About
The Vital difference
Built by growers, agronomists, and technologists. Science-based. Field validated.
We bring firsthand farming experience, agronomic science, and rugged sensing technology together to help growers make better irrigation decisions. Developed and refined on working farms, Vital connects what's happening in the soil, plant, and atmosphere—giving growers a clearer picture of crop water needs.
Mason Lanphear
Founder & operator
Mason is an outdoorsman with a background in environmental science and a deep respect for the land. He's spent over six years working on-farm, gaining firsthand experience with irrigation and the daily challenges of managing water. That experience inspired him to build Vital to fill a gap in the tools available to growers. He combines practical field experience with a passion for technology to help growers make better irrigation decisions while supporting responsible stewardship of water and natural resources.
Michael Roy
CEO & owner, Roy Farms · Vital co-owner
Michael is a fifth-generation hop grower in Washington's Yakima Valley and CEO and owner of Roy Farms, a family farming business founded in 1907. He brings a lifetime of farming experience and a commitment to water conservation and agricultural innovation to Vital. As a co-owner of Vital, Roy Farms provides the working farm where the platform took shape and continues to be tested and refined. Michael's perspective helps keep that development grounded in the practical needs of growers.
Podcast
Mason joined Mike on No Dirt No Flowers for a conversation on water, irrigation, and sustainable water management with Vital.
Listen on Spotify — Sustainable Water Management / Ft. Mason Lanphear