Ag Alert. February 22, 2023

Expo Continued from Page 1

called the California Field and Row Crop Equipment Show, then for 10 years the California Farm Equipment Show. In 1979, the words International Exposition were added to the title, and in 2001, it was christened World Ag Expo. Regardless of its name, the show has been the place to network and showcase new equipment and inventions. This year was no different, as evidenced by the expo’s announcement of its top 10 new products. Those included smart spray- ers that use visual-recognition technology to reduce off-target or excessive spraying, flying fruit-picking autonomous robots, a new mobile app for seeding efficiency and a “smart irrigation” pressure-compensating heavy wall drip line that allows growers to vary spacing between emitters, delivering water to plants, not the areas in between. The theme of this year’s World Ag Expo was “Taking Care of Ag Business,” and ex- hibitor Rod Galvan was there to do just that. He said he hoped to attract growers and dairy farmers to his first-ever World Ag Expo booth as a manager for the Fresno-based office of Emcor Services. “We are trying the show to see what we can get out of it,” he said as people streamed by. “We can cool or heat any- thing, including people, products and animals. In agriculture, energy savings is important, especially on dairies, and that’s where we come into play.” Also at the expo for the first time was Aaron Shew with Acres, a desktop and mobile land research platform. It was originally designed as an internal tool for land investment company AcreTrader and was launched for the public in October. It gathers information from government da- tabases and allows users to access 150 mil- lion parcels in the country. There, viewers can compare sales data and review crop history to soil and water data. “Our mission is transparency in ag land transactions,” Shew said while handing out free socks to those who downloaded

Crowds turn out for the World Ag Expo, bundled for the cold beneath snowy mountains in Tulare County. The event featured the latest in farm technology, includ- ing the expo’s selections of top 10 new products.

the mobile app. “Sometimes that infor- mation can be hard to see, and we are working on changing that.” Those who use the platform include farmers, investment firms, land brokers and lenders. On Wednesday, thousands of local school children made their way to the World Ag Expo for a day of touring booths and connecting with those in the agricul- tural industry. Spreading the word about events that promote agricultural education was Butte County Farm Bureau Executive Director Colleen Cecil. She gave a presenta- tion in the seminar trailer about hosting an Agribee, a define-and-spell event for fourth and fifth graders. Cecil is encouraging other schools, FFA chapters, agricultural organizations or county farm bureaus to host an Agribee. She said she would like to see enough par- ticipation that a state final could be staged in the future during World Ag Expo. “Kids are amazing sponges, and they absorb everything,” she said. The event ends up teaching entire families about ag- riculture, as parents help students mem- orize agriculture terms. “Even if just 10

schools participate,” Cecil said, “that’s two finalists from each school and 20 students who know a lot more about agriculture.” Seminars—including topics such as groundwater monitoring, export ven- ture financing, dairy feeds and a panel discussing growing hemp in California— were recorded and will be available on- line at worldagexpo.com. Plenty of children and parents could be found in a livestock demonstration pavil- ion, where the Western States Beefmasters Breeders Association demonstrated a pregnancy ultrasound. The Beefmaster is a breed of cattle favored for its temperament

and extreme temperature hardiness. Petting a 17-year-old sleepy show cow named Miss Piggy who was adorned with a tutu and crown was Arianna Henisey, 8, of Lancaster. “We come every year to World Ag Expo,” said her mom, Heather. “We don’t miss it.” Asked if she liked the animals or equip- ment better, Arianna screamed, “All of it!” Preparations are underway for the next World Ag Expo, set for Feb. 13-15, 2024. (Lisa McEwen is a reporter in Tulare County. She may be reached at mcewenlisamarie@gmail.com.)

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February 22, 2023 Ag Alert 9