Welcome to The North Valley THRIVE Brief, your monthly snapshot of regional wins, upcoming opportunities and community voices shaping the San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties.

Catalyst Spotlight: Merced College Smart Farm

Merced County is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, but until recently it lacked a place where students, growers and entrepreneurs could get hands-on with the technology shaping farming's future. Merced College set out to change that.

With support from North Valley THRIVE's Catalyst Grant Program, the college is building "the farm of the future": a Smart Farm featuring research orchards, irrigation systems and an outreach trailer built by students themselves. The farm serves as a shared hub connecting workforce training, applied research and agtech innovation.

The reach so far:

2,200+ high school students engaged through outreach programs
60 agtech startups engaged, with 12 housed at a partner incubator
75 agriculture and technology industry partners connected to the vision
An estimated $650,000 in donated trees, vines and irrigation infrastructure

The impact is already multiplying. The project helped Merced College and its partners secure a $9.1 million California Jobs First Initiative award to keep building the region's agtech ecosystem, a powerful example of how catalyst investments can unlock larger resources for the North San Joaquin Valley.

Congratulations to Merced College and its partners on this growing success!

Feria de Educación at Stan State's Warrior Expo: Saturday, October 17

At North Valley THRIVE, we believe a thriving regional economy starts with opening doors to education for every family in the North San Joaquin Valley. That's why we're excited to help spread the word about Stanislaus State's second annual Warrior Expo & Feria de Educación, a free day of family fun, campus exploration and Spanish-language college-readiness support.

Here's a peek at what you can expect:

Family-Friendly Fun: Life-size lawn games, bounce houses, balloon art, face painting and more
Live Entertainment: A variety of performers bringing music and talent to campus
Delicious Food: Local food trucks and options supporting student organizations
College and Community Resources: Campus tours, academic and student support programs, and resources for community members, students and families

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026

🕒 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

📍California State University, Stanislaus — Quad, Library & Student Center

The event is FREE and open to everyone! We encourage our coalition partners to share this with the students, families and community members in your networks. Events like this help young people and their families see what's possible and connect to pathways that lead to good jobs right here in our region.

Learn more and register

North Valley Manufacturing Summit Draws 500+ to Stanislaus State

On September 29, more than 500 manufacturers, educators and students gathered at Stanislaus State for the first-ever North Valley Manufacturing Summit, hosted by the Manufacturers Council of the Central Valley. The day was built around one goal: bringing education and industry together to grow a skilled local workforce for advanced manufacturing.

Students made up nearly a third of attendees and were at the center of the action. They networked with industry leaders and competed in a hands-on supply chain challenge, working alongside manufacturing experts to build a mock supply chain while learning about logistics and quality management. Kevin Fleming, CEO and founder of Catapult, gave the keynote on the future of manufacturing and work.

The summit fits squarely within North Valley THRIVE's work to strengthen the advanced manufacturing ecosystem across Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, and we're proud to see this kind of momentum building in our region.

Want to learn more about the event? Read the full article from The Modesto Bee

North Valley THRIVE Visits the National Ignition Facility

North Valley THRIVE Associate Director Dr. Thomas Pogue recently toured the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, hosted by the Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology (LiFT). The visit offered a firsthand look at the science behind fusion ignition and a chance to explore what comes next: translation.

Turning ignition into a practical energy source will take a whole ecosystem of technologies, manufacturing capabilities, infrastructure, suppliers and deployment sites. That creates a real opportunity for the North San Joaquin Valley to help bridge the gap between national-lab breakthroughs and a fusion energy system at scale. With its proximity to Livermore, its manufacturing base and its growing innovation partnerships, our region is well positioned to become a translation destination for this emerging industry.

The visit also highlighted how deeper collaboration across the research and innovation system can speed that progress. Many thanks to LiFT for hosting, and we look forward to continuing the conversation about the Valley's role in the future of fusion energy.

Inside a Dairy Digester: NVT Tours Maas Energy Works' Couco Creek Facility

North Valley THRIVE recently joined Maas Energy Works for a tour of the Couco Creek facility and dairy digester in Turlock, alongside partners from the Farm Bureau, Stanislaus County and BEAM Circular.

The group saw firsthand how a covered lagoon and membrane system captures methane from dairy manure, and how that biogas is upgraded into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas. It's a practical example of how Central Valley agriculture can cut emissions while creating new value on the farm.

The Maas Energy Works team walked participants through the dairy operations, the upgrading facility, and the permitting and business side of the work. The discussion about what it takes to site, permit and operate projects like this was especially valuable as our region plans for climate-smart infrastructure and the jobs that come with it.

Visits like this keep our coalition's work grounded in what's already happening across Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. Thank you to Maas Energy Works for hosting!

WHAT WE’RE READING

Here’s What California Is Learning From Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals

Economic Transformation in the San Joaquin Valley: The Role of the Circular Bioeconomy

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Connecting our Community: Share your wins, stories, or ideas at yolanda@northvalleythrive.org.