The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and North Dakota’s Grand Farm united on Friday to inaugurate the University of Georgia Grand Farm, an agricultural innovation collaboration in Perry, Georgia.
UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia Sen. Larry Walker, Grand Farm Ecosystems Director Andrew Jason, and CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place spoke to a gathering of over 200 participants.
“UGA Grand Farm represents a chance to enhance our existing efforts: forging a stronger connection between the University of Georgia and industry, while facilitating collaboration among leading minds globally in precision agricultural research,” Morehead stated.
While addressing the audience, Morehead expressed his enthusiasm for a future where UGA Grand Farm stimulates innovation, attracts youth to the precision agriculture sector, and acts as a center for agricultural research.
“I am confident that in the coming years, UGA Grand Farm will become the nucleus of a vibrant agricultural ecosystem dedicated to addressing the significant challenges we face in agriculture,” Morehead commented.
Initiating an agricultural innovation collaboration
CAES and Grand Farm have collaborated to establish a functioning innovative farm in rural Georgia, adjacent to the Georgia National Fairgrounds. The origins of this partnership trace back to 2019 when University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue played a pivotal role in launching Grand Farm during its inauguration in North Dakota while serving as U.S. secretary of agriculture.
The 250-acre endeavor was unveiled in June 2024. This innovative farm aims to develop and showcase pioneering agricultural technologies and automation, concentrating on Georgia’s specialty crops and agriculture in the Southeast, with initial field projects slated to commence in 2025.
UGA Grand Farm will serve as a center for research, education, and sustainable agricultural practices, leveraging the advantages of precision agriculture, robotics, and data analytics to enhance productivity, conserve resources, and ensure food security for future generations.
“This partnership represents an ideal fusion of tradition and innovation,” Place remarked. “By integrating the college’s exceptional researchers and the UGA Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture with Grand Farm’s state-of-the-art technologies, we will transform the way we nourish and clothe the global population.”
University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead (center) joins Grand Farm and UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences leadership, including CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place (far left), and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper (third from right), to celebrate the launch of UGA Grand Farm during a groundbreaking ceremony in Perry, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Montgomery)
Autonomous technology takes center stage
Following the groundbreaking, participants were invited to view demonstrations of field and equipment presented by UGA and UGA Grand Farm partners.
Among the showcased technologies were solar-operated, autonomous robotic weeders; retrofit kits for tractors that facilitate driverless operations in row crop cultivation; and a fully autonomous, solar-powered agricultural robot crafted to spot-apply herbicides and monitor fields for real-time plant health data and stand counts.
“We are excited that today marks the beginning of showcasing the autonomous technology accessible to Georgia’s farmers,” stated George Vellidis, director of the UGA Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. “Through these alliances and future field days, we anticipate aiding farmers in boosting their efficiency by implementing these technologies.”
The founding partners of UGA Grand Farm span across the nation and extend internationally. Partners include AquaSpy, Earnest Ag, Georgia Center of Innovation, Sabanto, Sentinel, Setatech, CroBio, EF Polymer, iCrop, Sentera, AgGeorgia Farm Credit, and Wild Genomics.
Discover more about the future of UGA Grand Farm at ugagrandfarm.caes.uga.edu.
The article UGA Grand Farm breaks ground in Perry, Georgia first appeared on UGA Today.