Robot Farming on Lanai Island

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Larry Ellison of Oracle software bought Lanai for $300 million. He spent $500 million on an AI robot greenhouse farming venture. Lots of problems, but they did manage to grow a few cherry tomatoes. Nowhere near $500 million worth.

Ellison’s vision was clear: employ artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize crop production, automate processes with robots, and create eco-friendly farming systems that could feed the world.

https://www.finance-monthly.com/2025/02/...riculture/

I can’t understand why he didn’t spend a million or two, find out the project needed adjustments, make changes, as many times as necessary to get it right. Unfortunately being rich, and successful in one area doesn’t mean you’re a genius at everything you attempt. When you do make a mistake however, your money can create a mistake of epic, historic proportions because you’re too smart to notice your plan isn’t working, or to listen to anyone who might have advice that could correct the errors.

[kalianna]

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting article that I wouldnʻt have seen otherwise. And I find a certain perverse comfort in knowing that Larry and I share some of the same problems in getting anything other than cherry tomatoes and lettuce to thrive.

[leilanidude]

More info on their website. Seems they actually do quite a business throughout Hawaii and have another farm in Ontario, Canada.

https://www.senseifarms.com/lanai-products

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Here is a more detailed article:

https://gizmodo.com/larry-ellisons-500-m...2000567562

he might be losing patience. Sensei has more recently retreated from Lanai and is now testing operations in Southern California, where the company is prototyping a new system that uses robotics; it is also testing its robots at an existing greenhouse in Burbank. Things may ultimately work out

the article goes on to say, if we lose our immigrant agriculture workers, only companies with robot workers will stay in business.

[Durian Fiend]

More info on their website. Seems they actually do quite a business throughout Hawaii and have another farm in Ontario, Canada.

https://www.senseifarms.com/lanai-products

Foodland Kea'au, Malama Market Pahoa, Sack N Save Puainako are the outlets given for our area.  

Well shoot, I will have to look for their goods. It's interesting that Island Naturals isn't included, given that Whole Foods stores on other islands are on their list.  Boutique foods are typically more expensive.

[kalianna]

Hurray for the Natch. There are a lot of other easily available options that support local farmers and not tech billionaires. Who owns Whole Foods?

[Durian Fiend]

...the article goes on to say, if we lose our immigrant agriculture workers, only companies with robot workers will stay in business.

Who gets paid more?  

First person on Punaweb to buy and sample some robot grown veggies please raise your hand.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Dramatic reenactment of additional problems that could occur on the Lanai robot farm, disagreement between robot labor and robot management:

   

[HiloJulie]

"Well shoot, I will have to look for their goods. It's interesting that Island Naturals isn't included, given that Whole Foods stores on other islands are on their list.  Boutique foods are typically more expensive."

We need labels. More labels. Just as GMOs are now required to be labeled as "bioengineered" or "derived from bioengineering" on food packaging, we need "robot farm" or "immigrant labor" farm grown and harvested to be added!

"Who gets paid more?"

The robot. Millions more. And, with none of those pesky human resource issues to deal with.

First person on Punaweb to buy and sample some robot grown veggies please raise your hand.

I'm willing to try it, but we need labels! LABELS! How else can one know?

LABELS!!

[TomK]

...the article goes on to say, if we lose our immigrant agriculture workers, only companies with robot workers will stay in business.

Who gets paid more?  

First person on Punaweb to buy and sample some robot grown veggies please raise your hand.

They need to have their power turned on first.