2022 was a year characterized by steadfast resiliency among the grower community. Our team is driven by the mission to help high value crop growers thrive in the face of ever-changing conditions and challenges. And while the past year has certainly dealt its share of challenges, we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together with growers, continuously evolving and innovating to squeeze the most value out of every acre, while also helping preserve the longevity of farmlands for future generations.
In this post, we take a look back at some notable highlights, emerging trends, and key milestones from the past year, and look ahead to exciting things to come in the new year.
<h3>2022 Highlight Reel</h3>
<h5>Expanded acreage on Fieldin</h5>
Over the past year, we have continued to see the total area managed on the Fieldin platform expand across new regions, acreage, and crops. Citing measurable ROI as the key driver, we saw many customers double down on their use of the platform by enabling Fieldin across more of their operations. Some of the most valuable returns have come in the form of shift time optimization, fuel savings, and spray material reduction.
Early last year, we expanded our team presence in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. following an increase in demand and are now working with 5 of the top 10 growers in this region, including Gilbert Orchards, Columbia Farm Services, and Zirkle Fruit, to name a few. Additionally, we’ve seen a notable rise in adoption within the vineyard segment across California and PNW regions, growing vineyard acres on the platform over 400% in 2022.
As larger companies seek to gain greater visibility to operate with more accuracy, efficiency, and accountability across their operations, we’ve also seen increased adoption and usage among our corporate grower segment. Growers like Vann Brothers, Taylor Farms, Goldleaf, and Wawona, who oversee diverse and complex operations are finding renewed confidence in their planning as a result of being armed with data-backed insights.
<h5>Operator incentive programs powered by Fieldin</h5>
An emerging trend that we’ve seen develop among several growers is the creation of performance-based incentive programs for operators using the visibility and data that Fieldin provides.
Labor shortages and rising wages are consistently noted as a top challenge for growers. Hence, optimizing shift efficiency is critical. With the real-time visibility of the mobile app and insights from custom reporting, shift supervisors are able to reward top performers while also holding under-performers accountable for excessive breaks and slow operating speeds.
These programs take different forms, including gamification with leaderboards and prizes, career advancement opportunities, and end-of-season bonuses. Incentive programs like these have been especially helpful for ranch managers who face pushback from operators who may have a negative perception of being monitored with tracking devices.
<h5>ESG impact reporting</h5>
As companies heighten their attention around investing and operating more responsibly, they are honing in on practices across three key areas: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). For the agriculture sector, much of the focus has centered on environmental sustainability.
Consumers and investors are increasingly demanding growers and portfolio managers to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability. To meet this need, farmland asset managers are relying on in-field data so they can communicate things like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction, carbon capture, dust control practices, and more. We’ve already started to see Fieldin customers use their data to communicate ESG impact in their sustainability and annual investor reports.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-1769 size-large" src="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1024x586.png" alt="agriculture sustainability reporting" width="1024" height="586" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1024x586.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-300x172.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-768x439.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-1536x878.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-agriculture-sustainability-reporting-2048x1171.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h5>Journey to autonomy</h5>
Following Fieldin’s acquisition of Midnight Robotics in late 2021, we spent much of the last year building the first product in our autonomy line, Auto-Spray. Unlike other autonomous spraying equipment that requires a large upfront investment in new machinery, Fieldin’s Auto-Spray solution is made up of a retrofit kit that installs on your existing equipment. It uses LiDAR technology to detect trees and vines to accurately spray the right amount of materials in areas where the system detects that it can save chemicals.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-1772 size-large" src="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1024x387.png" alt="autospray retrofit kit" width="1024" height="387" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1024x387.png 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-300x113.png 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-768x290.png 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-1536x581.png 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/fieldin-auto-spray-retrofit-kit-2048x774.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
This product became available for order mid-year, and we conducted a series of Fieldin Demo Days to showcase the technology and its capabilities. Working alongside growers, we very quickly realized how much value Auto-Spray provides, delivering up to 87% in chemical savings in some cases. We will continue to expand this rollout over the coming year, with many units already committed for delivery.
<h5>New Fieldin website experience</h5>
Just recently, we launched the new fieldin.com website experience to serve as a dedicated resource to help growers grow smarter. We invite you to take a look around, and of course, let us know any feedback.
<a href="https://fieldin.com/newsletter-signup/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> to keep a pulse on industry news, product updates, and upcoming events.
<h3>Evolution &amp; Innovation in 2023</h3>
As we look ahead to the coming year, the near term will include many carry-over challenges from 2022, including high input costs, volatile market conditions, and turbulent environmental factors. In the face of these challenges, growers will continue to harness the power of data and technology to become more efficient and precise in their operations, increasing their bottom lines and yields in the process.
Here are some of our trends and predictions, along with a preview of our product roadmap and event lineup for 2023.
<h4>Trends &amp; Predictions</h4>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1821 size-large" src="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1024x507.jpg" alt="high value crops trends and predictions 2023" width="1024" height="507" srcset="https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1024x507.jpg 1024w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-300x148.jpg 300w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-768x380.jpg 768w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-1536x760.jpg 1536w, https://api.fieldin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/high-value-crops-trends-predictions-2023-2048x1014.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Profitability &amp; ROI will rank #1 in decision-making 
Growers will continue to reach for solutions to squeeze the most value from each acre, with a particularly strong focus on cost savings. Solutions with strong, proven ROI will win.
Connecting data across different sources will become a top priority 
As the number of point solutions in the agtech sector continues to increase, growers will look for a single dashboard to manage all of their data. To meet this need, we will see increased collaboration between technology companies in the form of data transfer capabilities (e.g. APIs), as well as consolidation of companies to provide more comprehensive service offerings.
Outsider tech will struggle 
Growers will continue to value AgTech solutions built from real-world ag experience versus new entrants with little-to-no background in agriculture.
Specialized technology and data roles will emerge 
“Global spending on smart technology and connected systems in the ag space is projected to triple in revenue by <a href="https://www.morningagclips.com/what-will-2023-hold-for-the-agricultural-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2050</a>”. In line with this, growers will increasingly need to dedicate resources and create specialized positions to oversee technology, data, and analytics across their operations. Roles such as IT Managers, Data Analysts, CTOs, and CIOs will start to make their way into ag.
Autonomous solutions will become more attainable 
To fit into growers’ continually shrinking budgets, autonomous solution providers will look to define growth paths that enable customers to gradually grow into autonomous solutions that allow them to get value today while also investing in their future.
Sustainability reporting will become more standardized 
As ESG impact reporting continues to make its way up the prioritization pole, standards bodies and protocols will start to consolidate and become mainstream. The initial areas of focus will be on quantification of efforts and impact.
<h4>Key Areas of Focus for Fieldin</h4>
Here are a few areas where our team is excited to focus attention over the coming year.
Integrations 
With growers often leveraging many different systems to collect and analyze data, we are working on ways to make it easier to connect and visualize Fieldin data alongside external data sources so that growers can get to the insights they need, faster. This includes integrations with other software used for activities such as pesticide reporting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and other specialized agronomy software.
Machine maintenance and health 
In early 2023, we plan to release the new Maintenance Module. This solution centralizes all of your fleet maintenance schedules and operations (across all equipment &#8211; tractors, trucks, ATVs, etc.) within the Fieldin app, automatically tracking engine runtime alongside manufacturers’ recommended service schedules. With the Maintenance Module, equipment managers can be more proactive in servicing machinery which helps minimize downtime and protect CapEx investments.
Autonomous solutions 
We will continue to roll out Auto-Spray retrofit kits over the coming year across a diverse set of crops and regions. As we collect more data, we will strategically partner with growers to scale implementations at a pace that makes sense for each operation. At the same time, we will increasingly work towards removing the dependency of operators in cabs so that operators gain more freedom to perform higher value activities.
Advanced data insights 
Data is only valuable when it’s translated into insights, and every grower has a unique set of needs when it comes to analytics and reporting. Over the coming year, we will be working on ways to make advanced business intelligence more available to growers.
Improved precision tooling 
With so many operations happening concurrently on the farm all the time, it’s difficult for supervisors to know whether activities are being carried out according to the instructions provided. One particular area of focus for us in precision farming tooling is rate controllers for spray operations, where we’re working on ways to provide more accurate planning, application, tracking, and reporting of materials used.
Fleet Operations Center for OEMs 
Over the past several months, we’ve been working alongside <a href="https://www.goflory.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flory</a> in a pilot program to connect Fieldin smart sensors directly into the Controller Area Network Bus (CAN Bus), or the central brains of their tractor engines. By establishing a direct line of communication between the machine’s engine and Fieldin, we will be able to deliver more accurate and robust diagnostics for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), to remotely monitor, diagnose, and troubleshoot equipment issues.
<h4>Events Calendar</h4>
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming 2023 events. Bookmark the <a href="https://fieldin.com/events/">Fieldin Events</a> page and be sure to stop by and say hello if we are in your area.

Predictions and trends for high value crops in 2023

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There’s no shortage of agricultural technologies being developed for growers which is a positive for the industry. It aligns with how the next generation of growers are looking to leverage technology to improve their operations. Between labor shortages, inflation and low market prices, margins are continually being squeezed and sustaining profitable growing operations is getting harder. If technology can offer a way to improve efficiency it certainly improves the outlook for the future.
The problem is that advanced technologies such as robots and drones may well be the ultimate in the future of agtech but are less likely to be an option for many fruit and nut growers right now. What’s more critical is finding ways to improve current operations and grow margins to feel more secure about making bigger investments.
Smart farming technology is one way to do this by accelerating growing efficiency and better utilizing existing assets to increase margins. By monitoring growing activities it gives managers greater visibility across all growing activities which delivers real time command and control. The data collected provides a window into daily activities and when things aren’t going according to plan, corrections can be made on the same shift so that operational efficiency isn’t lost. It’s small gains like these that all add up to improve the bottom line for growers.
<h4>How smart farming technology helps overcome current challenges through efficiency</h4>
Growers have their hands full trying to navigate the many challenges being thrown at them. Each of these compounds the difficulty in maintaining profitable operations. What makes it worse is that the majority of the challenges facing growers are beyond their control. The best they can do is manage the effects and mitigate the risks.
Smart farming data shows growers how efficient their current operations are and then creates opportunities to initiate improvements and monitor progress. These are a few ways in which smart farming technology can be applied to specific growing challenges:
MATERIAL OPERATING COSTS: Inflation is increasing the cost of operations in multiple ways, including the price of fertilizers and pesticides. Cutting back too much on the volumes used can impact the quality and yield of crops. But having data can help growers gain visibility into the spray speed and accuracy to optimize material utilization. This has a dual benefit of ensuring costs are kept to a minimum without impacting possible yields and quality.
MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT: Ensuring machinery and equipment is running optimally helps to reduce excess repairs and operational costs. Plus, accurate usage data helps manage ongoing maintenance. Being able to track the number of hours that a piece of equipment has worked, at what speed, and the fuel used, helps manage and forecast costs.
LABOR COSTS: The increasing cost and limited availability of labor means growers need to find ways to optimize the labor resources they have. Smart farming technology can provide the data to ensure that activities are carried out at the optimum rate. This kind of visibility on a farm management level can optimize uptime during shifts.
WATER USE: Access to water remains a major issue for most growers in California in particular. The ability to ensure irrigation is sufficient for good growth and yields while reducing wastage and runoff takes careful planning and management. Smart farming technology that can track water usage can help improve efficiency.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Climate wise, shifting and unpredictable weather patterns, as well as water scarcity are making things even harder for growers. It’s also highlighting the need to track growing activities across the seasons. With actual data it is easier to see patterns and how they change from year to year.
ESG REPORTING: ESG is becoming increasingly important, as is the ability to report on sustainability efforts and impact. Consumer trends indicate a desire for greater transparency around our food supply. Additionally investor preferences highlight sustainability as a priority when it comes to farm asset management. To meet these growing demands, it’s essential to have accurate data that shows all growing activities, as this data is then used to calculate ESG impacts.
MARKET PRESSURES: Low market prices, trade tariffs and high exchange rates are making it more attractive for retailers to import fruits and nuts from other growing regions. India and China, two major export markets for almonds, have zero tariff trade agreements with Australia, yet have levied 11% and 45% tariffs on almonds from the USA. While the USA produces significantly more almonds, and is more able to meet demand, cheaper almond imports from Australia may well erode market share.
<h4>How smart farming sets the stage for the next level of autonomy</h4>
Smart farming technology delivers immediate benefits for growers to gain insights into their operations and how to improve them. But a bigger advantage is that it sets up operations for future autonomy. With the data available on the operations platform, it’s easier to forecast, plan, and schedule growing activities. When it comes to advancing towards autonomy, the baseline for operations is already well established.
Take for example the activity of spraying. Currently smart sensors attached to sprayers can measure the speed at which the equipment is moving through orchards and vineyards. This data is fed into a cloud-based operations platform, which can be accessed across devices. This gives managers remote visibility on spraying activities for each machine and operator.
The next step towards autonomy is auto-spray that detects the amount of canopy in an orchard and automatically adjusts the volume of spray. In young orchards where the trees are still relatively small, this can reduce the volume of spraying by up to 50%, which dramatically reduces costs. The auto-spray technology also automatically stops and restarts spraying activities when there’s a gap in the row or when making a turn, reducing wastage and optimizing the spraying process.
The need to optimize growing operations is urgent and the agricultural technologies that can make this happen are accessible. Growers don’t need to buy new equipment or special machinery. Fieldin’s smart sensors can be attached to any type of machinery; tractors, sprayers, shakers, sweepers, even ATV’s and trailers. It’s a great benefit to growers to be able to continue to use their existing assets, with the goal of making them more efficient.
Data sits at the heart of a better farm future, and agricultural technology such as smart sensors are the first step towards accelerating high value crop growing efficiency. If you’d like to find out how to get started with smart farming technology, reach out to <a href="https://fieldin.com/forms/contact/">FieldIn</a> for more details.

In the USA, only 20% of fruit farmers have a stable labor force that they can rely on &#8211; according to the <a href="https://www.growingproduce.com/magazine/american-fruit-growers-state-of-the-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Fruit Grower’s annual State of the Industry survey</a> released in July 2022.
This means that for the majority of fruit growers finding and retaining qualified farm workers is an ongoing challenge with labor costs being a big part of that. While the minimum wage has increased year over year, knowing they’re in demand, many farm workers are asking for even more &#8211; sometimes up to twice as much! And it&#8217;s not just fruit growers facing these struggles. The broader grower community, including nuts, vineyards, and hops, are trying to navigate the same challenges.
For growers already operating on slim margins, doubling wages isn’t an option. Instead the trend is looking at how agriculture technology can help them become more efficient and productive.
There are two possibilities:
<ol>
<li>Find ways to optimize farm labor to increase productivity and keep costs manageable, or</li>
<li>Transform operations towards more autonomous farming which allows teams to do more with their resources and reduces the skill requirements for operators.</li>
</ol>
For many growers, autonomous farming might be viewed as a possibility for the future, but right now they’re looking for a solution that enables them to work with what they have to improve operations. There’s a willingness to invest in agricultural technology, but growers need to see any investment making an impact on operations and their bottom lines.
Gaining greater visibility to all operational activities is a huge benefit which is why smart farming technologies in particular are very attractive as a technology to improve productivity.
<h4>Why smart farming is becoming the manager’s favorite tool in orchards and vineyards</h4>
Even the best farm managers can’t be everywhere all the time. They can plan and delegate, even check in during the day, but most of the time actual productivity can only be checked at the end of a shift. Even then, you&#8217;re often relying on human-provided reporting, which is subject to gaps and errors. Did all the rows get sprayed that were meant to? Was the right amount and type of pesticide used? Were there any problems on shift and which activities didn’t get completed as a result of those problems?
With a smart farming operations platform, sensors are installed on existing machinery and farming implements to track all activities. This activity data is sent to the cloud where it can be accessed by managers on their mobile devices with the goal of improving productivity and meeting growing targets.
For example: Identifying the optimum speed for effective spraying and being able to track that through data helps managers plan and monitor activities more precisely. Most importantly, completing the activity accurately reduces the chances of having to respray again later in the season, saving on material and labor costs.
These small corrections may not seem like much, but they all add up to impact the bottom line by reducing labor costs and improving productivity as well as reducing waste.
In terms of labor, having access to operational data helps managers identify the optimum work rate for each activity and piece of machinery to maximize the efficiency of labor hours and resources. It can highlight which workers are reaching this optimum work rate and this can then be used as a baseline to identify opportunities for further improvements and efficiencies.
<h4>How visibility increases more than just productivity on an ongoing basis</h4>
The benefits of having a smart farming operations platform aren’t limited to only improving daily operations. The data collected from multiple activities gives a broader overview of all operations and helps with forecasting and reporting.
For example: When preparing ESG-related reports, it’s easier to pull data on the different types of machinery used and associated engine hours to calculate carbon emissions. In the case of spraying, protocols and even days and areas where spraying took place can be more accurately reported on. Aside from reporting requirements, if there are ever disputes with neighbors on specific spraying or farming activities, this data forms part of a solid defense that can’t be easily disputed.
For growers looking to ensure they can maintain profitable operations the most important benefit of having this data is that it becomes a baseline for future improvements. For each growing season, every piece of farming machinery and equipment and each labor activity, the data delivers a more accurate picture of where the grower is making gains and losses.
<h4>Labor challenges aren’t going away, but productivity improvements are still possible</h4>
For the most part, the shortage of skilled farm workers and demands for higher wages are beyond the control of growers. It doesn’t lessen the impact, but it also doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to optimize labor costs and increase productivity.
Labor productivity remains a core element to growing profitability and agriculture technology such as a smart farming operations platform, can be the enabler. Ensuring that farm workers complete daily activities accurately and in a timely manner supports this. Having greater visibility into what’s happening helps managers identify what’s going right, what’s going wrong, what needs to be changed and what’s working to improve productivity.
Getting out in the field is important for increasing visibility into activities, but a manager can’t be everywhere all the time &#8211; unless they have smart sensors installed on machinery and equipment. Then they can have visibility in their pocket. A quick check on their mobile phone can give them an overview of what all the machinery and operators are doing, and if their activities are on track.
Increased visibility into operations is giving both family farmers and enterprise growers access to data that can make a real impact on the bottom line.This helps them become more efficient with labor and more productive with farming activities, and in the process they gain greater control of their levels of productivity and operating costs.
The future of farming is learning how to leverage data to make more informed decisions and become more productive. Nobody expects to use their mobile phone or computer without the latest operating system. Similarly, the growers getting ahead in the industry will be the ones making data-based decisions for growing activities. Their farms will have operating systems and data will be at the heart of it all, continuously informing ways to improve based on growing activities of past seasons and learning from that baseline.
Smart farming is about much more than simply thinking smarter to overcome challenges. It’s leveraging agriculture technology in the form of smart sensors and cloud databases to improve efficiency and productivity.

How to reduce labor costs and increase productivity with smart farming

How smart farming enables a more strategic approach to growing and more efficient use of resources to increase yields.

How agricultural technology accelerates efficiency for a better farm future - Fieldin

How agricultural technology accelerates efficiency for a better farm future

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Cherelle Leong

Fieldin Joins Leading Harvest as Program Supporter

Fieldin is a proud supporter of Leading Harvest - Fieldin

With a combined commitment to sustainable agriculture, Fieldin is proud to join <a href="https://www.leadingharvest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leading Harvest</a> as a Program Supporter. Leading Harvest is paving the way in establishing a common framework to help advance sustainability initiatives across the agriculture sector. This partnership directly aligns with Fieldin’s vision to help growers thrive in the face of ever-changing conditions and challenges.
“Every day, we work alongside growers to find new, innovative ways to do more with less, and sustainability is at the core of these efforts. As a Program Supporter of Leading Harvest, we look forward to engaging with the community in meaningful ways to continuously improve sustainability practices in our industry.” 
–Iftach Birger, Co-Founder &amp; COO, Fieldin
Established in 2020, Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture. They provide assurance programs comprised of common standards, audit procedures, training and education, and reporting and claim offerings – all of which have been intentionally designed for flexibility, scalability, and impact. The organization has quickly become an industry leader and trusted partner for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. Today, over 1.5M acres have been certified under the Leading Harvest umbrella, and this number is growing rapidly.
“Program Supporters are a critical component driving Leading Harvest’s mission of continuous improvement. The people, products, and services in this segment of membership drive continuous improvement on-farm benefitting the supply chain, consumers, growers, and landowners. The innovative work that Fieldin is engaging in provides a wonderful addition to our membership as they support the mission and vision of Leading Harvest.” 
– Andrew Lauver, Director of Strategic Alliances and Programs at Leading Harvest
Sustainable agriculture requires collective commitment, effort, and impact. Together, with the Leading Harvest community, we will continue to support the agriculture community in delivering positive outcomes that protect and nurture our earth for future generations.

At the recent <a href="https://www.almonds.com/almond-industry/industry-news/50th-almond-conference-wraps-strong-attendance-and-sessions-help-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50th Annual Almond Conference</a> in Fresno, keynote speakers discussed several major concerns and challenges facing almonds growers. As things currently stand; prices remain suppressed, inventory has skyrocketed due to shipping constraints, acreage has reduced, and water and labor availability remain an issue. Combined with increasing operational costs, almond growers are facing slim margins.
Despite these challenges, the industry is committed to helping growers chart a more sustainable future to become more profitable while navigating regulatory and environmental matters. Gaining greater insight on what market forces are doing and how that will influence almond production can help growers understand what their options are. Equally having greater visibility into all growing activities and operating equipment with more accuracy and precision can improve operational efficiency to increase margins and add to the bottom line.
<h4>Market factors impacting California almonds</h4>
While there are many issues that impact almond growers, there are three major market factors beyond their control that have had a significant impact on their ability to remain profitable:
Almond production: In the previous decade, almond production experienced steady growth with the price increasing from $1.65 per pound in 2009 to $2.45 per pound in 2019, with production output of 2.56 billion pounds from 1.18 million acres of fruit bearing trees. During this time the price peaked at $4 per pound in 2014 generating a production value of more than $7.3 million. But sadly, since then this figure has been in decline. Despite an increase in acreage and strong yields by the end of 2021 production value sat around $5 million with a price per pound of $1.76. (Ref: <a href="https://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/2022-05/202205almpd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USDA 2022 Almond Forecast</a>)
Shipping challenges: One of the major challenges in 2021 / 2022 was the inability to ship almonds to export destinations. Following the pandemic, shipping containers were in short supply and came at a premium. Shipping companies rode this wave choosing to return shipping containers empty to Asia, rather than carry US export produce such as almonds. This resulted in a huge frustration for almond growers as inventory piled up. While it’s usual to have some excess inventory to be able to supply changing market demand, inventory levels have increased by almost 50% in the past year. Some growers had to build additional storage facilities, but the problem remains that almonds sitting in storage don’t generate income for growers.
Impact of trade tariffs and competitive markets: A further blow to the industry was retaliation by export markets to a US initiated trade war. In 2018, the USA instituted import tariffs of 25% and 10% respectively on steel and aluminum imports from China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, among others. Despite these tariffs being levied on metal commodities, it was the almond growers that suffered as a result. In retaliation, three of the largest almond export markets, namely China, Turkey, and India, responded by implementing trade tariffs on unshelled almonds of up to 45%. This made the cost of importing US grown almonds significantly more expensive. To compound this, zero-tariff trade agreements were signed with alternate almond export countries such as Australia, making it more attractive for importers to buy from them instead of the USA. (Ref: <a href="https://s.giannini.ucop.edu/uploads/pub/2022/10/24/v26n1_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://s.giannini.ucop.edu/uploads/pub/2022/10/24/v26n1_1.pdf</a>)
These three factors indicate that almond prices are likely to stay depressed for the short term. A decrease in acreage in almond trees for the first time in decades indicates that planting more trees to expand growing operations is not a viable solution right now.
While industry bodies work to try to resolve some of the trade and marketplace challenges, almond growers will need to make adjustments and prepare for a slowdown in growth. For growers trying to weather the storm, finding ways to become more efficient in their operations and reduce the cost of production is critical. This can be supported by agricultural technology where the use of data has the potential to change the way growers approach their operations.
<h4>How technology supports greater precision and accuracy in almond growing activities</h4>
Gathering data is the starting point to improving operations. By installing smart sensors on all existing machinery and farming equipment, there is the benefit of being able to track operational activities. As the machines work, the sensors continually send data to a cloud platform where it can be organized into dashboards. This creates a benchmark that helps growers better understand how efficient their operations are, and where there’s potential for improvement.
Having data showing what speed each sprayer was moving through the orchard can measure how efficient spraying operations are for each machine. As an example: Less mature trees require less spray and being able to spray with greater precision and accuracy can save on costs. Identifying where there are spaces between the trees and when the sprayer is making a turn at the end of a row, combined with the ability to switch the spray on and off at these times, helps to improve spray efficiency.
The same applies for harvesting. As almond growers know, both over or under shaking trees at harvest time can increase operational costs later in the season. The risk with undershaking is not only reduced yields, but also that nuts left on the tree go black, which can affect the health of the tree. Winter cleaning usually takes care of the nuts left behind but if there are excessive nuts left on the trees as a result of undershaking, it increases the cost of winter cleaning as the process takes longer. Overshaking, on the other hand, can damage trees which leads to reduced yields and potential tree loss. Hence, precision and visibility in shaking operations is essential.
If harvesting activities are carried out more accurately these costs can be greatly reduced. This highlights the need to be able to operate shakers with greater precision and to have visibility on operations when the activities are taking place so that corrections can be made on the same shift. As long as a manager has access to WiFi or 5G signal, the data on activities can be viewed. Even if they’re out of range, the data is still stored on the cloud operations platform to provide insights on growing activities.
It’s this data, when combined with growing expertise that has the potential to have the most impact on almond growing activities. It becomes possible to set targets for improving accuracy of shaking or spraying, for example, and this progress can be tracked. Year over year, the data shows exactly where improvements have been made.
The more growers use the insights to improve productivity and efficiency, the greater the potential impact on the bottom line. In this way, technology becomes the tool helping growers secure their farm future. The ability to carry out growing activities with greater precision and accuracy and track progress throughout the season helps improve productivity. More importantly, almond growers can make more informed decisions, based on more accurate data.

California almonds - what’s next for growers to maintain a farm future?

How smart farming technology facilitates growing efficiency and reduces labor costs by helping farm managers improve productivity

Fieldin Joins Leading Harvest as Program Supporter - Fieldin

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John Trembley

California almonds farm future FieldIn - Fieldin

Recently the United Nations hosted the COP15 Biodiversity summit in Canada. The loss of global biodiversity is a major concern for environmentalists and agricultural activities are often cited as one of the major causes for this. Large acreages and volumes of water are required to grow crops commercially and natural landscapes inevitably lose an element of their biodiversity when land comes under cultivation.
However, it is not a one sided view. Global organizations such as the UN and WEF recognize that modern society depends on growers to feed the world, and they need to be able to continue to do so. This is why the topics of food security and sustainable agriculture were high on the agenda at <a href="https://www.weforum.org/platforms/centre-for-nature-and-climate/articles/cop27-climate-energy-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP27</a>, which was held in Egypt in November.
If the demand for food keeps growing with the global population, but resources such as land and water are becoming more scarce, growers need to find ways to become more efficient. This translates into increasing yields and the quality of crops, while reducing environmental impacts, such as emissions.
It’s a big ask, especially as growers are already under pressure from rising operational costs, labor and water shortages, and lower crop prices. But this is where it gets interesting. Rather than solutions being tied up in regulations and targets, the takeaway from COP27 is that the UN and WEF see agricultural technology as a key factor to achieving both food security and sustainability goals.
Precision agriculture and autonomous farming are recognized as key factors to help growers become more productive, and more efficient. It’s an attractive idea for growers, but what does it translate to on the ground?
<h4>Precision agriculture in high value crop growing</h4>
Technology is seen as the enabler that can help growers become more efficient by giving them greater visibility of their operations. Collecting and analyzing data is the starting point, and one of the clearest ways to identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
Smart sensors installed on equipment and machinery track what’s happening in each area of the growing operations. That data is then pulled together on a cloud based operations dashboard.
From this, clear targets can be set for different areas of operations including drilling down into specifics of how different pieces of equipment should operate to achieve greater efficiency. It’s the data that helps define what precision agriculture should look like and what outcomes it should achieve. The added benefit is that where there are environmental factors that need to be reported on, the data can support the planning and execution of this to ensure targets are met.
Here are a few examples:
Spray efficiency: Improving the efficiency of spraying activities through greater accuracy has multiple benefits. Environmentally there is a general trend to work towards reducing the volume of pesticide used in commercial crops. From a grower perspective, improving spray efficiency can help reduce operational costs.
Fieldin’s Auto-Spray is an autonomous solution offering that uses LiDAR technology to create a 3D image of the surroundings as the sprayer moves through the orchard. It is able to identify the size of the trees and canopy, where there are gaps between trees, and when the sprayer is making a turn at the end of a row. Based on this data the sprayer automatically turns on and off so that spray is only delivered where there are trees. The impact of this is significant, reducing the volume of spray used by up to 85%. Instead of a tank lasting just 4 rows, it can last up to 16 rows. Additionally the sprayer is able to cover 20% more ground in a shift as it has to stop less to refill.
Dust management: Careful planning and operating with greater precision can help reduce dust volumes while still maintaining harvest efficiency. This starts with knowing which roads have been covered with gravel or products like Dust-Down. Smart sensors installed on trucks and ATV’s working to lay road coverings enable managers to map covered routes and plan sweeping activities accordingly to reduce dust levels. Similarly smart sensors on equipment can monitor speeds and reduce the number of row passes required to carry out growing activities. According to <a href="https://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/content/attachments/managing_dust_at_harvest_-_english.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> by the California Almond Board, reducing speed of harvesting equipment from 3 mph to 1.5 mph, can reduce dust volumes by 50%.
Speed management: Managing the speed at which vehicles and machinery operate helps to improve fuel efficiency and safety, reduces wear and tear and additional maintenance, and can reduce the carbon footprint of growing operations. Smart sensors can track if operators are moving too fast or too slowly through a block, and feed this information to the operations dashboard. With greater visibility on activities it becomes easier to correct speeds to optimize operating costs. A secondary benefit is that the data can be used to calculate CO2 emissions for each machine. This is valuable when reporting on ESG and sustainability efforts.
Optimize harvest activities: The ability to gather data from multiple machines operating in different blocks, helps growers track the accuracy and precision of harvesting activities. Every efficiency adds up, helping to continually manage operational costs while maintaining harvest yields and quality. This broad level of visibility across multiple activities is made possible with agricultural technology and it’s helping growers identify ways to make their growing operations more accurate and productive.
Improve labor efficiency: Aside from sustainability benefits, one of the reasons autonomous farming is being supported by the WEF is that it is seen to help address labor shortages and improve the efficiency of labor that is available. For high value crop growers data generated from agricultural technology can help facilitate planning, including allocating activities to workers with the right level of skills to maximize efficiency.
<h4>Takeaway: Sustainable agriculture requires data</h4>
Growers are faced with the need to use resources more efficiently, reduce CO2 emissions and environmental impacts, all while producing enough quality supply to meet market demand. Agricultural technology can provide the data needed to improve accuracy and efficiency across all growing activities so that growers can start to align with these broader expectations as described by global organizations.
While global issues are important, the real benefit is the impact to individual growers. Agricultural technology enables growers to gain insight into how to become more efficient. Data and autonomous farming are the future of growing and being able to leverage these technologies is key to continually improving productivity.

Why the United Nations and World Economic Forum are banking on autonomous farming and agtech

California almonds - what’s next for growers to maintain a farm future? - Fieldin

California almonds &#8211; what’s next for growers to maintain a farm future?

Autonomous farming sustainable agriculture - FieldIn

Autonomous farming sustainable agriculture Fieldin - Fieldin

Global demand for almonds continues to increase and while California may produce 80% of the global crop, almonds are rapidly falling out of favor with local growers. Decreasing market prices, water shortages, increasing costs of fertilizers and labor are all factors making it significantly harder to maintain profitable almond growing operations.
Adding to these pressures is a negative public perception fueled by media reports that almond growing is robbing local communities of water access and is not an environmentally sustainable crop in California’s hot dry climate.
It’s not surprising, given these factors that there is a trend of almond growers looking to switch to alternate crops which are showing more favorable margins. Is this truly the only option available to almond growers or is there a way to keep existing almond orchards and return to more profitable and sustainable operations?
We explore key challenges almond growers are facing and what options exist to be part of a more sustainable and profitable farming future.
<h4>Almond farming and water management</h4>
California’s Central Valley has endured droughts year after year. Historically, California’s Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild wet winters have been ideal for growing almonds. Like any other crop, almonds need water to grow. But lower rain and snowfalls year after year are reducing groundwater levels and many communities don’t have reliable access to running water.
Access to water is a sensitive subject and an ongoing challenge for almond growers, which is why improving water efficiency remains a high priority. According to the <a href="https://www.almonds.com/why-almonds/growing-good" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Almond Board of California</a>; from 1990 to 2010 almond growers reduced their water usage by 33%. Within the industry there’s a target to reduce this by a further 20% by 2025.
This has been achieved primarily by installing micro irrigation systems so that each tree benefits from irrigation directly to its roots. Manually inspecting the system to ensure it is irrigating efficiently is time consuming. Fortunately sensor technology installed on ATV’s being used for the inspections, paired with digital scouting applications can give farm managers greater visibility into which blocks and rows have been checked. Having this data ensures inspections are carried out more diligently, supports better water management and ultimately reduces water wastage resulting from faulty irrigation systems.
Continuing to improve water management remains a high priority for almond growers, but given the effects of climate change, it may not be enough. <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_is_soil_water_holding_capacity_important" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> highlights the importance of soil quality in water retention and looks at different ways growers can develop more nutrient-rich soils that’ll support greater levels of water conservation as well as healthier crops.
<h4>How do regeneration and technology factor into the future of almond growing?</h4>
Already many almond growers aim to achieve zero waste with uses for almonds extended beyond whole nuts to using lower quality nuts to make almond milk, flour, and butter. Increasingly the beauty industry is using almond oil in their products and this too is expanding the market applications. The almond hulls are often used for livestock feed and the shells for bedding ensuring none of the harvested crop goes to waste.
Innovation is creating opportunities to take this a step further. A recent <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2022/11/04/california-congressman-josh-harders-farm-bill-could-revolutionize-the-central-valleys-biotech-ecosystem-and-turn-almond-husks-into-yoga-pants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes</a> article highlighted a new California grant program aimed at regenerative farming methods for almond growers. It looks at transforming almond shells into biochar through closed system pyrolysis. It’s a form of carbon sequestration that aims to regenerate the soil by increasing its carbon content. The added benefit is that it’s using almond shells as the system resource.
This example highlights that while market prices remain suppressed, opportunities still exist to not only make almond growing more sustainable but also more profitable. And technology is the enabler.
<h4>How technology creates greater efficiencies for almond growers</h4>
The complexity of growing almonds means there are many activities to manage. Getting these right the first time can be the difference between a profitable harvest or not. While much of the harvesting is mechanized, efficiency is hard to achieve through manual management. With shakers, sweepers and harvesters working simultaneously in different blocks, smart sensors can feed data back to the cloud that gives farm managers greater visibility into how efficiently activities are being carried out.
Once the data has been used to create a benchmark, it becomes easier to identify, for example, when under shaking or over shaking occurs. With data at their fingertips, managers can use this information to take corrective action to optimize the harvest. Ensuring shaking is taking place at the optimum rate reduces the need for excess winter sanitation or reshaking and ensures the buds for next season’s harvest aren’t damaged.
Data becomes the tool farm managers can use to optimize the current season’s crop while at the same time ensuring activities are carried out in a way that sustains future harvests too. With margins tight, every small efficiency adds up and contributes to a stronger bottom line.
Even the best farm managers can’t be in every block that’s carrying out growing activities. Having smart sensors on farming equipment measures the efficiency of operations and feeds that data back to an operations platform in the cloud. Farm managers can access this data anytime and from anywhere using any mobile phone, tablet or desktop device.
This gives greater visibility into activities and helps managers check that the operations are aligned in a way to optimize scouting, spraying, harvesting, and other activities. It helps manage the complex operations involved with almond growing and can accelerate the time to complete the growing activities &#8211; which ultimately contribute to greater profitability.
<h4>Can smart farming make almond growing more sustainable?</h4>
It’s the pressures of increasing labor, materials, and operational costs combined with lower crop prices that are making almond growers consider switching crops, especially as achieving greater efficiencies seems unattainable using current manual farm management methods. Realistically, if they had a choice, most almond growers would likely prefer to keep their almond trees, rather than having to pull them out of the ground and replace them with an alternative.
Technology is giving almond growers that choice and an opportunity to create more efficient farming operations while keeping their existing orchards. Making smarter farming decisions doesn’t always mean having to start over. The ability to make data-driven decisions in real time is the future of farming and has the potential to reduce input costs, make significant gains on the bottom line, and improve the sustainability of almond farming.
Considering the global demand for almonds and almond products remains high, leveraging existing resources more efficiently with smarter farming tools makes sense. Combine this with grant opportunities being made available for regeneration projects and continued innovation to improve sustainability and the future of almond growing starts to look much more optimistic.

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Predictions and trends for high value crops in 2023

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How agricultural technology accelerates efficiency for a better farm future

Fieldin Joins Leading Harvest as Program Supporter

California almonds – what’s next for growers to maintain a farm future?

Why the United Nations and World Economic Forum are banking on autonomous farming and agtech

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