Elliot Strand, Co-founder and CEO of PAGE Technologies, fits right into the crowd at the cafe in Boulder, Colorado, where we meet. His gray sweatshirt, youthful looks, and backpack imply that he is a student at the University — which he was, up until 2023 when he received his PhD in Material Sciences and Engineering.
Now, he and his Co-Founder Payton Goodrich, are in the process of turning their cutting-edge research on distributed agricultural sensing into something that can help farmers make real-time decisions to better manage their land. “We realized that this was technology that could help a lot of people,” said Strand over coffee. “All the way from large-scale commercial growers to small-scale folks.”
Strand and Payton founded PAGE Technologies, which stands for Printed AGricultural and Environmental Technologies, at the end of 2023. Their company received one of three Translation Grants awarded from the National Science Foundation: Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine). The CO-WY Engine is part of a groundbreaking initiative focused on catalyzing climate technology and regional economic development in Colorado and Wyoming. The Engine has four focus areas: Soil health, water quality & availability, air quality, and wildfire preparedness and response. PAGE’s soil sensor was an excellent fit for the engine, as its ability to determine and improve soil health has additional positive follow-on impacts on water and air quality.
Better data for better outcomes
To ensure the best possible harvest, it is common for farmers to apply an excess of water and fertilizer to their crops. However, unnecessary synthetic fertilizers and water are an expensive waste when many farmers operate with razor-thin margins. Overwatering and overfertilization also have downstream consequences. Contaminated runoff can seep into groundwater or get into waterways and contribute to deadly algae blooms in lakes and streams. Excess fertilizer also negatively impacts air quality, contributing 3.32 gigatons of carbon dioxide every year due to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.
Farmers rely on overwatering and overfertilization because they lack access to easy and affordable soil information. Traditional soil testing is expensive, labor intensive, and inefficient. Soil must be collected and then sent off to a lab to be processed. Results can take up to a week and cost several hundred dollars each, making even basic soil analysis prohibitive and inconvenient.
Strand reaches into his wallet and pulls out something that looks like a thick credit card. It is actually one of PAGE Technology’s sensors. Stiff, flat and rectangular, these sensors can be plugged into a hand-held device and placed directly into the soil to provide real-time information. PAGE Technologies has also developed a cutting-edge method to produce their sensor arrays. Using something akin to a printing press, Strand and Goodrich’s manufacturing process means that these small, lightweight sensor arrays can be produced for just a few dollars each, a far cry from the hundreds of dollars for contemporary soil tests.
With this technology, farmers can test multiple locations as often as needed to plan out accurate and custom fertilization and watering schedules. No sample collecting, no waiting, no excessive cost.
Sensors can also be left in the ground where they can gather data over time. All data can then be efficiently and wirelessly transmitted from even remote locations to a data analytics platform via a gateway provided by Meshcomm Engineering (a grant subawardee). This platform will allow farmers to track their soil composition over time and develop comprehensive land management plans. With this information, farmers will be able to know when and where to water, what kind of fertilizer is needed, and how much – all without leaving their field.
The importance of the NSF: Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine
PAGE Technologies' next goal is to put their innovation into the hands of the people who will benefit most. This is where the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine Translation Grant comes in. “This funding from the CO-WY Engine is pivotal for PAGE Technologies as it specifically targets the advancement of our technology into the outdoor soil monitoring markets—areas that are critical for climate resilience but have been underserved by our previous funding sources.” says Strand.
“Translational grants offer the critical capital needed to build, improve, and deploy our technology” – Elliot Strand
They intend to leverage the translation grant to further refine the manufacturing process and conduct essential pilot testing with regional partners.
According to Strand, “we’ve already formed new partnerships through the Engine with potential pilot collaborators. We’re also excited about the workforce development program, which helps us offset salaries for technical employees, hire top talent, and access mentors with DeepTech commercialization and entrepreneurial experience.”
He is optimistic that the translation grant, along with additional support provided by the Engine, will enable them to start field-testing some time in 2025. Such testing will be the start of real-world validation creating high-tech jobs and paving the way for increased adoption and economic growth in the region’s technology and agriculture sectors. Strand notes that, “the economic and community impacts will be significant: reduced fertilizer costs for farmers leads to higher profitability and more sustainable operations, while increased crop yields and quality contribute to food security.”
For more information about PAGE Technologies, you can visit their website.
