harvested at their optimal timing because labor simply was not available when needed. That insight fundamentally changed the company’s direction. Rather than viewing automation as a labor replacement strategy, Sami began designing technology that could help growers maintain reliable harvest operations. “We realized it was bigger than the cost,” Labrecque said. “It was about access to labor.” At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, machine vision and robotics were making automation more practical than From the beginning, Labrecque and Lapalme understood that developing agricultural robotics would require constant field testing and grower feedback. In Canada, the harvesting season is relatively short. For a startup trying to refine complex robotic systems, that presented a challenge. “We needed to work with growers harvesting 12 months a year,” Labrecque said. That search led the company to California’s Salinas Valley, the heart of North America’s leafy greens industry. There, Sami found both testing opportunities and collaborators. Labrecque credits Western Growers’ Innovation team— including Walt Duflock, Senior Vice President of Innovation, and Ben Palone, Senior Director of Commercialization—for helping navigate the specialty crop industry and connect with growers. Those introductions opened doors to field trials and ongoing collaboration with companies, such as Taylor Farms, Church Brothers and Tanimura & Antle. “Sami Robotics brings together Eric’s decades of experience designing equipment for agriculture with Pascal’s leadership in robotics and commercialization. This combination of agricultural insight and advanced engineering gives specialty crop growers a promising path toward practical, scalable harvest automation,” said Palone. ever before, and the timing was right. Why California Became Essential According to Labrecque, the feedback was invaluable. “For growers, a machine’s performance is only part of the equation. It also needs to fit seamlessly into existing production
systems. We created a user requirements list,” Labrecque said. “If we answer those needs, then we have a machine that works.” These connections and the requirements list process helped Sami focus on realities that many technology startups overlook: sanitation requirements, transportation logistics, field operations, reliability and food safety. Building a Robotic Workforce At first glance, Sami’s machine resembles a large harvesting platform moving across a field. But underneath, it’s a complex network of cameras, artificial intelligence, robotics and machine vision. The system scans crops in real time and identifies harvest- ready produce based on grower-defined specifications. For broccoli, growers can select preferred crown sizes and quality parameters. AI evaluates individual heads, identifying defects, such as flowering, disease symptoms or other quality concerns before determining whether a head should be harvested. The same approach is being adapted for romaine lettuce and other crops. What makes the platform unique is its flexibility. Rather than building a robot designed for only one crop, Sami developed a multifunctional system capable of switching between tasks and crops through interchangeable tools, or what the company calls applications.
31 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com July – September 2026
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