A group of panelists discussed the tremendous opportunities and challenges that ag technology presents for organic agriculture during the Organic Grower Summit (OGS), held in Monterey, California, last month.

Bart Walker of Pacific Ag Rentals moderated the panel, which included Kristen Smith Eshaya of JV Smith Companies, Tom Nunes V of The Nunes Company, and Paul Mikesell of Carbon Robotics.

Panelists from left: Paul Mikesell, Founder, Carbon Robotics; Kristen Smith Eshaya, President, JV Smith Companies; Tom Nunes V, President, The Nunes Company

Walker delved right into the topic asking the panelists about the new technologies they use and how they pencil out in terms of cost and return. Eshaya noted there is no line item in JV Smith's spreadsheets to account for new technology. Each innovative effort, she said, must replace a line item that is in the budget. Nonetheless, the Smith Companies have become leaders in agtech, utilizing and experimenting with such innovations as drones, automatic thinners, sound emitters, light laser machines, and ultraviolet water filtration technology.

Nunes noted that when discussing the ROI of technology, a company has to look at the big picture and consider many factors. For example, he said the cost of new regulations should be part of the calculus. He said regulations have become so complex that any technology that helps a company traverse that seemingly impossible maze should be considered.

He added that new technology that reduces the number of people in the field is also high on the list.

Tom Nunes V, President, The Nunes Company

Mikesell said it's hard to convince new users to try his equipment—the LaserWeeder—without thoroughly addressing the ROI. “No one has a line item in their budget for technology,” he said. “You have to replace something ... and what you are selling has to be cheaper and faster.”

Carbon Robotics has succeeded in introducing its new technology because understanding agriculture is at the core of its product development. “Any technology provider must understand farming,” Mikesell said, noting that farmers want a quick payback.

Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeders are sold as a labor and time saver, Mikesell said, and a major advantage is that they also boost yields. He reasoned that the plants are no longer competing with the weeds and said that in some cases yields have doubled.  “We didn’t factor this in originally,” he said, indicating that the yield increase has become a very important advantage.

Paul Mikesell, Founder, Carbon Robotics

Eshaya said getting growers to try something new is challenging as they are often reluctant innovators. “The level of adoption is often challenging because of the initial expense,” she said, pointing to the cost of automatic thinners as an example.

Nunes expressed his interest in new technology but argued that at the end of the day farming is still more art than science. He said every farmer in the Salinas Valley knows that the most successful farmers are those that are walking their fields every day. “There is a lot of science that can help us, but it is still an art,” he said. “Your shadow is still the most important thing in that field.”

Mikesell’s LaserWeeders have made lots of passes over lots of fields since the company launched. In that time frame, those machines have taken multiple pictures of every inch of the ground that they've covered. That is data that the company is now developing into useful information. He said the next phase of Carbon Robotics is to use that data to make predictions and recommendations. He agreed that the company has to move carefully down this path, but he indicated that unlocking that data will be of tremendous value, even to the farmer whose shadow is in the field.

“There is a lot of science that can help us, but it is still an art. Your shadow is still the most important thing in that field.” - Tom Nunes V

Nunes said that the best testimonial any new technology can get is from a grower with a positive experience. He said there is a “ton of collaboration” in the farming community, with everyone learning from one another. He said farmers are always sharing their successes and failures and indicated that both good and bad news about new technology travels quickly.

Though not dismissing the role of technology, Nunes said the produce industry already works very well, so new technology is coming into a well-oiled machine. He harkened back to a few years ago when many industries and their supply chains all over the country were failing to deliver products to consumers during the height of the pandemic. “Look at the efficiency of our industry,” he argued. “You couldn’t buy toilet paper, but you could buy a head of lettuce every day!”

Looking forward, Nunes said technological advances in water conservation is a much-needed area of development. He indicated that drip technology has allowed the industry to utilize water very efficiently over the past couple of decades, but he said even greater efficiency will be needed in the future. For example, he said indoor controlled environment technology may be something that can be adapted for outdoor use.

Kristen Smith Eshaya, President, JV Smith Companies

Eshaya agreed that water efficiency, especially in the desert regions that JV Smith Companies farm, is an area that could use more improvement.

Looking toward the future, Eshaya said she's very excited about artificial intelligence and what it might bring to the farming industry. She indicated that the possibilities are endless.