UC Merced's Smart Farm Abuzz with Activity

By Patty Guerra

At UC Merced's biggest lab, students work from before sunrise to well after dusk. They are operating the university's Experimental Smart Farm, 40 acres of dirt and plants, research and experiments.

They study everything from pollinators to hydroponics, but there are more than just academic endeavors happening: Students say they have plans for community engagement opportunities including a corn maze and pumpkin patch. They also have been planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, kale, arugula and melons.

Agriculture technology has been a part of the UC Merced fabric since the university began, but in recent years it has moved front and center. An agricultural technology emphasis has been approved under the mechanical engineering major, and an Ag Tech Club was established on campus last year.

"We are very excited about the new ag tech emphasis for mechanical engineering and partnering with the Smart Farm to provide unique educational opportunities for the students in this program," said Professor Ashlie Martini, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Jesse Martinez, a physics major from Los Angeles, said he got involved with farm operations early in his UC Merced academic career.

"I thought I was going to be working in a lab. And I did, with (life and environmental sciences Professor) Rebecca Ryals." But much of that work took place in the greenhouse or on - and in - the land. And since then, through his involvement with the Ag Tech Club, Martinez has taken part in several experiments that align with his major.

He shared his experience on a recent tour of the greenhouse and area around it.

"We've been working on nanotechnology and agrivoltaics," he said. "How we can store more energy."

He pointed out experiments that model bacteria growth to increase sustainability, and a two-way API, or application program interface, which enables two software systems to communicate and exchange data.