The VINE, a program hosted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources will host at VINE Connect Field Day on Thursday, April 10, at the Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Camarillo, Calif.
This event will bring together farmers, startups, researchers and investors to explore practical, innovative agtech solutions for real on-farm challenges.
Attendees will observe live demonstrations of advanced agricultural technologies, provide feedback and insight to inform future product development and network with growers, industry leaders and technology experts.
“We do these demos on the Extension side, and [The VINE] is a little bit of a way to modernize Extension and start to bring some private tech companies to work with some of the research folks, so that you can just start to get a little more intersection between commercialization and research,” said Connie Bowen, founder of Farmhand Ventures.
Bowen said The VINE hand-picked five tech companies to come and showcase inventions that could help growers streamline operations or automate processes.
“For these companies, it’s more of a market expansion opportunity,” Bowen said. “They already have the capacity to fulfill sales effectively. Startups just struggle to reach farmers in general, and those that don’t, don’t last long. “We ran an open selection process. We included our industry advisory board, which includes ag industry representation. We worked with them to pick these companies.”
Bowen said The VINE also researched and vetted the companies to ensure the companies are on the up-and-up.
Companies at the April 10 event are:
- Ag-Bee — Aerial drone technology for precision crop monitoring and targeted application.
- L5 Automation — Autonomous machinery designed to reduce labor reliance and streamline field operations.
- Lumo — Smart irrigation systems that automate water management for improved conservation and efficiency.
- Verdi Ag — A farm automation platform that integrates precision irrigation and crop care solutions.
- Verdant Robotics — A precision application system that delivers unmatched accuracy for weeding, thinning and beneficial applications.
