Labor
Field of Machines: Automation eases some tasks, but focus is on harvest
FRESNO, Calif. – As Congress prepares yet again to consider agriculture labor reform through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, dozens of autonomous sprayers, weeders and cultivators are entering fields, orchards and vineyards every day in... more »
Tanimura & Antle celebrates 40th anniversary
On Nov. 10, 1982, two families who migrated to the Salinas Valley chasing the California dream shook hands and established a company that would impact the fresh produce and agriculture industry forever. Built upon a... more »
Penn State to offer growers help with H-2A changes
With significant program regulations changes coming in 2023 for users of H-2A labor, Penn State Extension is planning a webinar to inform growers of the changes. Through a Dec. 13 Zoom webinar, Penn State labor... more »
Ag group invests in autonomous tractors startup
Cooperative Ventures, a venture capital fund formed by North American farm cooperatives, announced its first investment. It is investing in Sabanto, a hardware and software company developing autonomous capabilities in tractors. Founded in 2018, Sabanto... more »
Microsoft AI partnership helps reduce greenhouse labor issues
Microsoft is collaborating with Blue Radix, a company specializing in autonomous growing, to use artificial intelligence to help reduce the scarcity of crop expertise in greenhouses. Greenhouses around the world are facing a unique crisis.... more »
Cal Poly strawberry research: Can robots kill pests?
The Cal Poly Strawberry Center’s Sixth Annual Field Day saw its biggest attendance yet, keeping on track with the increased participation every year since the inaugural event. The 2022 event in late July, however, marked... more »
Florida Tomato Institute grapples with pests
Despite some low crop years, Florida tomato growers are returning to normal production. A continuing concern, however, is protecting the crop from pests. At the Florida Tomato Institute on Sept. 7 in LaBelle, Florida, growers... more »
Western Growers seeks info on harvest automation
Western Growers is asking for information from growers and agtech start-ups for the second year of data collection for the Global Harvest Automation Report. The surveys will help the industry confront the ongoing threat from... more »