When Gig East Source opened earlier this year, the goal was ambitious yet grounded: give eastern North Carolina a place where agriculture and technology could meet in real time. Now, only a few months later, that vision is taking shape across a greenhouse, sensors, and data dashboards that bring the region's Smart Ag movement to life.
The facility, operated through a partnership between RIoT and the City of Wilson, is currently running a tomato trial aimed at demonstrating year-round growing capabilities in eastern North Carolina. The pilot serves a dual purpose: testing whether specialty crops like tomatoes can be grown outside their traditional summer season, and stress-testing the greenhouse's full suite of technologies—from environmental control systems and LED grow lights to irrigation automation and data sensors.
"We're using that pilot to prove out all of the technologies in the greenhouse," said Greg Dunko, Director of Strategy for RIoT and key contact for the Gig East Smart Ag initiative. "We can monitor all the data and control the system."
The facility has drawn interest from local growers, agribusiness leaders, and educational institutions. Wilson Community College has already begun running student labs at the site, while Cooperative Extension Services have provided ongoing support.
Read more at WRAL News
