SAN DIEGO, Calif. — In discussing the future of California agriculture in a world becoming more reliant on new technology, a contestant from Yolo County earned top honors in the California Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet, held at the 100th CFBF Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Garrett Driver of Knights Landing emerged as the winner after addressing the topic of how the agriculture business can attract the best and brightest minds from science, technology, engineering and mathematics into agricultural careers.
In discussing how agriculture can increase its use of technology to solve challenges, Driver and other contestants suggested reaching out to companies, students and others to help with identifying STEM-based technological solutions.
“In our county,” Driver said, “an Ag Start program is exploring options and opportunities for entrepreneurs or people established in the industry to do something different, whether it be a product or a service.”
In discussing what Driver described as “the evolution of technology in agriculture,” the contestants identified areas of agriculture in need of high-tech solutions such as in mechanization or to help with reducing inputs.
Driver, a sixth-generation farmer and supply chain manager for Nuseed, will represent California at the American Farm Bureau Federation Open Discussion Meet, to be held next month at the AFBF Annual Convention in New Orleans.
Alysha Stehly of San Diego County was first runner-up in the contest. The other finalists were Brie Hunt of San Joaquin County and Tony Lopes of Merced County.
As the winner of the Open Discussion Meet, Driver earned $5,000 courtesy of sponsors Farm Credit, Kubota and K·Coe Isom. The first runner-up received $1,000, and the other two finalists each earned $500.
The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 36,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members.
–California Farm Bureau Federation
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