Ontario High School Students Innovate in AgRobotics Contest

A new initiative aimed at harnessing the creativity of youth in agricultural technology launched this month with the introduction of the AgRobotics Ontario Challenge. This competition invites high school students to develop innovative ideas for utilizing robotics in farming, focusing on enhancing safety, productivity, and competitiveness for farm workers.

Participating schools will receive a robotics kit provided by the technology company Studica. Six selected schools will create prototypes of their concepts, which they will showcase at the Western Fair Association’s London Farm Show in March 2026. Each of these schools will also receive $500 to assist in developing their designs.

Chuck Baresich, president of Haggerty Robotics, is one of the contest partners. His company specializes in agricultural robotics, including a solar-powered vehicle designed to autonomously seed and weed fields without human intervention. Baresich emphasized the significant interest among students in technology and the critical need for advancements in agricultural practices.

“There are literally billions of dollars being invested around the world in trying to improve agricultural production,” said Baresich. He highlighted the urgent need for tech solutions to tackle challenges such as crop harvesting and pest management. “Weeds just aren’t fun to deal with. [These machines] can work day and night and operate fully autonomously without humans having to monitor them constantly,” he noted.

The competition encourages students to propose ideas with practical applications in agriculture, aiming to inspire innovative approaches to traditional farming problems. Baresich believes that young thinkers can reimagine existing practices by approaching them from new angles. “Sometimes we get used to doing things the same way all the time. So perhaps some young minds can say, ‘What if we approached this from a different angle?’ That’s something we’re hoping for,” he added.

Bridget Mahon, agribusiness manager at the Western Fair Association, noted that the contest could provide students with their first opportunity to apply their talents to solving real-world agricultural issues. “Most of the teachers we’ve heard from have a robotics club; their club may just not have been focused on agriculture,” she explained.

Submissions for the AgRobotics Ontario Challenge are due in late November, with the six finalist schools being announced in early December. Interested participants can find more information about the contest and access the submission portal through the Western Fair Association’s website.

As this initiative unfolds, it reflects a growing trend in agricultural technology, where automation is increasingly seen as a solution to the labor shortages faced by farmers. The involvement of high school students not only fosters innovation but also encourages the next generation to engage with the agricultural sector, bridging the gap between technology and traditional farming practices.