OVERVIEW
The City of Independence established a partnership with Intel to pre-pilot a program which incorporates blockchain and IoT. This pre-pilot elected to track the supply chain for hops, a notoriously sensitive flower primarily used to impart flavor and aromatics in beer production. “Wet hops”, or hops which have not been dried in the field, must be transported fresh to the brewery within a 12 hour window and in such a way that their oils do not heat up to the point of ruining the batch.
In addition to Intel, the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the agricultural packing company, Curry & Co., also partnered on the pilot.IoT sensors, manufactured by Honeywell, were placed in totes, or the bins used to collect the produce, as well as the shipping containers. These sensors monitor the time spent awaiting transport and shipment as well as environmental conditions which include product temperature, ambient temperature, humidity, and location. The sensors contain re-usable and recyclable components to maximize cost efficiency. During delivery, the sensors alert in real time whether temperatures fall below or exceed specified parameters or whether the product deviates from its usual route. After shipment, data is aggregated and analyzed. Blockchain ensures that data can be traced and verified along each step of the process, and is kept secure from tampering and theft.
FEATURES
- 20 sensors (sensor tags and gateways) in the field during berry harvest with successful logging and transmission of location and environmental data during transport
- Public food certification of existing protocols
KEY RESULTS
- Pre-pilot project implemented during June 2018 berry harvest
- Currently tracking data collection and preparing larger implementation of project, including application for an Economic Development Administration grant which is a maximum ask of $750,000.
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[asvc_table]| YEAR | Number of Appointments per year |
|---|---|
| 2011-2012 | 2.3 million |
| 2013 | 33.5 million |
| 2014 | 56.9 million |
| 2015 | 63 million |
| 2016 | 63.4 million |
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