Washington Farms Get a Boost from New Robot Lending Program
June 19, 2025 
The Burro Grande robot model in action (L), and a farm worker weighs their blueberry harvest using 2nd Sight’s FairPick automated harvest scale system (R). | Burro and Innov8.ag
A first-of-its-kind program to put cutting-edge agriculture technology into the hands of farmers is blossoming among hay, corn, and berry operations north of Seattle.
Snohomish County has launched a free technology lending library for small- and medium-sized farms, allowing growers to borrow autonomous robots that can carry, mow, and tow; devices for monitoring soil moisture to optimize irrigation; and survey technology that analyzes soil properties across a field to guide fertilization.
“We are doing this at no cost to the farms,” says Linda Neunzig, the agriculture coordinator for the county that came up with the library idea. “They’re not putting anything at risk, and there are so many benefits.”
Farming has slim margins and is facing challenging labor shortages, leading Neunzig to search for ways to help farms stay viable and in business. Technology was a clear answer, but it can be expensive, new applications are unfamiliar, and many of the tools available are targeting large-scale commodity agriculture.
The Snohomish County Ag Tech Program
Snohomish County Ag Tech has been investigating technologies that could be useful for its farmers and recently started making them available through the library.
Western Washington County blends urban hubs such as Everett and Lynnwood with pastoral rural areas. Farming here includes livestock feed production of corn, hay, and grass; plots growing goods for farmers’ markets and CSA programs; and agritourism serving pumpkin patches visitors and U-pick experiences, plus food production.
Innov8.ag Farm Analytics
Steve Mantle, CEO and founder of Innov8.ag, says young farmers in particular are eager to make operations more efficient and less laborious — potentially convincing them to take over multi-generational, family-run farms.
“The chance to use the devices with support from Innov8.ag makes the technology “tangible and actionable and approachable,” says Mantle. His company offers data mining and can interpret impacts from using the devices and help guide farmers in decision-making.
The county program also benefits ag tech startups, allowing farmers to test the technology in the literal field and provide companies with feedback — while also potentially generating sales.
Burro Autonomous Agriculture Robots
A Christmas tree farmer was the first to check out a robot from Burro. The farm loaded up the autonomous device with fertilizer, and it rolled between rows of trees alongside workers who dispersed the fertilizer by hand. It saved the workers from pushing heavy wheelbarrows and the time needed to go back and forth for refills.
A dairy farm last week used a Burro robot to independently haul a trailer that carries milk for feeding calves, creating a smooth delivery system that eliminated starts and stops and allowed workers to quickly swap out bottles.
An earlier demo of water monitoring technology allowed a farm to cut its water use by 75%, she says, which in addition to the cost savings for the farmer also provides benefits to salmon, food security, and soil health.
For additional information on the technology lending library and Snohomish County Ag Tech program, please read the original article written by Lisa Stiffler for GeekWire.
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