California Groundbreakers

AgTech is a big deal in Sacramento's "Farm to Fork" economy. UC Davis is all all over it, a lot of companies have moved here to benefit from the school's world-class research, and the local industry just keeps seeing green -- investors forked over $4.6 billion to AgTech startups worldwide last year (compare that to only $500 million in 2012) as they look to tackle production and sustainability issues facing the farming sector. All that action will affect the regional economy, the crops and livestock raised here, and ultimately the food on your plate. At Davis's Sudwerk Brewery, AgTech innovators explained how innovations coming out of Yolo County are a game-changer -- for global food production as well as for our economy -- and why you, whether you shop at the farmer's market or not, should care. PANELISTS * Sarah Hovinga, senior scientist at Bayer CropScience, the largest AgTech firm in Yolo County * Joe Kopenick, Associate Director of New Venture Resources for UC Davis's Venture Catalyst, which helps turn