Harvest needs: Farms need labor and innovation

Food is the thread that connects us all, and in times of stress or uncertainty, the reliance on our food producers has never been so clear. From the fields of strawberries, cherries and citrus to the rice, lentils and bread on your plate, all are the product of the generations of farmers who have invested in the fields, rootstalks, and equipment to tend to and grow the food we eat. These farms rely on seasonal workers, who are critical during the peak harvest periods, going into the fields and production plants harvesting and processing the food. Workers who due to events beyond their control may not be able to get to the farms that need their help right now. In times like these, with national appeals occurring across Europe to support soft fruit and vegetable harvest, to the rice farms in India, to the dairy and pork producers in North America, we want to do our part in bringing together the innovators and builders empowering farmers to harvest their crops across the world.

Our customers are builders, first and foremost, taking on the most challenging problems and innovating in ways that change our world with the possibilities they unlock. You inspire by seeing problems differently, and to know that through the power of this community there are solutions that can be developed for even the most challenging of problems. Companies like OneSoil, using data from AWS open data to develop ML models to help understand field boundaries and identify the crops planted, Greenspin to predict harvest readiness, and WeFarm using natural language processing to help farmers connect with experts in their own language. We are inspired by applications in livestock health and movement with companies like TINE and Aquabyte. When given a problem, you have shown us you can find solutions.

Labor needs and timing

Matching labor needs to harvest timing is important in knowing which fields are ready for harvest and how many people are needed for a successful harvest. In agriculture, we see two primary ways of approaching labor timing, through forecasting and computer vision. AWS offers a Quick Start, which includes a demo scenario, to familiarize yourself with the services called in creating a forecast using Amazon SageMaker.

For computer vision applications of satellite imagery, which is available on AWS Open Data, there is a 20 minute tutorial, which is a component of the full Computer Vision Curriculum.

In addition to increase speed to a working solution, you may also want to consider using models already available on the ML Marketplace as a foundation.

Harvesting solutions

The challenge of a reduced labor force can also be supplemented with robotic or autonomous harvesting solutions. Accelerating time to market of robotic solutions requires a significant number of simulations, which can be enabled with AWS RoboMaker via API for batch

Simulation or via GUI for fleet and multi-robot simulations.

Autonomous equipment can take many shapes and sizes in agriculture, from tandem field coverage through to single row picking equipment. For organizations who already have autonomous solutions in agriculture but must scale more rapidly than originally planned, AWS offers a Well Architected Review, which can be performed independently, or with the help of AWS or an APN Partner. For startups and accelerators with innovations that need assistance to rapidly scale, AWS Activate offers access to Activate Credits of up to $1,000 for Founders to $100,000 with Provider support. The Activate program includes seven core Trusted Advisor Best Practices checks and email access to a Cloud Support Associate for Founders.

Securing the food supply in rapidly changing and dynamic conditions is an important problem to solve. Rapid deployment of solutions for labor intensive crops like asparagus harvest in Germany, to soft fruits in Italy, to lettuce and avocados in the United States ensures what has been grown in the fields can make it to the plates of those who need it. Knowing when and where labor is needed, can be just as impactful as alternative ways of harvesting to achieve scale in times of scarcity. As a community of builders, we know you may already be working on solutions to assist farmers, producers, and growers during these challenging times. If you have a deployable physical solution using robotics, autonomous equipment, or drones, or if your company has built an algorithm that could be leveraged more broadly, your contributions can make a difference. Creating connections in the communities and companies we serve is important.

If you have a solution you would like to share with AWS please visit the Initiatives and Response page for COVID-19 for the latest process on how to share your work with AWS. To read about other innovations in response to COVID-19 please visit our Day One blog. Thank you for pulling together – your ideas and innovations can make a difference.