Every year, the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) and our federal partner, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), come together to connect local growers with technical assistance programs and funding opportunities.
In past years, our local work group met at the farm bureau building in Knightsen, but this year, we tried something different. On July 10th, we moved the workgroup into the orchard. We met at Greenties Cherry Farm for a farm automation field day.
This change of venue reflects a bigger shift towards collaboration. Rather than a single-agency presentation, this year's workshop brought together a wide circle of partners: CCRCD and NRCS, the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), agricultural technology provider HotSpot Ag, and our host grower, Partha Singamaneni of Greenties Cherry Farm. Each organization serves growers in a different way. By hosting everyone together, growers could see how research, technology, funding, and on-the-ground support connect with each other.
One highlight of the day was a live demonstration of the HotSpot Ag automated irrigation system installed at Greenties. One network of sensors monitors soil moisture and temperature across the orchard, while a second monitors and operates the pump, valves, and irrigation zones. This system allows the grower to manage irrigation remotely, much like a homeowner runs an automated sprinkler system, but at farm scale. The live demonstration allowed everyone to see how the system runs on a working orchard. UCCE Specialty Crops Advisor Kamyar Aram then connected the demonstration to practice, showing how growers can use soil moisture data to apply water more precisely and improve irrigation management. By improving irrigation management, farmers can increase crop yield while also conserving water.
The day closed with an emphasis on farmer support. CCRCD and NRCS staff outlined funding opportunities and technical assistance programs, CAFF shared its farmer resources, and our host grower led a great Q&A. Growers surveyed at the event told us that pest management and water resources are their top concerns, that tractor upgrades and irrigation support are the program areas where help is most wanted, and that East Contra Costa should be prioritized for agricultural support and services. Those responses will directly shape how the CCRCD and our partners direct programs and services in the coming year.
