With a focus on bringing the latest designs, innovations and technology to small farms, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) has announced its second Small Farm Innovation Challenge. The competition is open to anyone and the intent is to find new ideas that will help small farms succeed.
“So many of the innovations we’re seeing in agriculture today are not only designed for much bigger farms,” said Evan Wiig of CAFF, “but they give larger farms yet another competitive edge.” He says the goal of the Small Farm Innovation Challenge is to redirect some innovators’ gaze to smaller-scale food producers.
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The 2019 contest selected a semi-autonomous, electric, remote-controlled tractor as the top winner and that product is now in production as the FarmHand Tractor. Second place went to a software package that helps schools buy food from local farms and other entries focused on soil health, packaging and water efficiency, according to a statement from CAFF. Separate tracks for Entrepreneurial and DIY ideas allow entries for start-ups with commercial designs and people looking to share free tools and innovations.
The deadline to enter is Nov. 1 and winners will be announced in February at the 2022 California Small Farm Conference.
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