Here’s How Robots are Farming Your Food

That tomato in your salad? A robot might have planted, tended, and harvested it. Agricultural robotics isn’t just future tech—it’s already transforming how food makes it from field to fork, though perhaps not in the ways you’d expect.

The Rise of Agricultural Robots

Modern farming is—and has been, for quite some time—facing substantial challenges. With growing populations to feed, increasing labor shortages, and tighter profit margins, farmers are seeking solutions. Enter robotics, not necessarily to replace workers, but to help keep farms viable.

Take Iron Ox and their California and Texas-based greenhouses. Their automated facilities used robotic arms and mobile platforms to tend to plants with precision that would be difficult to achieve manually. But rather than eliminating jobs, these robots worked alongside human farmers, handling repetitive tasks while staff focused on crop planning and system oversight. Nowadays, that technology is being repurposed for similar uses by its new owner, Inevitable Tech.

For smaller farms, robots aren’t replacing their workforce—they’re filling gaps where workers can’t be found. In Michigan, family farms are using automated systems for tasks like pruning apple trees and sorting produce, allowing them to maintain production even when seasonal labor is scarce.

Harvesting Helpers

Ever try picking a strawberry? It’s surprisingly delicate work—one wrong move, and you’ve got juice instead of fruit. That’s why the achievement of robots like Traptic’s harvester—acquired by Bowery Farming—is so impressive. Using 3D cameras and soft grippers, it can pick fragile strawberries without damaging them, working through rain or shine. With Bowery Farming recently shutting down, it will be interesting to see the future of this technology.

In apple orchards, robots from companies like Fresh Fruit Robotics use machine learning to identify ripe fruit and sophisticated arm movements to harvest without bruising. These machines can determine ripeness based on color, size, and location, often matching human accuracy while working longer hours.

Planting with Precision

Modern planting robots are revolutionizing how crops get started. John Deere’s autonomous planters, for instance, use AI to place individual seeds with millimeter accuracy, optimizing spacing and depth based on soil conditions, moisture levels, and terrain.

The Small Robot Company in the UK took this a step further. Their ‘Tom’ robot scanned fields to create detailed soil maps, while ‘Dick’ handled precision planting and weeding. This level of precision meant better yield from less land—something increasingly crucial as farming space becomes limited. And yes: there was a ‘Harry’ as well!

Weed Warriors

Weeding might seem simple, but it’s one of farming’s most persistent challenges. The FarmWise Titan uses computer vision to distinguish crops from weeds, then precisely removes unwanted plants without chemicals. For organic farms, this technology is game-changing—offering weed control without herbicides.

Carbon Robotics has taken a different approach with their LaserWeeder, which literally zaps weeds with high-powered lasers. It can clear 15-20 acres per day, operating day or night, and eliminates the need for herbicides entirely. While the initial investment is significant, farmers report substantial savings on weed control over time.

Dairy Tech: Milking

Dairy farming has been transformed by robotic milking systems. Lely’s Astronaut, for example, lets cows “choose” when they want to be milked. Each cow wears a smart collar that tracks their health and milk production, while the robotic milking station handles the actual process. Farmers report not only better production but healthier, calmer cows.

These systems also provide invaluable health monitoring. The DeLaval VMS can detect early signs of illness through milk analysis and behavioral changes, allowing farmers to address health issues before they become serious.

The Future of Your Food

While current agricultural robots are impressive, the technology continues to evolve rapidly. Companies like Abundant Robotics are developing vacuum-based apple harvesters, while others explore swarm robotics—multiple smaller robots working together to tend fields more efficiently.

These advancements could help address food security concerns by making farming more efficient and sustainable. However, the high initial costs remain a barrier for many smaller farms. Some agricultural communities are exploring cooperative ownership models, sharing expensive robotic equipment among multiple farms to make the technology more accessible.

Regarding Farmers and Their Families

Having in-laws who farm has given me a unique window into the complex emotions surrounding agricultural automation. When your family has worked the land for generations, seeing robots roll through fields can feel like watching tradition fade away. These concerns aren’t just about economics—they’re about identity, heritage, and way of life.

Many farmers worry that robotics will make traditional farming knowledge obsolete or price smaller operations out of existence. These are valid concerns that need addressing through both policy and practice. For instance, the Netherlands has implemented successful programs where farming communities collectively invest in automation, sharing both the costs and benefits while preserving individual farm independence.

The key lies in viewing robotics as tools that enhance farming traditions rather than replace them. Just as tractors didn’t eliminate the need for farmers’ expertise, agricultural robots shouldn’t either. Instead, they should free up farmers to focus on the aspects of agriculture that truly need human touch: crop planning, resource management, and land stewardship.

Making this transition work requires a comprehensive support system. Smaller farms need access to reasonable financing options that don’t burden them with impossible debt. Communities should develop training programs that help multiple generations adapt to new technology while preserving valuable traditional knowledge. Equipment-sharing initiatives can help make expensive robotics accessible to farms of all sizes, while thoughtful agricultural policies can protect family operations during technological transitions.

The goal isn’t to turn farms into factories, but to give farming families the tools they need to continue their legacy in a changing world. After all, the most successful agricultural automation stories come from farms where robots and traditions work in harmony, preserving the best of both worlds for future generations.

As we look ahead, agricultural robotics isn’t about replacing farmers—it’s about giving them better tools to feed a growing world. Hopefully, these robots will act as partners in preservation, helping maintain family farms for the next generation while producing food more sustainably and efficiently than ever before.