A new label appearing on Sunrise Select sweet corn in select Whole Foods stores shows a Greenfield Robotics’ machine at work in a cornfield. And that little detail carries a much broader message about the robotic weeding technology’s role in regenerative agriculture.
Fifth-generation grower Bill Kercher says adding the label to the produce his family grows on about 600 acres was a no-brainer. His family operates a U-pick farm and grows sweet corn, cabbage, summer squash, winter squash, apples, ornamental pumpkins, jack-o'-lantern pumpkins and painted pumpkins. His family also sells its produce through its Sunrise Produce brand.
Kercher says highlighting robotic weeding to reduce herbicide sprays is just part of a bigger focus on regenerative agriculture practices. He says he hopes using the robotic weeder will help increase his family farm’s soil microbiome with good microbes that will in turn feed the crops they grow.
“We’re doing everything we can to maximize the other kind of pillars of what regenerative ag is and to help improve our soil health on our farm,” he says.
Adding the label
Kercher says his family started kicking around the idea of adding a “Robot-Weeded” label to its sweet corn over the winter. He says this is the first produce commodity that has used Greenfield’s technology, so his farm was the first foray into a truly consumer-facing product.
He says the family worked with the Greenfield Robotics team to create the label, which reads “Robot-Weeded — Our farm uses autonomous robots from Greenfield Robotics to remove weeds for a cleaner, smarter way to farm.” The label comes with a QR code leading consumers to a webpage that discusses the benefits of robotic weeding on the Kerchers’ sweet corn, squash and pumpkins — less chemicals, healthier soil and fewer weeds.
Kercher says he notified certain retailers about the ability to add this label and promote the use of robotic weeders in the family’s sweet corn in lieu of herbicide applications, as well as to help promote Greenfield Robotics’ mission. He says he received many positive comments from retailers about the addition.
“They were ecstatic that we would be willing to do that,” he says. “We came up with a label, and the rest is history. We just decided to put it on the tray pack with that label, and it’s gotten a lot of very good reactions from both retailer partners and consumers.”
Kercher says the label’s QR code also allows consumers to submit questions and comments.
“Probably the biggest thing we’ve heard, and I quote from quite a few consumers — we’ve had many just reply with one word, and they’ll say ‘awesome,’” he says.
Kercher has also had consumers reach out who are investors in Greenfield Robotics and were happy to see the company’s logo on the sweet corn tray pack.
“To connect with consumers on the basis that they’ve invested in this company, and they’re seeing their investment come to fruition through the product that we’re putting on the shelf by using what they’ve invested in, is a pretty cool full circle for us and for Greenfield,” he says.
Regenerative Focus
Kercher says regenerative agriculture started with his father, who wanted to reduce soil erosion and promote the overall health of the soil and the farm. His family plants cover crops on about 90% of its acreage, he adds, and that includes pollinator blends as well as ryegrass, tillage radishes and more.
“We’ve seen a lot of improvement in organic matter in our soils,” he says. “For anyone that’s planting cover crops, it’s a very long process, and it takes many years to improve the organic matter, but we are seeing a lot of improvements in the living soil characteristics.”
This includes a greater presence of earthworms, an increase in soil microbiome and more.
“Our soil is ultimately able to feed the plants better, and we can hopefully begin to reduce fertilizer applications as well,” he says.
Kercher says he’s seen a significant benefit from reducing his inputs this year through using the robotic weeders.
“It’s increased our yields,” he says. “It’s increased the quality of the sweet corn that we’ve gotten. We are learning every day about what we can do to reduce those chemicals, and it’s very encouraging to us that there’s a tool like Greenfield’s robots that will allow us to do that.”
He says adding the robotic weeding will play into his family’s plans to reduce tillage and increase the farm’s healthy soil.
Kercher says he sees a future where more consumers learn about and understand what regenerative ag means.
“When they see a farm engaging in regenerative practices, I think they’ll understand what that means for the soil on the farm,” he says. “They might understand what it means for the rivers, the reduced erosion of topsoil, the health of the surrounding ecological system, just due to the diversity of the plants that are growing in a regenerative system. And then, ultimately, they’ll begin to understand that it might mean more nutrient-dense food for them and their families.”
And he says that will encourage more growers to adopt regenerative practices.
“What we want retailers and consumers both to know is that we have a long-term vision for our farm and how it affects not just our family who lives on the farm, who works on the farm, but the broader community in which we live and those consumers who consume the produce we grow,” he says. “We want them to know that we’re doing everything we can to innovate with an eye toward regenerating the soil we’ve farmed for over 100 years, and this should be seen as our family trying every day to grow the best food that we can for ourselves and for those consumers who put our produce on their table.”
Next steps
Kercher says he plans to add some type of “Robotic Weeded” label to his family’s ornamental pumpkins this fall. While there’s not a lot of space on those labels, he says he’d like to drive consumers to learn more on the website.
His family will continue its partnership with Greenfield Robotics, he says, adding that he also plans to trial some of the company’s new technology next year.
“We are planning to work with Greenfield again, absolutely,” he says.
