Steve Mantle

AgTech Ecosystem - thanks to the good work by Lynn Hamilton and the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Science, we can now answer (at least partially) one of the questions that a lot of people in and around specialty crop agriculture have asked for a while now - how many hours of labor does it take for each acre of crops? The short answer is 360 hours per acre. How did they get there? 1) They talked to growers of the 9 crops in the graphic below to get a bottoms up analysis of how much each grower spent on two main groups of tasks - harvest and cultivation. That's a separate Excel table that I'm not showing because it's a precursor to the graphic below. 2) Then they extrapolated those per acre figures for those two task sets and modeled them out for the entire acreage count for each crop in California to get the graphic below. 3) The graphic is straightforward enough - it takes 252M hours to produce 700,000 acres of specialty crops for these 9 crop types. There's more to be done - we're working on coming up with a way to test using these hour counts and breakdown into the two task segments for similar crops (which makes the assumption that other lettuce crops are similar in hours required to romaine or iceberg, for example). Obviously talking to more growers is one of the next steps for further analysis. My key take-away is that for these 9 crops (and I think these %s are likely to stay in roughly the same ration and hour counts for other crops), 75% of the labor is harvest and 25% of the labor is cultivation. This means that if we automate a lot of cultivation tasks (planting, weeding, thinning, spraying and scouting come to mind) and some of the harvest-related tasks (optimizing harvest efficiency with pre-harvest weeding, solutions like Burro to increase crew efficiency), we can reach the 50% of labor that we are targeting by February 2031. This is important because we are still a ways off on harvest (all crops) so the other segments and solutions will have to help fill the gap on the way to 50%. And remember that many of those hours are for H-2A workers which include extra transportation and housing costs. Going forward, we will be watching the hours/acre metric and also watching the amount of automation solutions purchased to see what impact automation may be having on labor requirements and working hard to prove causation (if it can be proven - we want to make sure we're not taking credit for hours loss if acres were lost as well). So for our 2024 baseline, we're at 360 hours/acre in 2024 ... #agtech #laborrequirements #specialtycrops Damian Mason Todd Thurman Shay Myers Rob Trice Shane Thomas Rhishi P. Ben Palone

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Dive into the latest advancements in ArcGIS through real-world use cases and product demos and see how new tools and capabilities can enhance workflows and support better decision-making. https://ow.ly/joeT50S0HJP #EsriUC2024

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Use this opportunity to schedule an in-person architecture appointment and discuss any of the following topics:   Architecture assessment—A high-level review of your existing or planned architecture. Discuss opportunities to better meet current and future requirements. Migration considerations—Discuss your current deployment and explore options for a cloud or on-site new target environment. Maintenance and operations—Discuss and consider post-deployment best practices such as performance management, testing, and monitoring.

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#GIS technology has a variety of use cases, including the addressing of social issues. This blog describes how @CountyofLA is using #ArcGISExperienceBuilder to highlight inequality and lay a foundation for progressive efforts. Here is the blog: https://lnkd.in/es_3f2Ex

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🎓🦉 Tutorial: Learn how to create a simple dashboard with ArcGIS Dashboards. Quickly map medical facilities in Los Angeles County (sample data only) and include interactive chart and list elements. https://ow.ly/RIGA50SLLtJ

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Did you know DWR partners with the University of California, Davis California Center for Urban Horticulture to support the SmartLandscape initiative? This program helps students learn practical horticultural skills and expand their knowledge of vegetation management through hands on experience with planting and irrigation. In return, UC Davis shares data gained through this program with DWR to ensure our water efficient landscape guidance is accurate and best attuned to meet our needs in this changing climate. Watch the video to learn more! #Water #SmartIrrigationMonth #Irrigation #WaterWise #Landscape

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Intermountain West Water Year 2024 Summary Water Year 2024 (October 1, 2023–September 30, 2024) included a mixed bag of record-breaking temperatures, precipitation anomalies, and both drought development and improvement in the Intermountain West. Drought developed in Wyoming and improved in parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Long-term drought impacts remain in many areas of the region, including persistent drought in southern New Mexico, despite normal to above-normal precipitation in many areas. Roughly the same percentage of the Intermountain West was in drought at the start of Water Year 2024 (38.27%), as the start of Water Year 2025, October 1, 2024 (36.55%). However, drought conditions shifted across the region. At the onset of Water Year 2024, 94.86% of New Mexico was in Moderate to Exceptional Drought (D1–D4) and 0.0% of Wyoming was in drought. Drought has increased in Wyoming to 71.33% and improved in northern/central New Mexico (now covering only 34.73% of the state), eastern Arizona, and southwestern Colorado.  Most of the Intermountain West experienced average- to above-average snowpack over the course of Water Year 2024. However, snow drought persisted throughout winter in much of northern Wyoming, with record-low snow water equivalent at several long-term SNOTEL stations. The 2024 North American Monsoon cumulatively delivered an underperforming season of precipitation for Arizona and southern/western New Mexico, while overperforming in eastern Utah, northern New Mexico, and all but the front range and eastern Rockies of Colorado, improving drought conditions in many areas. Colorado received 95% of normal precipitation for Water Year 2024, but areas were both much wetter than normal and much drier than normal. In Colorado, Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley recorded its wettest water year on record (since 1944) with 14.56 inches of precipitation. New Mexico statewide precipitation was 87% of average. Southern New Mexico was below average, and Las Cruces reported its driest water year on record with just 3.32 inches recorded. Utah experienced record rainfall totals in the southeast (parts of Emery, Wayne, and Garfield counties), which coincided with an eastern shift of the monsoon pattern. Above-normal temperatures impacted the entire Intermountain West region, which contributed to new drought development in Wyoming, Arizona, and eastern Colorado and long-term drought persistence in southern New Mexico. Arizona experienced its hottest summer (June–August) on record (130 years). Colorado experienced its 7th warmest water year on record, and its 5th warmest June–September. Grand Junction recorded its warmest summer on record, and eastern Colorado, including Kiowa, Bent, and Prowers Counties, continues to suffer from Severe Drought (D2).  New Mexico had its 5th warmest water year and 3rd warmest summer (June–August) on record. NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration #water #coloradoriverbasin

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From governments to utilities, from single to multimachine deployments, #ArcGISMonitor is the go-to product for proactive management of your enterprise #GIS health. See how diverse organizations are utilizing Monitor: https://ow.ly/AeY550Sy0zs

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#ArcGIS Velocity, a SaaS IoT app for #ArcGISOnline, helps @MassDOT Highway Operations Center access traffic incident data faster than traditional methods. See how this enables quicker emergency response times and more efficient incident management: https://ow.ly/VuMW50RtWIU

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Watching this sample grinder reminds me of the cost, time, difficulty and inconsistency of standard soil carbon analysis (folks might be shocked by interlab comparisons). Newer measurement methods and models still need traditional dry combustion calibration. Agricarbon is automating the lab sample processing pipeline. Any other companies focused on improving reference soil organic carbon analysis (field extraction, inorganic C determination, interlab calibration)? #soilhealth

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Check out this video from the #FMTipsfromtheTeam series and learn how to quickly get back to a selected feature in your map when you have zoomed or panned away in #ArcGIS #FieldMaps! 📱🗺️ Watch the video: https://ow.ly/umyy50RNxGE

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Combine powerful analytic tools and workflows to manage, analyze, and use #imagery and #rasters 🙌 These resources for teaching imagery and remote sensing will help you get started 👍 https://ow.ly/JqOf30sCbN2

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Planting canopy trees, particularly in urban areas like Sacramento, offers several benefits that make them preferable over other types of trees: 1. Shade and Cooling: Canopy trees have large, spreading crowns that provide ample shade, helping to cool urban environments during hot weather. This can reduce the urban heat island effect and lower temperatures in built-up areas. 2. Air Quality Improvement: Canopy trees are effective at absorbing pollutants from the air, including carbon dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. Their leaves act as natural filters, improving air quality and reducing the risk of respiratory problems for city residents. 3. Aesthetic Appeal: Canopy trees often have attractive foliage and form, enhancing the visual appeal of streetscapes, parks, and neighborhoods. They can create green corridors and natural habitats for wildlife, contributing to a more pleasant and biodiverse urban environment. 4. Stormwater Management: The extensive root systems of canopy trees help to absorb and retain rainwater, reducing stormwater runoff and the risk of flooding. This can help alleviate pressure on drainage systems and prevent soil erosion. 5. Carbon Sequestration: Canopy trees are effective at sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. By storing carbon in their biomass, they help mitigate climate change and offset greenhouse gas emissions. 6. Longevity and Stability: Many canopy tree species are long-lived and resilient, able to withstand urban stresses such as pollution, compacted soil, and drought. Their size and stature provide stability and structure to urban landscapes. While other types of trees may offer some of these benefits, canopy trees are often preferred in urban forestry initiatives due to their ability to provide large-scale environmental, social, and economic advantages. However, the selection of tree species should also consider factors such as local climate, soil conditions, and maintenance requirements to ensure the long-term success of urban greening efforts. What species of tree would be beneficial for Bogota area? #CanopyTrees #UrbanForestry #GreenInfrastructure #CoolingCities #CleanAir #Biodiversity #StormwaterManagement #ClimateResilience #HealthyCommunities #SustainableCities

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Learn how GIS and the ArcGIS Utility Network can be used to create an accurate model of the natural and manmade infrastructure used to capture and manage stormwater. https://ow.ly/eoXq30sCJbR

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Do you need your logistics at the apex of efficiency? And reach the Quantum limit when you optimize? [email protected] [email protected] #quantumiscoming #ISC #Hypersolver #Anzaetek

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Esri ArcGIS Post - Introducing the new Offline mapping apps guide for developers #esri #arcgis

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