Mowing Smarter: saratoga sod adopts autonomy
Along the banks of the Hudson River in eastern New York, Saratoga Sod Farm has been growing strong for nearly four decades. What began as a traditional dairy operation has transitioned into a thriving turfgrass business serving customers across the northeastern U.S.
Today, the farm is owned and operated by Steve and Laurie Griffen, along with their son Will, who helps manage day-to-day operations and company finances. Like many turfgrass farms, Saratoga Sod faces seasonal workforce challenges, but this year, they turned to new technology for a smarter solution.
Earlier this spring, Saratoga Sod added two Sabanto Autonomy Systems to their tractor fleet, a proactive step to address labor concerns. The autonomous tractors arrived during peak growing season and were put to work mowing as soon as they arrived.
Saratoga Sod purchased two John Deere 5120M tractors retrofitted with Sabanto’s autonomy kit.
Will took the lead on integrating the new technology into the farm’s daily operations. Each morning, he remotely starts the systems and sends them to work across two different farm locations. Each location includes several small fields, and with Sabanto’s field-to-field transit feature, the tractors automatically follow pre-mapped routes from one field to the next. There’s no need for anyone to manually move the tractors to the next field. The systems navigate on their own, saving time and keeping operations smooth.
Saratoga Sod uses its autonomous tractors exclusively for mowing, each pulling a 36-foot rotary mower. In just three months, the systems covered roughly 6,000 acres and logged over 280 hours of operation, all without a driver in the seat. That freed up employees to focus on other important tasks around the farm.
The Sabanto systems fit right in with what we do,” says Will. “We don’t have to work around them. They really work with us.”
Will credits the strong support from Sabanto and their dealer partner, Ag Info Tech, for making the transition to autonomy seamless. Travis Morris of Ag Info Tech visited the farm shortly after delivery to train the team on the software and assist with tractor and implement setup.
Saratoga Sod has been steadily investing in automation over the years, starting with their first auto-stacking harvester and continuing to streamline their production process. The addition of Sabanto’s autonomous technology marks a significant step forward in that journey.
By embracing autonomy, Saratoga Sod is setting a new standard for how turf farms can operate with greater efficiency, flexibility, and innovation.
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