Gateways are systems that wirelessly collect information from sensors and upload that data to the Internet for easy access. Gateways are usually installed at farms and have a wireless range of about 1 to 3 miles. But if a gateway were to be installed on top of a hill or Read more…
We use different types of sensors in the farm projects. Some sensors are large and some are quite small. One particular soil sensor has a diameter of about 1 inch and we were installing it with a soil auger that digs an 8 inch hole. So we developed our own Read more…
To forecast the weather NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) gathers and analyzes data from local weather stations to understand what’s happening today. There are places where NOAA does not have access to local weather data and predicting the weather in those areas may not be as accurate as it Read more…
Each day growers make many decisions in order to grow the food that we eat. These decisions include deciding when to irrigate and for how long. Soil moisture sensors, buried next to a plant’s roots, provide growers with real-time data that help them decide when its time for an irrigation. Read more…
After the pottery wheel project the principal of the middle school in Gonzales asked if we could extend the program to engage 2 STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) focused classes, about 60 youth in total. It was agreed that this could be done if the effort was led by about Read more…
An 8th grade student at Chualar School had mentioned the idea of building a pottery wheel. The idea was to have access to more art activities. The idea caught the imagination of a few youth in neighboring Gonzales and Watsonville and so they decided to give it a try.
Upon entering the town of Gonzales you drive by fields and then a large fence. Some youth and young adults decided to paint a large, colorful welcome mural.
In the town of Chualar, local youth work together with youth from the nearby town of Gonzales to paint murals over graffiti to add color and beauty to the neighborhood.