Rising costs and outside competition loom large in discussions at farming summit.

Katie Rodriguez here, Rubik’s Cubing the agricultural puzzle that is: what it takes to balance spreadsheets and grow crops in increasingly unpredictable climates—both economic and environmental.

I’m fresh off the Organic Grower Summit, held Dec. 3-4 in Monterey, which is why these topics are swirling in my mind. It was an interesting mix of panels: many centered on ag-tech, labor and financing, while others focused on things like how to incorporate beneficial insects and plants, merging regenerative agriculture with organic and market outlook presentations.

The throughline was, of course, organic farming. Consumer demand continues to climb, as more people seek food free of synthetic pesticides and inputs—but so does competition from abroad.

I split my time trying to balance my plate: labor, ag-tech and beneficial insects and plants. Only one panel felt truly specific—the one on bugs—which seemed genuinely useful to farmers based on the back-and-forth between panelists and audience members. 

The speakers shared stories from farms in Washington, Salinas, Texas and beyond, showing which insects and plants worked to ward off pests such as aphids and thrips. One producer asked why his lacewing flies didn’t save his crops from an aphid infestation, sparking a lively Q&A about creating the right environment for beneficial insects and releasing them in stages so there’s always enough food (bad bugs) to keep them around.

“When you’ve seen one farm,” said one panelist, quoting Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, “you’ve seen one farm.”

I enjoyed this session because it felt like real, tangible problem-solving—or perhaps just more familiar. But the shadow over the conference was clear: Rising costs across labor, inputs and food safety are squeezing farms, and the struggle to keep up is very real.

Competition from countries such as Peru and Mexico is intensifying, highlighted by Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation at Western Growers, during his keynote. And then there are climate pressures: water shortages, pests and heat. Ag-tech companies are eager to solve these problems, but the conversation between tech and farming can feel disconnected.

One example: The panel on “Cost-Effective Robotics for Enhanced Organic Farming Profitability” offered ideas from farms like Driscoll’s and JV Smith—but few had actually successfully tested these technologies in the field. Another panelist, Tim Bucher, CEO and co-founder at Agtonomy and owner of Trattore Farms, was a unicorn of sorts: a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who also runs an organic olive farm to trial his automation systems.

He outlined the tension: Ag-tech startups need farms to test their tech, while farmers need stable financing, reliability and networks to maintain equipment. Those needs rarely align—a gap Reservoir Farms, an ag-tech incubator launching this spring, hopes to bridge. 

In recent months, consolidation has been increasing in Monterey County. What all of this will mean for smaller farms is still uncertain.