Reservoir today announced its pilot expansion into Arizona with a new location live and operational on October 1, 2026, in time for the fall and winter growing season. Developed in collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center for Excellence in Desert Agriculture (YCEDA) and the Yuma Agricultural Center (YAC), Reservoir will extend the company’s on-farm innovation model into one of the nation’s most important specialty crop regions.
This expansion builds on a longstanding relationship between the agricultural industries of Salinas and Yuma. Often called Salinas's 'sister city,' Yuma grows an estimated 90% of the nation's leafy greens during the winter season, from November through March. By placing the Yuma Agricultural Center at the center of the Arizona effort, Reservoir is strengthening the connection between field research, commercial production and startup development. The pilot will focus on deploying rugged AI and robotics to address labor shortages, increase efficiency, and improve crop quality in specialty crops such as lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Reservoir is a new rural institution that combines an agricultural innovation platform with a venture capital fund to advance the impact of rugged AI in critical industries, especially agriculture. Reservoir Farms are the world’s first on-farm robotics innovation centers, starting in the Salinas Valley and expanding to other key regions across California and the American West. Reservoir VC backs startups solving real problems in specialty crops that compound to other outdoor industries and across the rugged physical AI stack. By combining R&D space, hands-on grower input, and early-stage capital, Reservoir helps turn promising ideas into tools for the growers who feed the world.
The Yuma region presents unique challenges and opportunities for AI innovation, including extreme heat, water scarcity, and the need for precise timing in planting and harvesting. The collaboration with YCEDA and YAC will allow Reservoir to test and refine technologies in a desert environment, which could lead to breakthroughs applicable to other arid regions globally. This pilot is a critical step in scaling physical AI solutions beyond the Salinas Valley, demonstrating that on-farm innovation centers can be replicated in diverse agricultural ecosystems.
Reservoir’s expansion into Arizona underscores the growing recognition that specialty crop production requires tailored automation solutions. With winter vegetable production concentrated in Yuma, any advances in AI and robotics could have significant economic and food security implications. The initiative also aims to attract startups focused on outdoor robotics, computer vision, and data analytics, providing them with direct access to growers and real-world field conditions. For more information, visit https://reservoir.co.
