Innovative Ways to Support Ag Viability and Build Trust With Farmers
July 10th
Today’s Speakers:
Agenda:
Agriculture Office
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Snohomish County
Introduction
March 2025
https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/1399/Agriculture-Office
The Agriculture Office provides services to local farmers including regulatory, business, technical help, food systems, economic development, education and oversees the Agriculture Advisory Board.
About the Office of Agriculture
Division Manager |
Agriculture Coordinator
Linda Neunzig
Department Specialist
Julia Layland
Julia.layland@Snoco.org
Including the Advanced Agriculture Technology Program in the Floodplains by Design grant application was an innovative approach to advance agriculture while protecting natural resources.
Floodplains
By Design Funding
Phase 3 grant $600,000
Phase 4 grant $1,000,000
The Snohomish County Ag Tech Program is a key initiative of Snohomish County’s Community Floodplain Solutions and the Office of Agriculture. This strategic program is designed to provide farmers with advanced technology and data-driven tools to boost productivity, optimize resources, and support sustainable agricultural practices.
By leveraging innovative technology, the program helps growers adapt to the changing agricultural landscape, improving both efficiency and resilience. Snohomish County has partnered with Innov8Ag to deliver and support the use of these technologies.
AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY
Available Equipment
*Only available to farmers in Snohomish County, in the Snohomish Watershed.
AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY
Benefits
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Enhancing Farm Efficiency
Data-Driven Decision Making
Economic Viability
Partner with local and regional organizations to provide workshops, field demonstrations and hands on-training of emerging agriculture technologies. ls such as geospatial mapping, analytics and automated monitoring systems.
Sustainability & Conservation
Education & Outreach
Optimize water and nutrient management with technology and on-farm robotics to assist labor.
Gain actionable insights through the use of advance data collection tools such as geospatial mapping, analytics and automated monitoring systems.
Help farmers increase profitability by reducing costs and improving yields through technology.
Use targeted resource application to conserve resources in a changing environment with soil health assessments.
OVERVIEW
SOIL OPTIX
“SoilOptix® users still use the agronomic background that they’ve always had, but now can apply it at a high-resolution scale to micro-manage their fields. This can include creating fertility recommendations, evaluate different seeding practices, address irrigation application, or a static comparison between your soil and your crop.”
SOIL OPTIX
OVERVIEW
Measures soil moisture and temperature every four inches down to the roots using Sentek soil moisture sensors and a smartphone app from AgriNET to track field conditions in real time.
SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS
Optimize plant care, environmental monitoring, and reduce usage of water in field systems.
Optimize plant care, environmental monitoring, and reduce usage of water in field systems.
Shown is the view from the Farmer’s perspective on the App.
SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS
OVERVIEW
Provides farmers access to technology for on-farm labor assistance with a four-wheel drive, 360-degree LiDAR-equipped, autonomous driving vehicle providing time and labor savings.
BURRO.AI
“Designed to work alongside people to force-multiply their work, while constantly learning to do more, Burro pulls together innovative functions, including machine learning, high-precision GPS and Pop-Up Autonomy™, to create the first high-quality, autonomous platform that anyone can use.”
BURRO.AI
Mower attachment
Sprayer attachment
Future Technology
Autonomous Weeder
Autonomous Sprayer
Autonomous Mower
Questions
Linda Neunzig
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Snohomish County
(425)754-1466
Introduction
March 2025
Spokane Conservation
District Ag Services Program
Ty Meyer
Direct Seed Loan Program
Accessible Financing
Support for purchasing direct seed equipment.
Soil Health
Improves soil structure and water retention.
Consistent Growth
Increasing farmer participation and benefits.
Direct Seed Loan Program
Program Stats:
$42+ Million Disbursed 640 + Loans Made
Average Loan amount of $65,500
BioFarming Program
1
Shift to Regenerative Practices
Focus on reducing synthetic inputs.
2
Support for Innovators
Encouraging advanced regenerative techniques.
3
Building Resilience
Enhancing soil biodiversity and nutrient cycling.
Building Curriculum
Curriculum Development
Creating resources for regional groups.
Peer-to-Peer Groups
Facilitating collaboration among farmers.
Building Curriculum
Farmed Smart Program
1
Central Marketing
Transparency for producers in BioFarming.
2
Certification Process
Building a network of certified farms.
3
Consumer Trust
Promoting products grown under Farmed Smart label.
Sustainable Farms & Fields
1
Alex has been working with a farm in Spokane County.
2
Cattle Watering System
10,000+ Feet of Water line installed with flow control system and pumping station..
3
Cover Crop Project
600+ acres of cover crops seeded for cattle feed
Advanced Markets for Producers - AMP
Potential NACD Grant Impact
Grant Amount | $12.7 million |
Focus Areas | BioFarming program |
| expansion & Direct |
| Producer Practice |
| Payments |
| |
Hiring Plans | Agronomists and farm planners |
Advanced Regenerative Systems
Suites of Practices vs. single
practice implementation
Programmatic Innovations
Farmer Owned insurance Equipment Purchasing programs
Community Well-Being
Supporting producers and consumers alike.
Production Ag Program
Ag Innovations Demo Day
Upcoming Events:
Grant Program Update: Join us on July 24 at 1 p.m. for a discussion on improving the clarity and relevance of the scoring criteria.