John Deere says in a press release that it has started a strategic collaboration with The Reserovir, an on-farm incubator platform.
John Deere says this partnership connects its agricultural technology, equipment and deep grower relationships with The Reservoir’s startup residents, field testing platforms and commercialization support.
“At The Reservoir, we’re focused on accelerating innovation for high-value crops and the long-term sustainability of California agriculture,” says Danny Bernstein, CEO of The Reservoir, in the news release. “John Deere brings trusted technology, technical expertise and a real commitment to grower support and strength. This partnership strengthens the foundation we’re building and helps unlock the next generation of ag technology in service of our food system.”
Through the agreement, John Deere will become the exclusive original equipment manufacturer to The Reservoir, with branding opportunities across the Reservoir’s Salinas facility and future locations. John Deere will also have access to early-stage startups, co-developed research and development programs and curated field days for technology demonstrations.
“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,” says Sean Sundberg, business integration manager at John Deere, in the release. “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.”
John Deere says this partnership with The Reservoir aims to help specialty crop growers adopt new solutions by addressing labor shortages, increasing efficiency and improving long-term sustainability.
John Deere says the collaboration creates a powerful platform for developing, testing and scaling solutions that address the most pressing challenges in specialty crops. The company says this collaboration unites innovation infrastructure with a thriving network of founders, growers and ag labor innovators, signaling a shared long-term commitment to strengthening the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of high-value crop production in California and beyond.
“John Deere’s investment in The Reservoir is a vital strategic step toward making sure specialty crop growers have a fighting chance amid our industry’s labor shortage,” says Walt Duflock, senior vice president of innovation at Western Growers. “The California agricultural technology landscape will thrive thanks to this kind of collaborative effort.”
