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 out more at WGA.com.
As the labor shortage in agriculture worsens and farmers struggle to get their crops harvested, are today’s harvest robots making a dent in the ag labor gap? Listen as Walt Duflock, Western Growers VP of Innovation, discusses the progress on automation around harvest (helping out in the field) and automation to harvest (actual harvest robots). Walt, who has played a key role in building the agtech industry to what it is today, also speaks about tactics to speed up automation (like making plug-and-play robot parts widely available). During the interview, he also discusses how best to create a 4-year and 2-year university model that graduates students who are equipped to both build effective tech AND navigate the tech on the farm.