Central Valley farmers have always required a level of adaptability. Recent seasons have made one thing increasingly clear: conditions are becoming more unpredictable, and decisions need to be made faster than ever before. This past March saw record breaking heat spanning across the Central Valley while April is experiencing forecasted storms at the time of this writing. Intense heat can push crops ahead of schedule and increase water demand almost overnight. All the while, a sudden rain event can shift conditions again, disrupting plans and forcing growers to rethink irrigation timing. These rapid swings create a challenging environment where relying on static schedules and frequent field visits are no longer practical. Instead, successful operations are moving toward a more responsive approach. One that allows irrigation to adjust alongside real-time conditions in the field. Below are four ways real-time monitoring and automation are helping growers adapt to changing conditions and m

Two years ago, I wrote an article on AI in the vineyard for WBM. Feel free to read that article here…if you want. Otherwise, my basic argument was that although AI will eventually play a role in how we farm grapes, it’s a long way off compared to other industries and even other crops. We who grow grapes are the last ones to see such innovation. And since then, AI has grown exponentially. If two years ago you were playing around with Chat GPT to create bizarrely distorted images and learn about tax loopholes, you can now go onto the likes of Claude and have it just create a website for you from a single prompt. Chatbots like this have essentially eliminated the need for entry-level coders. However Claude is a computer, so it makes sense that it’s gotten very good at writing code for other computers. Similarly Chat GPT has digested the entire internet, and curates any answer for you by plucking it from its vast network of information. Sometimes its correct, and other t

We’re on site with one of our longest‑standing partners—Pacheco Ranch Winery—right in our own backyard of Novato. Today we’re removing their RS130 telemetry node & data logger and replacing it with the RS330: an advanced cellular telemetry node, data logger and equipment controller. Here it's monitoring and uploading real‑time data from their weather station. The RS330, our most expandable unit, can monitor weather, soil data, water level data, flowmeter rates, and provide irrigation control all in one package. The RS130 served faithfully for over a decade, but even the toughest hardware eventually wears out—and when it does, Ranch Systems has your back. We’re ready to troubleshoot any issue and can be on site at a moment’s notice to make repairs or swap equipment—so your system stays online and your vines get the care they deserve.

Verdi Co-founder, Roman Kozak on Verdi's newly launched first commercially-viable technology for variable rate irrigation and fertigation in specialty crops.

Lumo hasn’t been around all that long. In fact, the California-based, smart irrigation company was first launched by CEO and Founder Devon Wright and his team just two years ago. But within that very short time frame, Lumo’s cutting-edge water delivery system has captured the attention of the Northern Californian winegrowing community and truly shifted the way irrigation is done. Three Lumo One smart valves installed at a Jackson Family Wines vineyard in northern Sonoma County.  Last summer, Lumo put the industry’s first smart irrigation valve, Lumo One, into the hands and vineyards of some of California’s top grape growers, including; Treasury Wine Estates, Wente Vineyards, Clos Du Val, Spottswoode Winery, REVM, Boheme Wines, Price Family Vineyards & Estates, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Pine Ridge Vineyards. Now, after one full growing season, users are reporting groundbreaking results. “Lumo valves have the potential to unite my wate

HotSpot AG understands the importance of applying the right amount of water to the right spot in the field at the right time. Owner James Nichols has experienced the challenges farmers face in their everyday tasks and found a solution that makes it easier than ever to manage, track and schedule from anywhere.  When Nichols returned home to his family’s farm after graduating from UC Davis, they tasked him with implementing a water budget for irrigating their thousands of acres of almonds and pistachios. Dissatisfied with the AgTech products for automating irrigation then available, he designed his own. After testing it in their orchards for five years, the family suggested Nichols start his own business. In 2018, James Nichols founded HotSpot AG to help other farmers overcome these challenges and streamline their workflow. Nichols’s solution harnesses sensor data to automate irrigation schedules. However, for the HotSpot team, it goes beyond collecting data; it&r

🙏 We'd like to thank everyone who attended our first annual Worth of Water Summit at Clos Du Val last week! It was an honor to host some of the world's best growers and have an evening with them to collaborate on the future of irrigation and discuss the important role that technology will have in helping save time, money and water. 🕓💵💧 We are already counting down the days until next years event! Have a happy harvest everyone! 🌿

Like a fine wine that evolves and matures over time, Lumo has undergone a captivating metamorphosis and we’re excited to finally uncork the changes we’ve made to the brand!🍷 🍾🍇 The update is more than just new logos and colors. It’s a symbol of our wholehearted dedication to serving growers and helping them conserve their most precious resources: time, money and water. ⌛💵💧 Let us know your thoughts on our new look! 👇✨ https://lumo.ag/ #LumoRevamped #Smartirrigation #irrigationtechnology #watermanagement #GrowWithLumo #agtech

Henry Halimi had certainly earned his retirement. Having achieved an impressive education in mathematics and mechanical engineering, and successful exits from multiple startups in his 45 years as a serial entrepreneur, Halimi had just sold Flo Technologies to Moen the plumbing-supply giant. Halimi co-founded Flo with his son Gabriel. Halimi owns multiple water technology patents and has sold millions of units through his inventions and innovative products, so going back to work didn’t really need to be high on his priority list. Lumo team install proprietary smart valve in a Sonoma County vineyard   But, when Lumo CEO Devon Wright knocked on his door and asked Halimi to join him and company CTO John Hinnegan at their new agtech company focused on water sustainability through improved irrigation efficiency, Halimi didn’t hesitate. "I come from a second-generation water family from the old country," Halimi recounts. "As a kid, pumps, valves and pipes