Upskilling Urban Ag Professionals: Soil and Water Stewardship through Soil Sensing IoT and AI

Commodities

Practices

We have developed high-quality, low-cost soil moisture probes
that can significantly improve irrigation efficiency when used to
automate watering. In this proposal, we couple this technology
with an Upskilling micro-credentialed hands-on training kit with
self-paced online learning. This training and technology is
especially relevant for urban and peri-urban food production
along Colorado’s Front Range. The Food Access Research Atlas
shows that Denver, Loveland, and Fort Collins, CO, have
significant low-income community populations with minimal access
to fresh food. Unfortunately, this same urban area is prone to
water restrictions and increasing water costs – making urban food
production challenging in this arid zone. This project partners
with urban food producers to create demonstration experiments to
help our urban clientele see first-hand the impacts of precision
irrigation tools and practices on crop and vegetable yields while
reducing water use and costs. Stakeholder partners will follow a
training program on Soil Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology
using a hands-on kit that also teaches crucial irrigation
principles. The program will follow cognitive science research,
utilizing “Fit-Bit for Learning” and “Coaching Circle” models,
which have proven successful in longer-term learning that better
leads to behavior changes. This program pilot will empower Urban
Ag Leaders to offer subsequent sensor-based irrigation training
in their education/outreach programs. In addition, the
micro-credential earning opportunity will also provide skills
documentation for any participant, thereby allowing for potential
new career pathways. It is often stated that “Colorado Runs on
Water,” which is more true today with drought, water shortages,
and climate change looming along the Front Range. With the
rapidly growing urban population, we must train tech-savvy urban
growers who can produce fresh food while conserving water
resources.

The Project Objectives to be achieved
by 2025 span three inter-connected sub-groups that we are
targeting.  

1) Urban Food Innovators
(“Trainers”) 
- Through participation in the
Urban Food Innovators program, participants will
gain... 

• Awareness of AI applications in
  urban food production. 
• Longer-term knowledge of precision
  irrigation principles and their use in urban food
  production. 
• Skills for utilizing soil sensing
  and IoT technology in urban food
  production. 
• Skills in designing irrigation
  experiment demonstrations. 
• Skills in implementing the
  U-Behavior principles for improved learning for those they
  train. 

2) Employees/Staff at Urban Food
Innovator Locations 

• Increased knowledge of precision
  irrigation principles and their use in urban food
  production. 
• New skills for utilizing soil
  sensing and IoT technology in urban food
  production. 
• Skills in managing experiment
  demonstrations. 

3) Visitors to Urban Food Innovator
Locations 

• Increased awareness of precision
  irrigation principles and use in urban food
  production. 
• Improved knowledge of soil sensing
  and IoT technology in urban food
  production. 
• Expanded
  Interest in pursuing
  agriculture careers.