By Patty Guerra
The Small Farm Tech Expo brought researchers, farmers, university students and even a group from a Modesto elementary school to UC Merced to talk about agriculture technology and how it can best help those who grow the world's food.
Sponsored by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, also known as CAFF, for the fifth year, the expo featured equipment demonstrations, educational sessions on hardware and software, panel discussions, and support organizations to highlight what's available for small farmers.
"We all eat in the San Joaquin Valley," said Leigh Bernacchi, executive director of the Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology and Agriculture at UC Merced. "Today we are also learners."
While many of the advances in agricultural technology are available for larger farmers, those who run smaller operations often don't have access to them.
"The small farmer does everything," Bernacchi said. "They prep, plant, nourish, care, protect, harvest, restore land, package, sell, haul and price. They need help and we need to all contribute to support small farmers."
To do that, CAFF advertised its? small farms innovation challenge designed to enable all innovators to be compensated for their agtech solutions. Additionally, CAFF released at the eventa report on small farm technology needs to guide innovators.
Presentations included sessions on agrivoltaics, a farmer discussion of challenges ahead, and an introduction to the lending library offered through University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and F3 Local, based at the ag research and extension center in Parlier.
Amber Butland, lending library coordinator, said the library is available for people who farm under 50 acres in Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Madera, or Merced counties. The program could be expanded to other areas in the future.
Items such as compost spreaders, tractors, seeders and weeders can be borrowed for one to four days after the operator completes training on the equipment. There will be a fee ranging from $20 to $60 once the fee collection infrastructure is in place, Butland said.
Source : ucmerced.edu