The Agriculture Industry
Has Never Faced So Many Challenges

Never before have farmers faced such intensive regulatory and marketplace demands even as key resources,
such as water, become scarcer.

Water Supply & Use
Growing More with Less

California has experienced some of the driest years on record which spurred a call for water conservation. How can we conserve water and still yield the number of crops need to feed the world?

Water Quality
Ensuring Safety

With a dwindling water supply, we need to ensure the quality and safety of the water being used. What technologies will help monitor the compliance of water quality?

Inadequate Labor Supply
Man vs. Robot

American farmers are facing a shortage of workers needed to harvest their crops. Will immigration reform be the answer to this problem or will robotic harvesting technologies be the future?

Crop Protection
Great Expectations

The public’s changing expectations around the use of crop protection tools opens the door for new solutions. How can we effectively protect our crops and meet expectations?

Get to know more about Western Growers Association and how you can influence the future of agriculture.

Feeding The World
with fewer resources


To help our members do more with less, Western Growers launched the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) in Salinas, CA. The Center was created to help identify industry priorities, discover technologies to address those priorities, set up testing, facilitate industry feedback and communicate progress to California, Arizona and Colorado fresh produce farmers.

Meet some of our Innovators

And learn more about the technologies they are developing to improve the future of ag.

  • alibio 360x277

AliBio
Alfredo Suarez

AliBio is a pioneering biotechnology company reshaping the agriculture sector. With a strong focus on innovation, AliBio leads the way in developing the most capable microbe systems for agricultural enhancement. Explore their commitment to advancing into profitable and sustainable agriculture by using soil’s most trusted sidekick: microbes.

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Guardian Agriculture
Adam Bercu

Guardian Agriculture designs and manufactures the first automated, US-built aerial crop protection system sized for American farms. We believe every farmer should have the ability to perform their own full-field aerial application. The Guardian SC1 puts that capability in every barn offering 100% repeatable and transparent programmable coverage, cost-competitive with existing solutions and simple to operate.

  • RJO Produce team

RJO Produce
Rob & John O’Rourke

The Bird Dog App™ is an extension of RJO’s highly acclaimed Bird Dog Inspection Program and is able to instantly track crop quality in the field. It allows RJO Bird Dog inspectors to photograph, collect, and instantly classify the quality of any fresh produce they are inspecting. The system allows the Bird Dog™ to input a broad range of quality characteristics for each commodity and variety; from size, color and solidity to brix and overall appearance.

  • FieldClock Logo

FieldClock
Ryan Vickery & Joshua Farray

FieldClock provides custom labor solutions to help farmers effectively track their labor and production data. Our office-on-the-go approach provides managers with real-time information from the fields to the warehouses. We deliver clear, concise reports that allow farmers to track their data, labor, and dollars, all while saving time and reducing administrative costs.

  • Bio SI Technology Formula

Bio S.I. Technology
Cheryl Tucker

Bio S.I. Technology develops soil-derived microbial products to aid in the production of food, fiber, and bioremediation industries. Bio S.I. Technology agriculture-based programs are designed to increase the production and health of crops by improving soil physicochemical characteristics, quickly breaking down crop residues, and restoring microbial diversity in soils post-fumigation. All Bio S.I. products contain a proprietary consortium of soil-derived microbes that have coexisted together for over 20 years. This microbial community is unique, resilient, and serves as the foundation for every product we manufacture.

  • Probelte logo

Probelte
Jose Vuelta

Probelte is a pioneering company in biotechnology applied to agriculture, serving growers in more than 50 countries worldwide. For more than 20 years it has developed a leading biological portfolio including biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biocontrol. It is now compounding its value proposition with Agtech digital solutions and AI-driven predictive data modeling. Probelte looks out for both the farmers' interests and people's health right from the source.

36

Seats

100

Startups

35

Sponsors

25

Scheduled Events

The fresh produce industry is labor intensive and requires significant use of water and other inputs. If we are going to continue providing safe and healthy food to a growing population, we must collaborate more closely with the innovators and entrepreneurs who can help us revolutionize how we farm.

Bruce Taylor, Taylor Farms

We have this huge need for innovation to set us forward and propel the entire industry. We aren’t getting it done individually. This initiative is tremendous and bold, particularly because we are doing it in a cooperative and collaborative manner.

Vic Smith, JV Smith Companies

Western Growers is held in such high regard in the industry, and we appreciate how dedicated members are to helping prepare these startups for the opportunities and possible challenges they will face in the marketplace.

Chris Boody, SVG Partners

The Royse Law Firm congratulates Western Growers for its leadership in promoting technological advancement in the fresh produce industry. Hopefully, WGCIT will be a model for others to use in dealing with the problem of feeding the world.

Roger Royse, Royse Law Firm

Innovative solutions, with a focus on smart sustainability to produce more food in even more efficient ways, will be key drivers to meeting the challenges facing specialty crop growers here in California, Arizona and Colorado

Nasser Dean, Bayer CropScience

Shake it Up
Make the world a better place

Your innovative thinking + Our Industry leaders = big change

Meet WGA Members
From almost 1,000 companies

You’ll engage with companies growing fresh produce in California, Arizona and Colorado.

Monthly seminars
Learn all Facets of the Industry

Understand market intelligence, business planning, intellectual property and anything else that might help you grow your ideas.

Network
Regularly scheduled events

It’s good to know people and for people to know you. We’ll provide plenty of opportunities to connect with the right folks.

Present your ideas
Share your creative intelligence

Industry professionals will share impactful feedback to help guide you.

Connect
Conjure Up things

Hob-nob with other companies in the AgTech space for collaboration. It’s a special niche and you’ll be right in the heart of it.

Training and mentorship
Consider it a growth opportunity

Leaders in agriculture and technology will dedicate time to your betterment.

Thank You
To Our Generous Sponsors

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities available, contact us below.

 AeroVironment Logo
Beck's Seed
BioWorks_Logo
Canada
John Deere
Netafim
nutrien-ag-solutions-logo
Prime_Time_Logo
Rabobank_Logo_200x100
RDO-Logo
Yamaha_Logo
ZAG

831.272.0661

info@wginnovation.com

150 Main Street, Suite 130, Salinas CA

Get In Touch
Contact Us

We would love to hear from you.