This week instead of my normal column, I'd like to share more information about this exciting program the City of Escondido is embarking on...enjoy!
Cheers, JR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Escondido Targets AgTech's Future With Hackathon...Event Tackles Ag-Related Challenges
The City of Escondido has a long history as an agriculture center in San Diego County. It’s the home city of the San Diego Farm Bureau and in 1892 the first San Diego avocado was planted there, starting an industry that today boasts annual revenues in the tens of millions of dollars.
In addition to the city’s agriculture roots, Escondido is also becoming a hub for tech. Over the last five years, professional science and technical services has been the city’s fastest growing industry.
“What we like to say in Escondido is we are rich in agriculture and ripe in technology,” said Jennifer Schoeneck, deputy director of Economic Development for the City of Escondido.
To expand that rich history and ripe new industry, the City of Escondido is working to combine them both and become the San Diego region’s center for agriculture technology. And to kick off the effort, the City will host San Diego’s first-ever AgTech Hackathon Oct. 21-23.
The three-day event hosted by the City of Escondido and online tech community Fresh Brewed Tech will be held at the Synergy Centre in Escondido and will bring together entrepreneurs, farmers, investors, students and community leaders to brainstorm new ideas for tech solutions in agriculture and learn from existing companies already in that space.
“The purpose of the AgTech Hackathon is to bring together that community for maybe the first time and get them excited about what agricultural technology companies are already here and where it can go in the future,” Schoeneck said.
During the three days, participants will pose, recruit, and build a team to advance an Agtech idea while receiving guidance from a group of facilitators and mentors. Each team will prepare a pitch for a panel of judges and winners will receive cash prizes and more.
