In a significant stride towards advancing viticulture and permanent crop automation, Reservoir Farms and Sonoma County Winegrowers have unveiled the world’s first on-farm robotics and automation hub dedicated to the winegrowing industry. This initiative, nestled in the heart of Sonoma County, is a pivotal step in the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ Farm of the Future program, which aims to foster sustainability and climate adaptation through innovation.
The new hub, Reservoir Farms Sonoma, is designed to serve as a living laboratory where winegrowers, startups, and partners can collaborate to develop and test automation and robotics solutions tailored to viticulture. The facility is equipped with a fabrication center, engineering workshop, and 14 acres of vineyard blocks, providing a real-world environment for prototyping and validating technologies. This initiative is poised to address the pressing challenges of rising labor costs and workforce shortages, thereby enhancing operational resilience for winegrowers in Sonoma and beyond.
The hub is set to become a hotbed for innovation, with plans to invite six startups to participate in the incubator by the end of 2025. Among the first to join are Cropmind, Inc. and Budbreak Innovations, both scheduled to commence operations in January 2026. Beagle Technology, already a resident at Reservoir’s Salinas site, will expand its presence to Sonoma to further advance vine-pruning automation. This influx of technological talent is expected to bring new jobs, stimulate entrepreneurial activity, and create workforce development opportunities in the region.
Reservoir Farms’ expansion into Sonoma County is part of a broader strategy to establish a network of on-farm innovation hubs. These hubs aim to connect growers, engineers, and research institutions, bridging the gap between agricultural needs and robotics development. By enabling rapid iteration and deployment of field-ready systems, Reservoir Farms is poised to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies in the agriculture sector.
Karissa Kruse, president and CEO of Sonoma County Winegrowers, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, stating, “Sonoma County Winegrowers has long had a vision of being the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Ag Innovation for winegrapes and today that vision becomes a reality.” She highlighted the potential of emerging technologies to transform vineyard management, upskill the workforce, and enhance consumer offerings.
Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO of Reservoir, emphasized the importance of direct access to real farm environments for engineers to develop technology. He noted that the next generation of breakthroughs in ag robotics will require close collaboration between engineers and growers, problem-solving together to drive innovation.
As the agriculture industry faces increasing pressures from climate change and labor shortages, the launch of Reservoir Farms Sonoma represents a timely and strategic investment in the future of viticulture. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem for technology development and deployment, the hub is set to play a crucial role in shaping the next era of sustainable and efficient winegrowing practices.