Farms.com Home   News

Explore Agrivoltaics: Free Events for California Farmers This Fall

California farmers are facing mounting challenges, including rising energy costs, water scarcity, and increasing pressure on farmland. But a promising solution is emerging: agrivoltaics, the practice of combining solar energy production with agriculture. This innovative approach offers a way to generate clean energy while maintaining productive farmland, potentially improving water efficiency, crop resilience, and farm income.

This fall, farmers across California are invited to attend four free events designed to explore how agrivoltaics can support working lands and strengthen farm resilience. These events are tailored specifically for farmers, ranchers, and landowners who want to learn more, share experiences, and help shape the future of agrivoltaics in California.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker


Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.