Sonoma County Unveils World’s First 14-Acre Robotics Hub for Vineyards Amid Labor Shortages

A new chapter in agricultural technology began this week in Sonoma County as the Sonoma County Winegrowers and Reservoir announced the launch of Reservoir Farms, Sonoma. This new facility is described as the world’s first on-farm robotics and automation hub dedicated to viticulture, located in the heart of California’s wine country. The announcement was made at a ribbon-cutting event at the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ headquarters in Santa Rosa.

Reservoir Farms, Sonoma is part of the Farm of the Future initiative, which was started by Sonoma County Winegrowers in 2022. The initiative aims to bring together innovators and growers to test new technologies and share practices that support sustainability and climate adaptation across the region’s certified winegrowing operations. The new hub builds on Reservoir’s earlier “Olympic Village of AgTech” site in Salinas, expanding its model to focus specifically on vineyards and premium permanent crops such as wine grapes.

Karissa Kruse, president and CEO of Sonoma County Winegrowers, said at the event that this project fulfills a long-standing vision for Sonoma County to become a center for agricultural innovation in winegrapes. She emphasized that having farmers directly involved in developing solutions ensures that technology addresses real-world challenges rather than theoretical problems. Kruse noted that winegrapes are among the most labor-intensive specialty crops, and emerging technologies could transform vineyard management, improve workforce skills, and help producers continue meeting consumer demand.

The new Reservoir Farms site will include fabrication facilities, an engineering workshop, and 14 acres of managed vineyard test blocks. Here, robotics startups and established AgTech companies such as John Deere will work alongside growers to develop, test, and refine field-ready technologies. The goal is to create a collaborative environment where economic development can flourish, bringing new jobs and companies to Sonoma County while supporting workforce development and education.

The timing of this initiative comes as wine growers across California face rising labor costs, a shrinking workforce, and increasing production expenses. These challenges threaten the resilience of vineyards throughout the region. By providing a space where startups can work directly with growers and industry partners, Reservoir Farms aims to accelerate innovation and help address these pressing issues.

Reservoir’s expansion into Sonoma County is part of a broader strategy to establish a network of on-farm innovation hubs across multiple regions. These hubs are anchored by leading growers, research partners, and regional institutions. The Sonoma facility will serve as a real-world laboratory for advancing viticulture technology by uniting stakeholders from engineering and agriculture.

By the end of 2025, Reservoir plans to invite six startups to join its incubator program at the new site. Cropmind, Inc. and Budbreak Innovations have already committed to joining in January 2026. Beagle Technology, currently based at another Reservoir Farms location, will also extend its membership to Sonoma to further develop its vine pruning solution for local vineyards.

Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO of Reservoir, said that direct access to working farms is essential for engineers developing the next generation of agricultural robotics. He highlighted that future breakthroughs—whether in advanced perception systems, precision agriculture tools, rugged humanoid robots or foundational AI platforms—will depend on close collaboration between engineers and growers.

The launch of Reservoir Farms, Sonoma marks a significant step forward for agricultural technology in California’s wine country. It brings together key players from across the industry with the shared goal of building resilience and driving innovation for vineyards now and into the future.