This episode of the Voices of the Valley podcast is brought to you today by the Western Growers Association. Supporting producers that grow the best medicine in the world. Find …
Over $2.3 Million Invested in Small Business Innovation Research
Significant investment was recently made through the Small Business Innovation Research Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is investing more …
Another Record Year for Agrifood Tech Investment Expected for 2021
Investment in agrifood technology reached a record high in 2020 with expectations for that trend to continue. According to the 2020 AgriFood Tech Investment Review from Finistere Ventures, overall investment in …
Ag Industry to Streamline Development of Harvest Automation Technology
An effort led by Western Growers (WG) looks to speed up the development and implementation of harvest automation technology. The Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) has set a goal of …
Bringing Ag and Tech Professionals Together Key to Successful Innovation
Bringing agriculture and tech professionals together is going to be critical to maximize the success of new innovations. There has been growing interest in methods for bridging the gap between …
Solano Gold Offers Some Flexibility for California Prune Production
The Solano Gold cultivar can provide some flexibility in production for California prune growers. Manager of the Prune Breeding Program at UC Davis, Sarah Castro explained the Solano Gold cultivar …
Slow Process for Moving Ag Professionals into the Digital Space
While more innovative digital tools continue to become available for farmers and ranchers, adoption of new technologies is still a slow process. Some of the discussions at the recent Salinas …
Soil Health Innovations Conference Coming Up Next Week
The inaugural Soil Health Innovations Conference has been moved to an online event. The conference is set to take place on March 8 and 9. It will feature national experts, staff from the …
Lawmakers Ask Biden for Rural Broadband Infrastructure Improvements
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is encouraging President Joe Biden to make rural broadband infrastructure a priority moving forward. Members of the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus sent a letter detailing …
Annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit Goes Virtual in March
The 8th annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit is coming up next month and has moved to an online format this year. The event is scheduled to take place online on March 18 and …
Drone Camp Receives Increased Interest Amidst COVID Restrictions
Over the summer the 2020 drone camp from the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) saw tremendous interest. The intensive short course is offered through the UC …
Ag Research to Be Expanded Through Strengthened USDA-NASA Partnership
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are strengthening their longstanding partnership. A memorandum of understanding was recently signed that should lead to …
New Virtual Desktop Audits Program Available to Leafy Greens Producers
A new online platform has been launched to help leafy greens producers with the auditing process. Western Growers and the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) recently launched an online desktop audit …
New Western Growers Partnership Looks to Accelerate Agtech Innovation
A new partnership between leading agricultural organizations is looking to help accelerate agtech innovation. Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) will be working with Agri-TechE in an effort …