Today, Diangelo and Alejandro were out testing the Gopher iQ’s new self-parking technology. It quickly, easily drove through the cones, turned on its own, and self-parked just as we programmed on the easy-to-use interface.

Slowly, silently, effortlessly. The autonomous grape cart does not necessarily attract much attention as it drives through the rows at Parminder Brar’s 900-acre family farm in Kern Country, Ca. But it has a big effect.

Innovation paves the way for new success in the industry, with each advancement bolstering the fresh produce sector as a whole. Harnessing the might of leading solutions providers, Oppy is taking the necessary steps to fortify the grape category as it optimizes several key partnerships to drive category innovation.

Covid-19 has slashed the available seasonal labor for specialty crops in the US, including wine grapes.

Many vineyards in California’s fertile wine country rely on seasonal foreign workers to tackle the harvest, but the relevant H-2A visa program faced uncertainty when the pandemic hit.

The Vinergy Cart and Vinergy Wheelbarrow from Bakersfield, California startup Vinergy, Inc. are rechargeable electric implements that increase the amount of time grapes can be picked by significantly reducing the most time-consuming, labor-intensive and riskiest part of the harvest: transporting fruit from the vine to the end of the row.

Covid-19 has slashed the available seasonal labor for specialty crops in the US, including wine grapes.

Many vineyards in California’s fertile wine country rely on seasonal foreign workers to tackle the harvest, but the relevant H-2A visa program faced uncertainty when the pandemic hit.

Two hundred eleven startup businesses made investment pitches. Only 18 were invited to make formal presentations. Of those, just six made the final cut, receiving a combined total of $385,000.

You might say Kern County's first angel-investor group has been selective in its first year of operation.

"We've been pretty pleased with the response and the deal flow that we've seen," said John-Paul “J.P.” Lake, co-managing partner of the organization, Kern Venture Group.