Braga Fresh installs new technology to gather real-time CO2 data
Company employs Agrology’s arbiter carbon monitoring system
Soledad, CA, March 6, 2023 — Leading organic grower, Braga Fresh, partnered with predictive agriculture company, Agrology, to install a regenerative agriculture technology platform to track and quantify soil carbon in real time.
Braga Fresh has been field testing the Agrology platform to measure soil carbon respiration changes based on cultural practices employed in its regenerative farming trials. Braga Fresh is the first large-scale fresh vegetable and leafy greens farming operation to install such a system.
“Soil health and testing has long been a part of the Braga Fresh organic farming program and quantifying these practices with real-time data is key,” said Eric Moran, vice president of environmental science and resources. “The Agrology soil carbon monitoring system is the best tool we’ve seen to help us evaluate our regenerative trials.”
The Agrology arbiter carbon monitoring system helps growers track and quantify soil carbon in real time. Agrology’s machine learning model tracks and interprets data to monitor growing challenges such as soil carbon flux and soil microbiome health. Arbiter issues weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual carbon reports, enabling growers like Braga Fresh to report on and quantify carbon emissions.
Adam Koeppel, co-founder and CEO of Agrology, said, “Braga Fresh has ambitious plans to enhance soil carbon sequestration and cut carbon emissions and we are honored that they are testing our technology in their fields. Sequestering and keeping carbon in the soil is the best way to remove atmospheric carbon rapidly and affordably, and that’s where regenerative agriculture practices come into place.”
Braga Fresh installed the Agrology soil carbon monitoring system in July 2022 as part of a regenerative trial program. In addition to soil carbon respiration and soil health, Agrology’s ground-truth sensors and tech platform help Braga Fresh manage multiple factors including crop irrigation, water management, insects, plant disease and air quality. Trialing regenerative practices is helping Braga Fresh to identify feasible low tillage practices for fresh vegetable production while maintaining the quality and food safety expectations of retailers and consumers.
Morgan said, “I envision Agrology being able to help us measure changes in our cultural practices. It’s a great tool for farmers to keep track of practices across our farm.”
About Braga Fresh
In 1928, Sebastian and Josie Braga started farming California’s fertile soil on what is now known as the Braga Home Ranch in Soledad, CA. Today, the third generation continues the family values of sustainable-organic farming. Braga Fresh sets aside 10% of farmland to beneficial habitat. Now vertically integrated, Braga Fresh combines innovation with tradition to grow, harvest, and process fresh vegetables and leafy greens through the Josie’s Organics and Braga Farms brands. For more information about the company, visit BragaFresh.com .
About Agrology
Agrology is a leading climate tech start-up and Public Benefit Corporation with a mission to help farmers adapt to and beat climate change with real-time analysis and predictive insights. The Agrology platform consists of climate and carbon monitoring systems, both based on ground-truth data and machine learning. The Agrology Climate Monitoring System delivers predictive insights and warnings, up to four days in advance, for wildfire smoke taint risk, extreme weather, soil conditions, pest and disease emergence, and irrigation. Agrology’s Carbon Monitoring System tracks soil carbon sequestration in real time, quickly detecting carbon loss via carbon dioxide emission events. Agrology customers include Braga Fresh, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Boisset Collection, Dana Estates, Emeritus Vineyards, Jordan Vineyards and Winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Langtry Farms, Lawrence Vineyards, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Renteria Vineyard Management, Signorello Estate, Silver Oak Vineyards, and numerous specialty farms. Agrology is the winner of two highly selective National Science Foundation SBIR Awards, a 2022 WINnovation Award, and is a recipient of a USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant. Agrology’s academic partners include UC Davis, CSU Monterey Bay, Huntington Farms, RCD of Monterey County, University of California Cooperative Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Agrology has offices in Alexandria, Virginia, and Sonoma, California, and can be found online at Agrology.ag.