Taylor Farms, a Salinas, Calif.-based ready-to-eat salad company, has acquired FarmWise, an agricultural technology robotics company specializing in precision weeding and thinning solutions, according to a news release.
Last month, FarmWise announced plans to “wind down” operations by April 1 due to lack of funding.
Best known for its Vulcan next-generation, intra-row weeder and precision cultivator that launched in 2023, FarmWise’s three-in-one implement offers precision weeding, cultivation and thinning.
Taylor Farms, which had previously implemented FarmWise’s Vulcan technology, said it saw a reduction in its weeding costs of nearly $550,000, eliminating the need for cultivator passes on 64% of the acres covered. Taylor Farms had also said FarmWise’s technology allowed it to scale operations more efficiently, reduce labor costs and improve precision in ways that traditional methods couldn’t match.
“We believe in the FarmWise technology and think we have an important role to play with industry adoption in the specialty crop space,” Ted Taylor, president of Taylor Farms agricultural operations, said in a release. “This acquisition is another step forward in our mission to drive the future of agriculture with thoughtful and impactful innovation.”
FarmWise’s leadership echoed this enthusiasm in the future of agtech.
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built,” said FarmWise CEO Tjarko Leifer, CEO. “The FarmWise Vulcan delivers a strong return on investment to vegetable growers today, and this is just the beginning. I’m more bullish than ever about a future where advanced robotics play a vital role in making farming more productive and sustainable.”
Taylor Farms says the acquisition is a natural fit for the company as it continues to “adopt advanced solutions that benefit the produce industry at large.” It will immediately begin assisting the transition to ensure continuity of service for FarmWise’s Vulcan customers, the release said.
The companies say the collaborative approach strengthens the transition and furthers the innovative momentum behind the Vulcan technology.
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