Next week, UC Merced will host the Small Farm Tech Expo, a gathering that brings together a diverse group of stakeholders in the agricultural community. From farmers and ranchers to researchers and community organizers, the event aims to shine a spotlight on the potential of agriculture technology tailored for small farms. The expo, scheduled for December 2, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers a day packed with hands-on demonstrations, tours, and panel discussions, all at no cost to attendees.
The Small Farm Tech Expo, now in its fifth year, is organized by Community Alliance with Family Farmers and supported by F3 Local through the F3 Initiative. The event addresses a critical gap in the agricultural technology sector: too often, innovations are designed for large-scale operations, leaving small farms, which make up the majority of California’s agricultural landscape, underserved. This expo seeks to shift that narrative by showcasing technologies that are scalable, budget-friendly, and sustainable.
Joshua Viers, associate vice chancellor for interdisciplinary research and strategic initiatives at UC Merced, emphasizes the importance of this event for the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. “We have numerous small farms throughout the San Joaquin Valley, many of them underserved communities,” Viers said. “The solutions we come up with not only benefit the small farmers locally, but they have the potential to be transformative on the global stage.”
The expo is designed to cater to a wide range of attendees, from urban gardeners to small organic vineyard owners and diversified family ranch operators. Throughout the day, participants will have the opportunity to engage in workshops, live equipment demonstrations, and farmer-driven conversations. Topics will cover a broad spectrum of agricultural innovations, including irrigation techniques, agrivoltaics, electric tools, harvest technologies, and digital marketing. Spanish interpretation will be available to ensure accessibility for all attendees.
Exhibitors at the event include a variety of companies and organizations such as Sutton Ag, BCS, Renewables Inc., Mobile Coolbot, Gather.ag, Agtom, Rotate8, Parabug, Andros Engineering, CENID’s Scout Rover, and UC Merced’s Experimental Smart Farm. Tours of the university’s Experimental Smart Farm will be part of the event, offering attendees a firsthand look at cutting-edge agricultural research and technology.
Panel discussions will delve into critical issues such as water management in small, diversified farms, low-tech solutions and DIY innovations, agrivoltaics, digital marketing, solar energy, and harvest tools and technologies. These sessions provide a platform for sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration among attendees.
Beyond showcasing technology, the expo also serves as a learning opportunity for researchers. “We have a lot of farmers who are culturally from other areas of the world,” Viers noted. “They have fascinating practices, particularly around sustainable food production, that we can learn from.” This exchange of knowledge is vital for developing solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also culturally relevant and practical for the farmers who will use them.
UC Merced, situated in the heart of the Central Valley, is uniquely positioned to address the pressing challenges faced by farmers. “The closer you are to the problem, the closer you are to the solution,” Viers said. By bringing together diverse stakeholders and fostering a collaborative environment, the Small Farm Tech Expo aims to drive innovation and support the sustainable growth of small farms.