December 12, 2025. Danny Bernstein, The Reservoir
Danny Bernstein from Reservoir, an ag tech incubator focused on specialty crops, presented their operations and future plans, including their model of providing startups with access to farms and testing facilities. He discussed Reservoir's pricing structure for partnerships and testing programs, as well as their upcoming events including grand openings and demo events. The conversation ended with discussions about potential expansion to Canada and updates on various agricultural conferences and events in the region.
Summary
Reservoir's Ag Tech Incubation Update
Danny Bernstein, representing Reservoir, an ag tech incubator focused on specialty crops, provided an update on their operations and future plans. He highlighted the challenges faced by specialty crop farmers, including high labor costs and rising input prices, and emphasized Reservoir's mission to drive cost savings and resilience in the industry. Danny discussed Reservoir's model of providing startups with access to farms, prototyping shops, and dedicated acreage for testing their technologies. He also mentioned their upcoming events, including a grand opening in Salinas in March and a major demo event called the Big R in August. Danny expressed interest in potentially expanding Reservoir's model to Canada and mentioned his plans to visit the Pacific Northwest in January to explore this possibility.
Ag Tech Partnerships and Testing
Danny presented Reservoir's ag tech partnership and testing programs, offering dedicated acreage, office space, and network access for $2,750-5,000 monthly, with specific pricing for different types of partnerships. The group discussed parallels between Reservoir's model and Innovation Farms in Ontario, with Joe noting their network was 5-10 years ahead and had connections with Farm Credit Canada. The conversation ended with updates on upcoming events including the Northern Ontario Ag Conference, Future of Food Conference, and Canadian AgRobotics and AI Summit, along with a reminder about the Sustainable Food Systems for Canada survey deadline.
