A $15.1 million state award is set to transform how agricultural innovation reaches California’s farmers, creating the state’s first coordinated network to speed new technologies from research labs to the field. The funding, part of a broader $28.6 million investment through California Jobs First, will establish a statewide agricultural innovation cluster led by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), connecting nine food-producing regions to share solutions for water scarcity, extreme heat, and labor challenges.
The initiative arrives at a critical juncture for California’s $59 billion farm economy, which produces over a third of the nation’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. Growers face mounting pressures—drought, wildfire smoke, shifting pest patterns, and a shrinking skilled workforce—while small and mid-sized operations often lack access to emerging tools. Even when promising technologies exist, adoption remains slow due to fragmented regional efforts and limited infrastructure for testing and scaling innovations.
“This award allows us to do something California has never done before: build a single, statewide engine for agricultural innovation,” said Gabriel Youtsey, UC ANR’s chief innovation officer. The network will align researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners to accelerate solutions, ensuring growers of all scales benefit from tools tailored to their needs.
A key strength of the initiative lies in UC ANR’s century-long presence in every California county. Through its Cooperative Extension advisors, the program will bridge the gap between lab breakthroughs and real-world application, validating technologies in diverse growing conditions before wider adoption. “Our advisors know which innovations farmers actually need and how to make them work in the field,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president of agriculture and natural resources. “This funding turns local expertise into statewide impact.”
The program’s structure addresses three core challenges: coordinating regional priorities, supporting entrepreneurs, and preparing the workforce. A central hub will unite nine agricultural regions under shared leadership, deploying $2 million in innovation grants and connecting startups with investors. Early-stage companies will receive mentorship to refine prototypes and navigate regulations, while market-ready technologies will undergo field trials with farmer input. Workforce programs will train farmworkers in automation, drone operation, and data science, ensuring the labor force can adopt new tools.
Industry leaders emphasize the urgency of this effort. “California feeds the nation, but our leadership isn’t guaranteed,” said Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Other states and countries are investing heavily in agtech. This initiative ensures we don’t just keep up—we define the future of farming.”
For growers, the benefits are practical. Western Growers, representing producers of half the nation’s fresh produce, sees the network as essential for adopting water-saving irrigation, heat-resistant crops, and labor-efficient automation. “Every grower is trying to do more with less,” said Walt Duflock, senior vice president of innovation at Western Growers. “This coordinated approach removes barriers to technology adoption.”
The initiative also prioritizes equity, ensuring small and mid-sized farms access the same innovations as large-scale operations. By creating regional hubs and shared resources, even 10-acre growers can test and adopt cutting-edge tools. “This isn’t about replacing traditional farming,” Youtsey noted. “It’s about giving every farmer the tools to thrive.”
Over five years, the program aims to support 200 agtech startups, create over 2,000 jobs, and train 1,500 workers in new technologies. Implementation begins in late 2025, with regional demonstrations launching in early 2026. The coalition includes the California Farmworker Foundation, UC Santa Cruz, and the Agricultural Council of California, among others.
For farmers, the message is clear: help is on the way. Whether fine-tuning irrigation or adopting robotics, the network promises faster, more equitable access to solutions that improve productivity and sustainability. As Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz director, put it, “We’re building the infrastructure for innovation that will keep California agriculture competitive for decades.”