California AgTech Network Alliance Fast-Tracks Innovation in California

California’s $59 billion agriculture industry produces more than one-third of the United States’ vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. But the industry currently faces unprecedented pressures from climate change, labor shortages and rising production costs. California growers need field-ready solutions — fast.

Fortunately, California also has a deep bench of researchers and innovators. The California AgTech Network Alliance, California’s first statewide engine for agricultural innovation, connects leaders across nine regions to develop new agricultural innovations.

Helping Innovators Avoid Common Pitfalls

When AgTech fails to become commercially viable, it’s typically because startups:

• Don’t understand real-world needs.
• Can’t find farmers willing to test their product.
• Struggle with regulatory barriers.

The California AgTech Network Alliance’s Build & Connect program helps startups overcome these hurdles. The Build Program serves as an incubator for early-stage companies by providing real farm settings where innovators can refine their ideas and prototypes. The Connect Program accelerates market-ready AgTech solutions through:

• Pilot programs
• Expert mentorship
• Investor introductions

Together, Build & Connect helps lower the financial risk for new companies and gives farmers the opportunity to test new tools and offer constructive feedback. The program is facilitated by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), which ensures new innovations are thoroughly tested and tailored to real-world farming challenges.

UC ANR: The Backbone of California’s AgTech Initiative

UC ANR’s vast network of farms, experiment stations and grower expertise provide infrastructure and oversight for a variety of AgTech Alliance programs, including Build & Connect. Because of UC ANR’s presence in every California county, Alliance initiatives can have statewide impact. Together, UC ANR and The Alliance plan to support 200+ startups over five years, through innovation grants, pilot programs and exposure to a network of investors.

The Alliance is also guided by an Industry Advisory Board, made up of growers and agribusiness leaders who help identify industry needs and set priorities. This collaborative model ensures that startups:

• Produce commercially viable solutions.
• Develop tools for small and medium-sized farms in addition to large operations.
• Address real-world challenges faced by growers.
• Can scale statewide.

Training California’s Workforce for a Robotic Future

A successful AgTech revolution can’t happen without a skilled workforce; that’s why The Alliance is investing its resources into job training for farmworkers and educators. Growers need people who can pilot drones, establish operating boundaries for automated tools and perform repairs and maintenance.

The Alliances’ primary training initiatives include:

The California Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP) – An upskilling program that provides training in areas like farm automation, machinery maintenance and climate-smart farming to existing farmworkers and other adult learners. Training is delivered with an equity lens, recruiting socially disadvantaged and underserved individuals to ensure the current farm workforce is not left behind.

Drones Uplifting California Communities (DUCC) — A “train-the-trainer” program that prepares high school and community college teachers to offer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training. The goal is to teach students – especially those in rural or underserved communities – to operate drones, create aerial maps and create a pathway into careers such as precision agriculture, crop surveying and logistics. The program also offers training and licensing opportunities to community members who have traditionally been excluded from the tech economy.

FARMS AgTech Field Days– A hands-on program that introduces high school students to drones, robotics, sensors and other precision agriculture tools through 28 field days held across 14 counties. Led by the Center for Land-Based Learning, the program connects students—many from rural and underserved communities—to real-world farming environments and industry mentors. Participants explore sustainable and climate-smart practices while learning how technology is transforming modern agriculture, creating clear pathways into AgTech careers and higher education opportunities.

The Farm Robotics Challenge & Academy – A statewide robotics competition and educator training series led by UC ANR and AIFS with regional partners. Student teams from high schools and colleges design, build, and test robots that solve real farm needs using AI, sensing, and automation, while teachers receive training to integrate these tools in class. The program supplies project support and mentorship, builds skills in engineering and coding, and culminates in a statewide awards event and showcase at FIRA USA.

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The VINE Connect Field Day:

Jobs, Equity and Climate Resilience

The Alliance believes the future of agriculture can be grown in California. The state’s size and diversity are also its biggest strengths. For example, when a robotic weeding tool succeeds in Salinas, UC ANR can immediately test it in the Central Valley. When a community college builds a smart irrigation curriculum, The Alliance can share it with peers statewide.

By connecting people and resources, the California AgTech Network Alliance hopes to create a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food system for the future. The Alliance estimates it will:

• Create more than 2,000 jobs in California’s agricultural innovation sector within five years.
• Improve equity by investing in underserved communities and incentivizing development of new tools for small and mid-sized farms.
• Drive climate resilience by enabling farmers to reduce water use and adapt to higher temperatures, droughts and find new solutions for managing pests.

UC ANR and The AgTech Alliance at FIRA USA 2025

The California AgTech Network Alliance, including representatives from UC ANR, will be at FIRA USA, 21-23 October in Woodland, CA. The Alliance will host presentations on the opening day of the conference and hold a press conference on October 22 at 10:30 AM in The Plaza to officially launch the statewide collaboration advancing agricultural technology, workforce development and regional innovation.

At FIRA USA, attendees get a front row seat to the AgTech of tomorrow, including 35+ robot demos and displays on cultivated plots, vegetables, orchards and vineyards. Learn more about FIRA USA or register now.

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