News : Blog

  Main Street Salinas will once again play host to the Forbes AgTech Summit, June 26-27, 2019. The summit will bring more than 600 global agriculture leaders and entrepreneurs together to analyze some of the most pressing challenges facing the industry. This year’s theme – The Future of Food – will explore ways in which...

The Salinas Valley is home to major growers, industry veterans and serial entrepreneurs eager to share their land, resources and knowledge with aspiring agtech leaders. Among them include Raja Ramachandran, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of foodtech startup Ripe.io, a resident at Salinas-based Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT). Ripe.io is making waves in...

  The Salinas Valley has long been home to innovation in the agricultural industry – from its claim to fame as the first region to successfully ship lettuce on ice across the country (iceberg lettuce), to the invention of bagged salad, to now integrating a host of technologies ranging from data sensors to blockchain into...

In celebration of Earth Day, we are looking at how Salinas farmers are turning to technology to solve a wide array of environmental challenges. As a key agricultural region in the United States, it’s no surprise that Salinas is home to many companies that are leveraging technology to become more sustainable. From solar-powered cooling facilities...

From startup incubators and business development programs, to apprenticeships, higher education institutions and classrooms in the field, Salinas, CA boasts a variety of resources tailored to help agriculture entrepreneurs succeed. Among them includes Salinas-based Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), an organization that helps aspiring farmers develop organic farming and management skills, pursue the dream...

  Thanks to disruptive technologies like blockchain, AI and IoT, the food supply chain is today more intelligent than ever. And as industry leaders tap new, innovative concepts to solve challenges and improve practices in the agriculture industry, the Salinas Valley agtech ecosystem continues to grow and thrive. In 2018, we explored four tech trends...

The Salinas Valley agtech community boasts ample resources to help young entrepreneurs and aspiring industry leaders successfully turn a business idea into a reality. Salinas is among the agtech ecosystems nationwide that has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. What’s more, a report by capital venture firm Finistere Ventures shows that $6.7 billion was...

The reputation of Salinas and the WGCIT in agtech is drawing both domestic and international experts and entrepreneurs, leading to more innovations for agriculture in the “Salad Bowl of the World.” International companies establishing a presence in Salinas include Ireland-based agtech startup ApisProtect, which in fall 2018 announced plans to open its first U.S. office...

While agriculture and technology are two sectors that remain male dominated, especially at the decision-making level, the reality is that a need for talent and the demographics of the 21st century workforce are morphing into one that is diverse. And, there is indeed much opportunity right here in the Salinas Valley for the younger generation...