.

Sowsay is made for New Zealand growers. It is in free beta. Last updated: 17 October 2026.

## What Sowsay does
- Voice or typed notes become structured spray and fertiliser records: paddock or block, product(s), rate and units, area sprayed, date and time, application timing, optional target pest or weed, weather and who applied it.
- The grower checks and confirms every record before it is saved. Saved records can be edited (marked "edited") or voided (kept in history).
- The diary can be filtered by paddock or block and by date, and exported as PDF or CSV.
- Product names are matched against the NZ agrichemical (ACVM) register. A name match does not mean the product is suitable for a given use.
- Weather and wind are filled in from Open-Meteo model data for the place and time. It is not an on-farm measurement.

## Who it is for
New Zealand arable and maize growers, orchard and kiwifruit growers (kiwifruit, apples, avocado), mixed and pasture farms, and spray contractors.

## How it works
1. Tap the microphone: Open Sowsay and tap the big microphone button. If you would rather not talk, tap “Type it instead” and type the note.
2. Say what you sprayed: Talk the way you would tell your crew: the paddock or block, the product, the rate, and when. Sowsay writes down what it heard.
3. Check and confirm: Sowsay fills in a record for you to check: area, product or products, rate and units, area sprayed, date and time, application timing, any pest or weed you named, weather and who did it. Anything it is unsure about is highlighted. Fix anything that is wrong, then tap Confirm & save.
4. Find it in your diary: Every confirmed record is kept in your private diary. Filter it by paddock or block and by date. If you spot a mistake later, you can edit the record (it is marked “edited”) or void it (it stays in your history, marked voided).
5. Export when you need it: Download your diary as a PDF to print or share, or as a CSV to open in Excel or Google Sheets. Use the filters first to export just one paddock, block or date range.

## Cost, devices and data
- Cost: free while in beta, no card needed. Fair-use daily limits apply to voice and AI notes. No pricing has been announced.
- Devices: runs in the browser on iPhone (Safari), Android (Chrome) and desktop. It can be added to the home screen. It needs a connection; there is no offline logging yet.
- Data: each grower's records are stored under their own account only, in a cloud database (Upstash Redis), with the app hosted on Vercel. Passwords are hashed. Users can download or delete their data from the Setup screen. Voice recordings go to a speech-to-text service and the text to an AI language model to fill in the record. Data residency in New Zealand is not claimed.
- Accuracy: speech and AI can make mistakes, so users must check the confirm screen. Sowsay is a record-keeping aid, not legal or compliance advice.

## Links
- [How Sowsay works (steps, who it is for, FAQ)](https://sowsay.com/how-it-works)
- [Home page](https://sowsay.com)
- [Open the app / sign up free](https://app.sowsay.com/login)
- [Privacy, data and limits](https://app.sowsay.com/privacy)

## Frequently asked questions
### What is Sowsay?
Sowsay is a voice-first spray and fertiliser diary for New Zealand growers. You say or type what you sprayed or spread, Sowsay turns it into a structured record, you check and confirm it, and it is saved in your private diary. You can export the diary as a PDF or CSV.

### How much does Sowsay cost?
Sowsay is free while it is in beta, and you do not need a card to sign up. Fair-use daily limits apply to voice and AI notes. We have not announced any pricing.

### Is my data private, and where is it stored?
Your paddocks, blocks and spray records are stored under your own account and are never shown to other users. They are kept in a cloud database (Upstash Redis) and the app runs on Vercel, so your records are not only on your phone. Passwords are stored hashed. You can download everything we hold, or delete your account and records, from the Setup screen. We do not say your data stays in New Zealand. Full details are on the privacy page at app.sowsay.com/privacy.

### What happens to my voice recording and notes?
A voice recording is sent to a speech-to-text service to be turned into words, and the words are sent to an AI language model to fill in the record. We do not use them for anything else. Your phone's location is read only at the moment you log a job, only if you allow it, and you can change or remove it on the confirm screen.

### Does Sowsay work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Sowsay runs in your phone's browser (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android) and also on a computer, so there is nothing to download from an app store. You can add it to your home screen so it opens full screen like an app.

### How do I put Sowsay on my home screen?
On iPhone, open Sowsay in Safari, tap the Share button, choose Add to Home Screen, then tap Add. On Android, open it in Chrome and tap Install Sowsay, or open the ⋮ menu and choose Install app or Add to Home screen. On a computer, use the install icon in the address bar of Chrome or Edge. Inside Sowsay, the Install app button at the top shows the right steps for your device.

### Does Sowsay work offline or with no signal?
Not yet. Sowsay needs a mobile connection to turn what you say into a record and to save it. With no signal it shows a no-signal page, and you can try again when you are back in coverage. A quick note on paper or your phone until then works fine.

### How do I export my records?
Open the Diary, use the filters (paddock or block, from and to dates) if you want to narrow it down, then tap PDF or CSV. The PDF is a tidy printable table. The CSV has one row per product per paddock or block and opens in Excel or Google Sheets.

### How accurate is it? Do I need to check the record?
Yes, always check it. Speech and AI can mishear a product name, a rate or a paddock, so Sowsay shows a confirm screen and highlights anything it is unsure about. Nothing is saved until you confirm. Weather is model data for the area and time (from Open-Meteo), not a measurement taken on your farm. Sowsay is a record-keeping aid, not legal or compliance advice, and you remain responsible for the accuracy of your records.

### Can I edit or delete a record after I save it?
You can edit a saved record from the Diary: change the paddock or block, products, rates and units, area sprayed, date and time, application timing, target pest or weed, and notes. An edited record shows an “edited” marker and the earlier version is kept in its history. You can also void a record; it stays in your history, marked voided, and it is left out of exports unless you ask for voided records.

### Does Sowsay check product names?
Product names are matched against the New Zealand agrichemical (ACVM) register of registered products. A match only means the name looks registered. It does not say a product is right for your crop or situation, so always check the label. Fertiliser names are matched against a short list that is not verified.

### Can I log fertiliser as well as sprays?
Yes. Sowsay records spray and fertiliser jobs the same way: product, rate, area and date. Rates can be per hectare (such as litres or kilograms per hectare) or dilute rates such as per 100 litres, which is common in orchards.

### What do I call my paddocks, blocks and orchards?
Whatever you like. You choose what your land units are called (paddock, block, orchard, row and so on). Name an area as you speak and Sowsay saves it for next time, so there is no big setup form to fill in first.

### Who is Sowsay for?
New Zealand growers who spray or spread across paddocks or blocks: arable and maize growers, orchard and kiwifruit growers, mixed and pasture farms, and spray contractors.