Experts in joining high technology to food and drink production will gather March 2 at the University of California, Merced.
The Agricultural Technology Fair will feature two panel discussions in the morning, a keynote speech at lunch and a job fair for students in the afternoon.
The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society will host the fair as part of the university’s 2016 Research Week. People planning to attend must RSVP by Friday.
Farmers and processors put technology to work in monitoring crop and animal health, managing irrigation, tracking fertilizer and pesticides, assuring food safety and more. They employ desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, drones and other tools.
The fair will begin with remarks by CITRIS Director Joshua Viers; Peter Schuerman, associate vice chancellor for research and economic development; and Rob Goff of The Wonderful Co., which produces fruit, nuts and other foods in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.
- The first panel will feature Seana Hull of AgTech Insight in Stanislaus County, Bob Curtis of the Modesto-based Almond Board of California, Dong Wang of the federal Agricultural Research Service, and YangQuan Chen of UC Merced.
- The second panel will be Stefano Carpin and Alberto Cerpo of UC Merced, Jenna Martin-Rodriguez of UC Davis and Curran Hughes of The Wonderful Co.
- The keynote speaker will be Ted Batkin, chief executive officer at Batkin Agricultural Service in Visalia.
- The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the California Room on campus. To reserve a space, visit citris.ucmerced.edu/events/2016-ag-tech-fair.
- The co-sponsors include The Wonderful Co., E.&J. Gallo Winery of Modesto, the Almond Board and the Royse Law Firm in Palo Alto.
