Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology® (WGCIT) was featured in yesterday’s edition of PBS NewsHour, highlighting Western Growers’ efforts in accelerating the development of agricultural technologies.
PBS’ Special Correspondent Cat Wise travelled to Salinas, Calif. to take a look at some high-tech innovations being used to improve production. In the segment, Wise spoke to Patrick Zelaya, Jessica Gonzalez and Rivka Garcia of HeavyConnect and Kevin France of SWIIM System—who are all innovators working out of the WGCIT—about how their technologies will play a role in the sustainability of the agriculture industry.
Wise had the opportunity to visit the WGCIT and sit in on a Tech Talk (a monthly event that introduces the community and WG members to WGCIT resident start-up companies and their technologies) where she spoke to WG Executive Vice President Dave Puglia about the importance of agtech and the Center.
“Farmers have been innovative from the dawn of time, but our own members recognized that the collision of forces that are impacting their ability to stay in business, the regulatory pressures, resource pressures — we have less water available. We have less of a work force available to us,” said Puglia to PBS NewsHour. “This center is designed to bring the best of Silicon Valley, the best minds in technology and innovation, closer to the best farmers in the world, and speed the innovation that can solve those problems.”
