Vineyard farming costs have been on the rise for a number of years whether that be Napa Valley, Sonoma, the North Coast AVA, or California in general. These increased expenses to wineries or grape growers can lead to a loss in profitability over time. Whether these expenses are related to inflation, increased fuel, higher wages to offset cost of living, or the change to a 40-hour agriculture work week, it remains a burden to the business models of many in the wine industry.
Enter the Monarch Tractor.
Enter growth through innovation.
Enter disruptive technology.
Although the Monarch Tractor has been around for a number of years now, it is currently gaining traction with over 200 tractors in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties alone. It’s on track to be in my opinion, “the thing” that can rein in farming costs for wine businesses. As far as sustainability is concerned, it may also be the holy grail for all wineries or grape growers to eliminate fuel costs and reduce or eliminate herbicide use via mowing/inter-vine tilling. Ultimately, this will lead to a massive offset of CO2 emissions for farming overall.
We trialed the latest MK-V model last week with our vineyard management company. As an electric tractor that can be programmed with autonomous operations, it truly offers a game changing opportunity for farming into the future. Based on the cost, (they are currently offering a limited incentive package) it was a “no-brainer”. I would highly recommend that people open up to the prospect of embracing this type of technology to stabilize costs and preach sustainability on another level.
Thank you to Tim Rowe and Monarch Tractor for committing the time and energy to trial your machine and see it in real time. Looking forward to seeing the tractor change the landscape of the wine industry, as well as improve upon our own farming needs.
#sustainablefarming
#smartfarming
#agtech
#disruptivetechnology
#growththroughinnovation
