Western Growers continues to advance its leadership in agricultural innovation through strategic collaboration, field engagement and relationship‑building with growers and technology partners. Below is a recap of key activities driving this momentum across our innovation centers and growing regions.

Last week, Walt Duflock and Ben Palone hosted a delegation of academics from Mississippi State University and Cornell University for in‑depth conversations focused on specialty crop research. These discussions centered on emerging scientific approaches and university‑led initiatives that can help Western Growers members address pressing challenges in specialty crop production.
To complement the academic dialogue, the WG team arranged a series of targeted meetings with three leading grower‑shippers.

These sessions provided the visiting academics with firsthand insights into how industry leaders are approaching automation, labor efficiency and technology adoption across their operations.
The visit also included immersive field tours at two key locations: Reservoir Farms in Salinas and Braga Farms in Soledad. These on‑farm experiences offered valuable context for understanding real‑world production environments and highlighted ongoing opportunities for research‑driven solutions.

I’m actively coordinating a new round of meetings and field tours designed to support agtech startups in both the Yuma growing region and the Salinas Valley. These engagements help startups gain direct exposure to grower needs, field conditions and operational challenges that inform product development. These efforts align with Western Growers’ broader innovation strategy and are supported through the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) platform. By creating structured opportunities for startups to connect with growers across multiple regions, this work is helping ensure that solutions are tested, refined and deployed where they can make the greatest impact.

Looking ahead, Walt will be traveling to Tulare, Calif., for the World Ag Expo, taking place February 10–12, 2026. Event details here.

As one of the largest agricultural trade shows in the world, the Expo provides an ideal platform for Walt to connect Western Growers member growers with emerging innovators from the WGCIT. Events like this are invaluable for strengthening the bridge between growers seeking practical solutions and startups developing next‑generation agtech tools. Walt’s participation continues Western Growers’ mission to accelerate technology adoption across the specialty crop sector.
From academic partnerships to major trade show engagement to regional field matchmaking, Western Growers continues to champion innovation throughout the specialty crop industry. These activities reflect our commitment to supporting growers, empowering startups and driving progress across the agricultural ecosystem. When production returns to the Salinas Valley in March, the innovation team hopes to relaunch monthly Lunch and Learns and develop new networking events for WGCIT startup members.