Forbes Ag Tech summit in Salinas shows off the future of the industry

The Forbes Ag Tech summit is back in Salinas for the fifth consecutive year.

The summit brings together over 600 global agriculture leaders and entrepreneurs to solve some of the world’s most critical agricultural challenges and introduce new innovations into the industry.

35 startups were set up pitching their new technology to investors and others in the industry. From sustainable projects to more efficient ways of farming, these companies are changing the way we think of agriculture.

“Our farmers are struggling right now and tech solutions that can improve their bottom line are essential,” Livestock water recycling c-founder Karen Schuett said.

We caught up with a couple companies changing farming in different ways. One innovation was the DTN smart trap.

“When the species they’re trying to trap comes, it will stick on the sticky card, and see what that invasive species is,” DTN development manager Eric Williams said.

The smart trap catches unwanted pests before they destroy farmers crops.

“Normally it’s a very manual process for growers to scout their fields. It takes a lot of time and money,” Williams said.

The goal is for growers to work smarter and spend less, which is the mission behind Wexus Technologies, who brought hi-tech minds from San Francisco into the ag world. A few years ago, Wexus created software that optimizes water usage and renewable energy for farmers.

“Farms are being electrified with just about everything. As that has changed and continue to evolve we are basically that one stop shop,” Wexus Technologies co-founder Chris Terrell said.

The Salinas valley is at the heart of their success.

“A lot of growers in this area, a lot of early adopters, and the technology that gets deployed in agriculture really comes out of Salinas,” Terrell says.

While all these new companies were showing their product, a local family owned grower was honored with the Forbes local impact award by Salinas mayor Joe Gunter for providing housing for harvest hands in Salinas.

“If you have consistency in the labor pool, and they return every season because they enjoy the environment they live in, we find we have a more equipped labor force to give us quality produce,” V.P. of the Nunes Company Tom Nunes said.