Taylor Farms strengthens ag-tech and European expansion with FarmWise and Bonduelle salad acquisitions

In two strategic moves that signal an ambitious vision for the future of sustainable agriculture and international market leadership, Taylor Farms, North America’s largest producer of ready-to-eat salads and healthy fresh foods, has announced the acquisition of FarmWise’s agricultural robotics business and the German salad operations of Bonduelle Group in partnership with Foodiverse. These acquisitions reflect Taylor Farms’ commitment to embracing ag-tech innovation and expanding its global footprint while maintaining a sharp focus on sustainability, efficiency, and product quality.

The acquisition of FarmWise, a U.S.-based startup known for its precision weeding and thinning robotics, marks a significant step forward for Taylor Farms in advancing automated farming solutions. Meanwhile, the company’s collaboration with Spain-based Foodiverse to acquire Bonduelle’s salad plants in Germany adds a crucial piece to Taylor Farms’ European growth strategy. Both deals reinforce the company’s dual focus on technology and scale as it navigates a rapidly evolving food supply landscape.

What does FarmWise bring to Taylor Farms’ innovation strategy?

FarmWise is best known for its flagship product, the Vulcan, a highly adaptable AI-powered weeding robot that autonomously distinguishes between crops and invasive plants without the use of chemicals. The technology addresses one of modern farming’s most pressing challenges—labour dependency—by offering a mechanised, sustainable alternative to manual weeding. With agriculture facing growing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and mitigate labour shortages, automation tools like Vulcan are seen as critical to the industry’s long-term resilience.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in California, FarmWise quickly rose to prominence in the ag-tech space, developing data-driven solutions aimed at improving farming efficiency. According to FarmWise CEO Tjarko Leifer, the Vulcan system already delivers a measurable return on investment for vegetable growers, helping reduce input costs while boosting yield quality. Leifer believes that the technology’s adoption will accelerate as part of Taylor Farms, a vertically integrated enterprise with expansive growing operations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

By acquiring FarmWise’s business, Taylor Farms gains not only proprietary robotic systems but also access to a talented pool of engineers and ag-tech specialists. Ted Taylor, President of Taylor Farms Agricultural Operations, emphasized the strategic alignment of the acquisition, stating that FarmWise’s solutions are “an important step forward” in the company’s vision to lead thoughtful innovation in agriculture.

The acquisition ensures continuity for existing FarmWise customers, with Taylor Farms overseeing a seamless transition to preserve and grow the Vulcan customer base. The move reinforces the importance of scalable automation in the specialty crop segment, a space where traditional mechanization has historically lagged.

How does the Bonduelle-Germany acquisition expand Taylor Farms’ European reach?

In a parallel move that underscores its international ambitions, Taylor Farms, in partnership with Foodiverse, completed the acquisition of Bonduelle Group’s salad production operations in Germany earlier this month. Bonduelle’s German fresh food business, which includes three production sites—Straelen, Reutlingen, and Thurland (Thurländer Salate)—has now been integrated under the Greenfresh brand managed by Foodiverse’s European business division.

Bonduelle’s German facilities are well-known for their private-label salad production, serving major European retailers with a variety of ready-to-eat offerings. The newly formed partnership allows Foodiverse and Taylor Farms to pool resources and extend their manufacturing, distribution, and R&D capabilities across Europe.

Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, highlighted the strategic importance of the acquisition, pointing to Germany’s central location and high consumer demand for fresh and healthy food options. By entering this market with Foodiverse as a local operating partner, Taylor Farms is well-positioned to deliver innovative salad solutions while adhering to the quality and sustainability standards it is known for in North America.

Foodiverse President Joaquín Ballester said the acquisition would strengthen the group’s leadership in the fresh food sector. With the integration of Bonduelle’s plants, Foodiverse now operates nine production facilities and oversees 2,700 hectares of managed farmland, supported by a workforce of 2,650 employees. This significantly boosts the operational scale needed to meet growing consumer demand for healthy, convenient meal solutions.

The combined capabilities of Taylor Farms and Foodiverse are expected to accelerate innovation in salad production, particularly in packaging, shelf life, and recipe development, while enabling cost efficiencies across the supply chain. Importantly, both companies have confirmed that the transition will protect existing jobs, with support provided by an international integration team to ensure a smooth onboarding process.

How are these acquisitions shaping the future of sustainable farming and salad production?

Together, these two acquisitions reflect Taylor Farms’ multidimensional strategy: integrate next-generation farming tools like robotics to enhance operational efficiency, and simultaneously scale its production and market reach in Europe through established partners. The company’s vertical integration model—spanning field operations, processing, and logistics—gives it a unique ability to test, deploy, and optimize new technologies across its supply chain.

The deployment of precision robotics like FarmWise’s Vulcan aligns with broader trends in agriculture toward data-driven, environmentally sustainable practices. As regulatory and consumer pressures mount for reduced chemical use and improved soil health, precision agriculture tools are moving from experimental phases to commercial reality. The Vulcan platform’s ability to operate autonomously and adjust in real time based on field data represents a key differentiator in a highly competitive ag-tech landscape.

Meanwhile, the expansion into Germany gives Taylor Farms access to one of Europe’s largest and most health-conscious food markets. The growing popularity of fresh-cut salads, convenience vegetables, and healthy meal kits across the continent signals robust demand for exactly the types of products Taylor Farms is known for. The company’s emphasis on innovation, supply chain efficiency, and quality control positions it to benefit from these consumption trends.

At a time when food security, climate change, and workforce scarcity are top of mind for producers, retailers, and regulators, Taylor Farms’ dual investment in technology and territory appears timely. The FarmWise deal brings high-impact automation to its operations, while the Bonduelle-Foodiverse collaboration opens a path to European consumers hungry for fresh, sustainable food choices.

What industry trends do these moves reflect and what’s next for Taylor Farms?

The Taylor Farms-FarmWise and Taylor Farms-Foodiverse partnerships demonstrate a broader convergence of agricultural automation, sustainability, and global expansion strategies across the fresh produce sector. With climate resilience and supply chain robustness becoming top priorities, leading food producers are under pressure to innovate both upstream (at the farm level) and downstream (in distribution and product delivery).

In the U.S., the increasing cost and unpredictability of manual labour have driven large growers to seek mechanisation strategies. FarmWise’s approach to robotic weeding and thinning offers a solution not only to labour shortages but also to environmental compliance by reducing herbicide usage.

In Europe, the salad segment has evolved into a high-value, innovation-driven market, with consumer preferences shifting toward organic, sustainable, and convenient options. By partnering with Foodiverse, which already has an established network in European retail, Taylor Farms gains an edge in navigating regional regulations and distribution complexities.

Looking ahead, industry analysts will be watching how effectively Taylor Farms can scale the Vulcan platform across its growing regions and whether the Greenfresh brand under Foodiverse will replicate Taylor Farms’ success in branding and product innovation. As food producers around the globe seek to build more resilient, tech-enabled supply chains, Taylor Farms’ latest acquisitions provide a blueprint for what the future of farming and food production could look like: high-tech, scalable, and rooted in sustainability.