Patent ID: 7761334

Claim:
A method of tracing a crop via data processing systems, the method comprising: collecting planting location data and seed or seed stock information for a particular crop during pre-planting or planting and prior to harvesting of the particular crop, the seed or stock information comprising at least one of source, variety, and lot number originating from a seed supplier and storing the seed or seed stock information in a first data storage associated with a first data processing system of an agricultural machine for planting, the collecting accomplished via a reader by reading at least one of an optically readable tag, a seed package label and a radio frequency tag; transferring the seed or stock information from the agricultural machine for planting to a remote data storage device remote from the first data storage; collecting harvesting location data and crop information regarding crop characteristics via a sensor and machine electronics of a harvesting machine and electronically storing the crop information in a second data storage associated with a second data processing system of the harvesting machine during or after the harvesting of the particular crop, the crop information comprising production data on moisture content of the particular crop and a machine setting of the harvesting machine associated with the particular crop; combining the collected crop information with the stored seed or seed stock planting information based on the location data to create a collective data profile in the remote data storage device for the harvested particular crop; and providing an electronically accessible data profile associated with the harvested particular crop via a subscriber terminal for communicating with the remote data storage device through a communications network, the data profile including the collected crop information to facilitate verification of a purchaser or a downstream user of the particular harvested crop that a desired attribute is present in the harvested particular crop, where the production data in the data profile in the remote data storage device comprises the moisture content of the particular crop and the machine setting of the harvesting machine.