UC Wins Big in “Apps for Ag” Hackathon

Posted by Tom Andriola, UC CIO. Apps for Ag hackathon contestants pitched judges (I got to be one of them) at the California State Fair in Sacramento on Sunday (July 17).

The hackathon was open to anyone in the state, so I’m especially proud that UC was represented on the winning teams!

First place –GivingGarden

This hyper-local, produce-sharing app enables backyard gardeners to connect with others who want to share their produce, and provides gardening advice from the UC Master Gardener Program. Team members are Scott Kirkland, Josh Livni, Deema Tamimi, and John Knoll (pictured left to right). Scott and John are both developers on staff at the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Science. The team took home $7,500 in prize money, custom rodeo belt buckles, and a six-month, top-tier membership to the AgStart Incubator in Woodland.

Second place: Sense and Protect

This is a mobile task-management app that connects to climate sensors to protect farmworkers’ health and enhance their productivity. Team members Dhrubajyoti Das, Alex Avalos, Anthony Johnson, and Peter Swanson share $4,500. Dhrubajoyti, Anthony, and Peter are all UC Davis undergrads. They partnered up with Alex, who is from a migrant farm worker family and currently is enrolled at West Hills College Coalinga.

Third place: ACP STAR System

This is a geo and temporal database and platform for tracking Asian citrus psyllid and other invasive pests. Team members Mark Takata and Chinh Lam share $2,500. Both are developers on staff at UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.

You can read more about the really cool winning projects in the Apps for Ag press release. Just goes to show how IT can make a difference

Check out the video overview of the hackathon:

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