Conversation
Highlights

This demographic cliff is reshaping the future of agriculture, and it’s the challenge that drove Craig to found Sabanto, an autonomous farming technology company that has raised over $22 million in funding. But unlike other agtech companies pushing for complete automation with custom robotic tractors, Sabanto is taking a more pragmatic approach: creating autonomous systems that can be retrofitted onto existing equipment.

The Path to Practical Autonomy

Craig’s journey to founding Sabanto wasn’t a straight line. After starting multiple successful companies in wireless technology and agricultural data, he found himself contemplating autonomy’s role in agriculture’s future. Rather than just theorizing, he took action: “I went and leased the JCB 4220, which is 220 HP tractor, and I went and bought an 18 row 20 inch planter, spent the winter writing software, putting hardware together.”

What followed was a hands-on exploration of autonomous farming’s practical challenges. Craig got his CDL license and personally transported his autonomous system from state to state, working with farmers to understand the real-world requirements of autonomous planting.

Rethinking Agricultural Power

One of Sabanto’s most contrarian insights challenges the industry’s trend toward ever-larger machinery. While manufacturers push 500+ horsepower tractors costing over half a million dollars, Craig sees a different future: “We believe that autonomy is going to take horsepower in the other direction. And we’re focused more on smaller sub 200 HP tractors and having them work twenty four, seven.”

This approach isn’t just about cost – it’s about practicality. Those massive tractors? They’re only used about 300 hours per year, making them incredibly inefficient capital investments. By focusing on smaller, continuously operating autonomous tractors, Sabanto is reimagining the economics of farming equipment.

Building for Coexistence, Not Replacement

Unlike many autonomous vehicle companies, Sabanto isn’t trying to remove the human element entirely. “I don’t think autonomy, even though I love autonomy and we’re pushing for it, I don’t think it’s an all or nothing proposition,” Craig explains. He draws a practical analogy: “Nobody uses cruise control to back it out of the garage.”

This philosophy shaped their product development. Their system can be installed on existing tractors in about four hours, and the tractors maintain full manual operation capability. It’s an approach that acknowledges farming’s complex realities – tractors are often used for various tasks beyond field operations, and sometimes manual operation is simply more efficient.

The Organic Opportunity

While many associate automation with industrial farming, Sabanto is finding unexpected traction in organic farming. The reason? Labor intensity. As Craig explains, “A lot of farmers – one of the reasons why they do not switch to organic is just the labor requirements.” While conventional farmers might only need to till, plant, apply pesticides, and harvest, organic farmers face a much more labor-intensive process: “They have to do tillage. Then they plant. Then they get a tineweed and they rotary ho… Then they cultivate, cultivate.”

This insight reveals how automation could actually enable more sustainable farming practices by removing the labor barrier to organic farming – a counterintuitive but powerful possibility.

Looking Ahead

The next three years will be crucial for Sabanto as they scale their solution across the U.S. Their vision isn’t just about selling autonomous systems – it’s about creating an open platform that could transform agricultural innovation. As Craig puts it, “We want to give others the ability to add or I guess contribute to agriculture. There’s a lot of implement companies out there that are really innovative, and what’s stopping them from instrumenting or creating technology on their implements is just the proprietary nature of agriculture today.”

This open approach could be transformative. By breaking down the proprietary barriers that have long dominated agricultural technology, Sabanto isn’t just solving today’s labor shortage – they’re laying the groundwork for a more innovative, collaborative future in farming.