The Reservoir has announced plans to launch the first on-farm robotics incubators in California's Central and Salinas Valleys, with facilities set to open in early 2025. These incubators, known as Reservoir Farms, represent a significant development in agricultural technology innovation at a critical time for California's agricultural sector, which faces numerous challenges including labor shortages, water scarcity, and climate-related issues.
The announcement made at FIRA USA 2024 highlights how these incubators aim to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical application, providing early-stage agtech projects with the ecosystem support they currently lack. Reservoir Farms will focus initially on innovations in automation and robotics, including rovers and drones, targeting solutions for high-value specialty crops. This initiative addresses the pressing need for breakthrough technologies to combat labor shortages, improve profitability, and implement climate-smart farming practices.
The project has garnered support from key industry players and educational institutions. Western Growers Association, a leading advocate for agricultural innovation, will provide financial and operational support as an anchor partner. Educational partners including UC ANR, Hartnell College, and Merced College will contribute to innovation and workforce development, preparing the next generation of agricultural professionals.
Danny Bernstein, CEO of the Reservoir and Managing Partner of HawkTower, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating that by placing incubators directly on the farm, innovators can test, iterate, and scale solutions in real-world conditions as a more immediate path to advance farming communities. The concept for Reservoir Farms emerged from extensive industry research and consultations with over 50 organizations in the specialty crop sector. This research highlighted critical gaps in startups' access to real-world testing environments, shop space, and direct relationships with growers—factors that have historically hindered innovation in the agtech sector.
Walt Duflock, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Western Growers Association, explained the initiative's goal as offering a new model where startups can work side-by-side with growers to test their technologies, iterate in a low-stakes environment, and build scalable solutions to improve agriculture's operations. The initiative also aims to support job creation and strengthen the agtech ecosystem in California's agricultural regions. By collaborating with educational institutions and industry players, Reservoir Farms will help equip the next generation of agricultural professionals with the skills needed to support the growing agtech sector.
Gabriel Youtsey, Chief Innovation Officer at UC ANR, highlighted the importance of such facilities in bridging the gap between lab-based research and real-world application and accelerating tech transfer. Reservoir Farms can help build the workforce and technology needed to address the critical challenges on the farm, from labor shortages to climate change. The first two Reservoir Farms locations will open in Salinas Valley and Merced in the first quarter of 2025. These facilities will offer fully equipped R&D workshops, secure storage for equipment, and customized, pre-planted specialty crop fields for testing.
Participants will have the flexibility to lease testing fields and shop space without the burden of multi-year commitments, facilitating easier scaling of their operations. In addition to physical resources, Reservoir Farms will provide valuable networking opportunities through co-working spaces, meeting rooms, and a robust demo day schedule. These events will connect startups with growers, investors, and other key stakeholders in the agricultural industry. The Western Growers Association will also implement a validation process, providing startups with a quantitative scorecard that offers crucial metrics on scalability, efficacy, and financial viability. This validation, combined with UC ANR's field testing, will help startups refine their products and build trust with growers, paving the way for smoother commercialization. As California's agricultural sector continues to face unprecedented challenges, initiatives like Reservoir Farms represent a critical step toward ensuring future resilience and sustainability.
