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In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk with Sean Sundberg, Business Integration Manager at John Deere.

Sean Sundberg serves as the Business Integration Manager at John Deere, where he plays a pivotal role in integrating innovative technologies and sustainable practices into the company's agricultural solutions. His expertise bridges the gap between advanced machinery and practical applications for farmers.

Background with John Deere/Pilot Program:

In the summer of 2023, John Deere participated in the Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) Farm of the Future Strategic Summit, marking the start of a promising collaboration. As the partnership evolved, in March of 2024, John Deere became an integral part of SCW's innovative Farm of the Future initiative--a living lab for the future of agriculture and a hub for accelerating innovation.

Through this initiative, John Deere, and local dealer, Belkorp Ag, collaborated with six pilot farmers across Sonoma County: Bevill Vineyard Management - Duff Bevill & Matt Vogensen, Sangiacomo Vineyards – Steve & Mike Sangiacomo, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management – Tyler Klick & Kevin Barr, Dutton Ranch – Steve & Joe Dutton, Serres Ranch – Taylor Serres, and Munselle Vineyards – Bret Munselle. These pilot farmers implemented the SmartApply Intelligent Spray Control System with the goal of reducing crop protection material usage and lowering operational costs.

After the first year of the program SCW, John Deere and the pilot farmers gathered to discuss the SmartApply technology and discovered that across the 2200 acres the technology was piloted on, farmers saw about a 30% reduction in material cost. Looking ahead to 2025 we are continuing our partnership with John Deere and the pilot program using SmartApply technology.

SmartApply

The SmartApply technology assists growers in transforming their farming operation by using sophisticated LIDAR (light detection and ranging technology) technology that senses the presence of individual grapevines and automatically adjusts spray volume based on foliage density and stops spraying between vines to optimize protection.

SCW x John Deere rewards program – Current Sonoma County Winegrower members are eligible for a complimentary upgrade to John Deere Rewards (Platinum 1 status) - which unlocks the best of Rewards including valuable equipment discounts.

And finally, Virginie and Karissa share their Tuesday Night wine picks!