Meet Michael Lobato | Research Associate – Colorado State University, Small Farm Owner, Ag Tech. Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Lobato and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
My journey to overcome social anxiety disorder is the most important factor to my recent successes. It was necessary for me so that I could express my ideas, communicate and collaborate with others. I could not even present in front of people, attend social events, communicate with coworkers. I was often too concerned what others may think or say in response to my ideas or actions. Once I realized that was a huge detriment in what I wanted to accomplish, I began the journey of working on that so that I could take on the challenge of finding answers to real-world problems.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I had to select “other” because my curiosity has led me to be an employee, have my own business and start an Ag Tech. startup based on our innovation and subsequent successful trial results. I am honored to work for Dr. Perry Cabot at the Colorado State University – Western Colorado Research Center in Fruita, CO. He is arguably the foremost irrigation water specialist and scientist in the Upper Colorado River Basin researching artificial intelligence in optimized irrigated crop production. Before I started working here as a Research Associate, my family and I started a 5-acre farm producing seasonal vegetables, grass-fed beef, chicken eggs and honey for our community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscribers. Through this endeavor, I collaborated with another group, Citizens for Clean Air in the Grand Valley who were researching biochar, a carbon soil amendment. As we live on the Colorado Plateau in the upper Colorado River Basin, and are far too fond of drought, the water holding capacity of this material piqued my interest. My experience as a Caterpillar heavy equipment mechanic and degrees in Geology came together in an unlikely marriage to discover a novel way to use and install this material in soil for the purposes of modifying soil to become more drought resilient. I then designed an experimental trial, and this led me to meeting (and working for) Perry and current business partner Holly Stanley, District Manager of Mesa Conservation District.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here in the Grand Valley, we could check out the otherworldly scenic red rock landscape of the Colorado National Monument, the world’s largest flattop mesa in the Grand Mesa National Forest, recreate in the north Bookcliff Desert, raft the Colorado River, indulge in some wine at the local vineyards, enjoy some Palisade Peaches in the summer at a festival or even some renowned Olathe Sweetcorn. We could even pull weeds at my farm. The options are endless here. You will find amazing people at these places.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would have to say my parents. They we’re always supportive of all of my endeavors and my mother Joanne Lobato, is to this day. My father William Anthony “Tony” Lobato taught me to never give up. He didn’t just say this phrase but showed it through his health challenges of surviving needing a kidney for many years and then living with a donated kidney from an angel named Kate, for nine years after.

Website: https://www.lobatofarms.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlobato711/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ michael-lobato-1831b828b

Youtube: https://youtu.be/lg_yUyEBUWQ?si=Ot9QSNj57b27UP1z

Other: https://www.instagram.com/lobatofarms/

www.matrixresourcetech.com

Image Credits
All my photos.