Verdi’s mission is to make modern irrigation automation accessible to all growers, regardless of vineyard size or type of irrigation system — even manual systems can be automated.
Most automation solutions for irrigation are expensive and tailored toward the upper tier of vineyard operations. Existing systems also fail to address the worsening conditions farmers face, including labor shortages and environmental concerns such as droughts, water scarcity and new water usage monitoring requirements from the government.
Yet, every grower needs to reduce water costs and waste and the time their team spends patrolling the vineyards for valve malfunctions and line breaks, as well as improve the quality and yield of their crop.
As Verdi’s founders, CTO Roman Kozak and CEO Arthur Chen, worked to solve these problems, they realized the solution was to make the latest technology affordable and simple enough for farmers to install themselves.
“Arthur and I have spent the last four years talking with farmers and walking their farms with them,” says Kozak.“We saw how many problems they face and knew we could lighten that load by making automation more attainable and user-friendly.”
The result is the ultra-low power wireless Verdi Block Controller that automates five critical tasks for farmers:
- View soil moisture and environmental data
- Create data-informed schedules
- Control valves and pumps
- Detect leaks and breaks
- Keep an accurate water record
The Verdi Block Controller is a compact, integrated device with fewer components. It doesn’t require buried wires, large gateway towers, external solar panels or antennas. It lets farmers control and monitor irrigation valves and flow meters quickly and seamlessly from an app on their computer or mobile device.
Some of the largest agricultural producers in the world use Verdi’s solutions, including Gallo, The Wonderful Company and Arterra, Canada’s largest wine company. So, too, do smaller wineries throughout North America, including Quails’ Gate, with 160 acres in the Okanagan Valley, Realm Cellars, with 75 acres in Napa, and Tantalus Vineyards, with 37 acres. It also works with crops other than grapes, from berries to cannabis.
“Verdi gives you the freedom to remotely turn on valves day or night, saving you water and time,” says Nelson Dutra at Arterra Wines. “The system has been super reliable for controlling our irrigation valves.”
Winemaker Matthew Fortuna at 50th Parallel Estate Winery in Lake County, BC, adds, “Before Verdi, I would spend up to four hours a day turning on valves, turning on pumps, ensuring everything was working on our 50-acre vineyard. Now I can remotely plan and execute my irrigations within 15 or 20 minutes, which has really freed me up to do bigger and better things on our site.”
Learn more about how you can implement modern irrigation automation for your farm at Verdi Ag’s WIN Expo booth #200.
WIN Expo Exhibitors by Category:
North Coast Wine Industry Expo – WIN Expo – at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
