Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks--it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County.
Strawberry
fields
dotted
with
hunched-over
workers
picking
and
packaging
,
then
pushing
the
delicate
red
fruit
to
waiting
trucks
--
it
is
a
typical
winter
scene
embedded
in
the
patchwork
of
homes
and
farms
that
make
up
eastern
Hillsborough
County
.
That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking.
That
scene
is
changing
,
though
,
as
the
labor
pool
shrinks
and
technology
comes
knocking
.
Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology.
Wish
Farms
owner
Gary
Wishnatzki
and
his
engineer
partner
Bob
Pitzer
are
banking
on
technology
.
As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs.
As
strawberry
season
wrapped
up
in
February
,
their
driverless
strawberry-picking
machine
drove
into
the
fields
for
some
test
runs
.
The results were impressive and enlightening, Wishnatzki said.
The
results
were
impressive
and
enlightening
,
Wishnatzki
said
.
For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say.
For
some
three
years
now
,
farmers
have
been
forced
to
abandon
millions
of
dollars
worth
of
strawberries
in
fields
,
mostly
in
Hillsborough
and
Manatee
counties
,
because
they
lacked
laborers
,
industry
experts
say
.
The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities.
The
problem
has
been
just
as
serious
in
California
,
Arizona
and
other
farm
communities
.
The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous.
The
reasons
for
the
shrinking
worker
pool
are
numerous
.
Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging.
Migrant
workers
who
have
picked
the
fields
for
years
are
aging
.
Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing.
Young
adults
in
migrant
families
already
in
the
United
States
are
getting
better
educations
and
have
more
choices
these
days
,
including
the
construction
industry
,
which
again
is
on
the
upswing
.
Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico.
Stricter
security
is
allowing
fewer
undocumented
workers
to
cross
the
border
from
Mexico
.
And Mexicans are having much smaller families now--just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012.
And
Mexicans
are
having
much
smaller
families
now
--
just
over
two
children
per
family
,
compared
with
7.3
per
family
in
1960
,
according
to
a
Pew
Hispanic
Center
report
released
in
2012
.
And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study.
And
since
Mexico
's
economy
bounced
back
faster
than
that
of
the
U.S.
,
more
Mexicans
have
been
able
to
find
work
closer
to
home
,
according
to
the
study
.
"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity," Wishnatzki said.
``
We
came
up
with
a
concept
we
perceive
as
a
necessity
,
''
Wishnatzki
said
.
"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now.
``
The
labor
pool
has
been
shrinking
for
over
10
years
now
.
It has been pretty harmful."
It
has
been
pretty
harmful
.
''
So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker.
So
in
2012
,
he
and
Pitzer
formed
their
partnership
,
Harvest
CROO
Robotics
,
to
develop
a
mechanical
picker
.
The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens.
The
Harvest
CROO
design
has
multiple
picking
heads
that
will
move
across
a
field
,
picking
25
acres
over
a
three-day
period
,
the
typical
time
for
picking
fruit
as
it
ripens
.
It has a "vision system" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries.
It
has
a
``
vision
system
''
to
distinguish
between
red
and
green
strawberries
and
is
able
to
get
under
the
leaves
to
find
and
pick
the
ripe
berries
.
Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants.
Picking
strawberries
is
nothing
like
using
a
combine
on
a
corn
field
,
coming
through
and
thrashing
down
the
plants
.
Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine.
Strawberries
are
delicate
and
ripen
in
various
intervals
,
which
Harvest
CROO
is
taking
into
account
in
developing
its
machine
.
A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal.
A
strawberry-picking
machine
will
never
completely
replace
the
need
for
human
labor
in
the
fields
,
Wishnatzki
said
,
but
if
the
machines
can
supplement
labor
enough
to
keep
the
industry
profitable
,
he
and
Pitzer
will
have
met
their
goal
.
Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks--it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County.  That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology.  As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening, Wishnatzki said.  For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities.  The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now--just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012.  And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study.  "We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity," Wishnatzki said. "The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful." So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker.  The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a "vision system" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries.  Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine.  A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal.