The City of Escondido and Fresh Brewed Tech are partnering to bring the community of agricultural technology together to create new solutions through technology for existing problems faced by farmers at the first AgTech Hackathon this weekend.
The three-day conference—running from Friday, Oct. 21, to Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Synergy CoWorking Centre—will bring together farmers, technologies, community leaders, and engineers to learn about “today’s agriculture and food system problems and build solutions together with our local customers,” according to organizers.
“We have a lot of opportunity in the logistics part of the movement of food, getting it across borders from local to abroad, and a lot of real-world problems solving that is ripe for tech to come into play,” said Neal Bloom, Fresh Brewed Tech founder.
Agricultural tech, or AgTech, involves a variety of tech advances in the science of livestock and crop management, soil improvement, equipment upgrades, sensors, better sustainability, food safety, and data gathering through artificial intelligence, geographical information systems, 5G technology, and agriculture-related cyber security.
“We see AgTech as a key driver of economic growth in Escondido and the region, so we are here to support and provide resources for entrepreneurs looking to tackle some of the big challenges the agriculture industry is facing,” said Jennifer Schoeneck, deputy director of Economic Development for the City of Escondido, and a Hackathon organizer.
According to the organizers, there’s “no better place” for an event like this because the San Diego region, especially Escondido, is “one of the densest farming communities” in California.
Those who think of the place as a military hub with a beach-centered culture might be surprised that San Diego County has more farms—over 5,000, with a median size of four acres—than any other county in the United States, according to the county, which ranks number one nationwide with its production value of nursery, floriculture, and avocados.
Much of the county’s agricultural output comes from its northern regions including Escondido, Valley Center, Fallbrook, and Oceanside.
Oli Bachie—the University of California Cooperative Extension’s agronomy and weed management advisor for the region—said such an event can “encourage industry collaboration and demonstrate new practices and technology can help facilitate more sustainable economic growth in San Diego County and beyond,” according to Times of San Diego, a local news source.
“As an agricultural hub of the county, we’re encouraged to see the city of Escondido offering programs and resources that will further the sustainable production of healthy food,” he said.
Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, and Steve Beck, managing partner of Chicago-based Serra Ventures, a venture capital company, will speak at the conference.
Social networking attendee tickets for the three days cost $15 while active Hackathon participants pay $99.
