Andreas is co-founder and CEO of UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture which specializes in leveraging the powerful capabilities of drones in order to develop and provide services which solve some of the most pressing challenges that growers face.
Prior to founding UAV-IQ, Andreas was a senior Air Force officer and an instructor pilot in its primary aerial refueling platform before moving into unmanned aviation, where he was instrumental in leading the design of programs and operational procedures to employ emerging remotely piloted vehicle technology on a global scale.
Andreas developed the roots of UAV-IQ while in UCLA’s Executive MBA program, and has since navigated complex regulatory and operational environments so UAV-IQ could become the first company in California authorized to conduct commercial drone operations in agriculture. Using his military experience where he developed practical solutions using new technology, he now has positioned UAV-IQ to lead the emerging market for drone-applied biological control featuring the release of beneficial insects and mites for agriculture pest control through its BioDrop service.
Over the past five years, he has spent thousands of hours in the field working closely with growers to learn about the problems they face at a deep level, and has earned the trust of renowned customers and partners by ensuring the technology and services UAV-IQ develops reliably meets their needs. He especially enjoys spending time at vineyards, where he can learn more about his hobby of winemaking while enjoying a glass after work.
UAV-IQ, which stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Intelligence, helps growers easily and profitably adopt some of the most advanced agricultural technology. They are an AgriTech company that leverages deep experience in large-scale drone operations and precision agriculture to develop and scale solutions for growers.
Their latest initiative is drone-based biological control (or “biocontrol”) service, a revolutionary integrated pest management (IPM) service that uses drones to efficiently release beneficial insects to control pest populations as an effective alternative to pesticides.
Tom is not a gentleman farmer, but rather one who loves the work while caring for wildlife and the natural environment along the way. In addition to his focus on Clark-Claudon Vineyards and its surrounding property, in 2011 Tom’s love of birds inspired the founding of Clark’s Sustainable Systems. Through CSS Tom consults with vineyard owners and vineyard management companies about the sustainable use of wild birds to naturally control insects and rodents in the vineyard.
Barn owls are an excellent alternative to harmful rodenticides, otherwise known as rat poison. Rodenticides weaken the rodents before killing them, making them slow and attractive to predators. Then, when they are caught and eaten, the poison spreads and kills the predators of the rodents. This makes the rodent problem even worse, because there are fewer predators to control their population. Instead of using cruel poisons, whose effects spread beyond your intentions, we recommend an approach called Integrated Pest Management. This is a systemic way of thinking about pests in the environment, which addresses the root of the problem instead of only the symptoms.
Perennial Grazing works to sequester carbon while producing all natural grass-fed lamb, pasture-raised roasting duck, and seedless table grapes. Started in 2016 by Christian Cain, they have a special focus on propagating native bunchgrasses through regenerative grazing of sheep to protect and heal the climate, landscape and food system — all without tillage or irrigation. This work helps their soils in the Capay Valley to hold more water, nutrients and atmospheric carbon.
Erin supports MJV’s western U.S. conservation efforts to help monarch butterflies and other pollinators. She works across MJV program areas of education, science, habitat, and partnerships. In particular, she uses her technical expertise in entomology and native plant ecology to support agricultural landowners and other regional stakeholders with the mobilization and expansion of habitat conservation in all landscapes.
Erin earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art and a master’s degree in education both from Colorado College. Erin has studied entomology for most of her life and is truly passionate about invertebrates and conservation. She founded the Western Monarch Society of Napa County and has grown and given away thousands of native milkweed plants with the goal of restoring native habitat for western monarch butterflies and other native pollinators. In her spare time, she enjoys observing the wildlife in her native pollinator garden, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two cats.
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