California-based robotics innovation hub Reservoir Farms received a major endorsement from agriculture icon John Deere, becoming the agtech accelerators’ exclusive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner, as the two organizations work to support emerging robotics start-ups focused on high-value crops.
“We view high-value crops as an important growth area for agriculture, and an area where innovation is needed and can have a direct, measurable impact on growers’ resilience and productivity. This partnership gives us a front-row seat to the next generation of agricultural technology, and an opportunity to work alongside growers and entrepreneurs to ensure future solutions are practical, scalable, and built to last,” Sean Sundberg, business integration manager at John Deere, said in a press release.
John Deere down on the Reservoir Farms
Officially launching this fall, Reservoir Farms is an agtech accelerator located on a 40-acre plot of land in Salinas, Calif., made possible through a partnership with food producer Tanimura & Antle, as AgTechNavigator previously reported.
Dubbed the “Olympic village of agtech,” the Reservoir provides pre-seed and seed robotics start-ups a space to test their solutions on actual farmland, through a three-tier membership based on their specific business needs, according to the Reservoir.
As part of the partnership, start-ups will now have direct access to John Deere’s technology platform, which the OEM is “enthusiastic to get into the hands of start-ups,” Danny Bernstein, CEO of the Reservoir, told AgTechNavigator.
The OEM will gain access to these start-ups, field days for tech demos, and have the option to co-develop research and development programs, the companies shared in a press release. Also, John Deere branding will be featured at the Salinas facility and future locations, the companies shared.
The Reservoir’s decision to enter into an exclusive partnership with John Deere did not come without deep consideration of various OEM development ecosystems, Bernstein noted.
Ultimately, the Reservoir decided on an exclusive partnership because of John Deere’s “very well resourced, energetic developer strategy,” and their expertise in both bedded and permanent crops, he added.
“Start-ups are welcome to work with other OEMs. If they want to go and engage with Kubota, we are of course not going to stop them, but in a Reservoir environment, you will have a deep integration with Deere,” Bernstein elaborated.
Where does Reservoir Farms go next?
Looking ahead, the Reservoir is scouting potential locations to plant additional innovation hubs, including those located near prestigious universities, Bernstein noted. Bernstein spent time in California’s Central Valley, including Merced and Fresno, searching for sites for future Reservoir Farms.
The Reservoir’s “ultimate intention is to allow a start-up to be able to test 365 days a year,” and across permanent crops, whether that be cherries, table and wine grapes, almonds, pistachios, and more, Bernstein noted.
“If a start-up is working in Salinas, but Salinas does not grow from November [to] let’s say into the winter, then we want to allow start-ups to be able to follow the crop. And sometimes that means just moving south. Other times, that will mean going to another hemisphere,” Bernstein elaborated.
