Beside the 100-year-old barn with freshly painted lettering that reads “Reservoir Farms,” two people stand next to a table with a tray of small cameras and wires, along with a photo of a head of lettuce blanketed in a range of neon colors.
The colors depict the stress of the plant, nutrient deficiencies and its overall health, explains Ray Lok, founder of Agtom, a Hong Kong-based company that moved to Salinas earlier this month. His company is one of the 12 now at Reservoir Farms, an innovation center in Salinas aiming to bridge the gap between ag tech and local agricultural needs.
“Our members have had a seat at the table from the very beginning to make sure this isn’t innovation for innovation’s sake, but rather innovation focused on solving the labor, cost and sustainability pressures,” said Walt Duflock of the Western Growers Association at the grand opening on March 16.
Lok and the other startups will use the barn, owned by the Tamagni family, as a prototyping studio, as well as 24 acres of dedicated farmland for commercial testing leased by Tanimura & Antle.
Most agricultural robotics companies need around $50 million to $100 million to reach commercialization, Duflock added, while Reservoir aims to cut that cost in half by saving roughly two years of development time, allowing startups to test immediately in real-world conditions.
One company aims to use steam to solve soil disease challenges; another is creating smart valves and sensors in irrigation systems to track water usage in real time. While it offers promise, Norm Groot of the Monterey County Farm Bureau says, “The biggest challenge will always be: How are growers going to be able to afford it?”