In a significant move to promote innovation in agriculture, the USDA has announced the launch of the National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-AG). This initiative aims to create a robust testing environment for both current and emerging technology solutions, generating valuable data and insights to guide farmers in their tech investments.

NPG-AG strives to ensure that “new technologies will deliver tangible value on the ground—whether through lower input costs, reduced labor demands, or greater overall efficiency,” as stated in a press release by the USDA. By sharing information about on-farm technology performance and expected returns on investment, the program aims to boost farmers’ confidence in adopting new technological solutions.

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will spearhead the NPG-AG initiative, collaborating with various research agencies. Furthermore, land-grant universities across the United States will function as primary research and testing partners to facilitate this initiative.

The North Dakota-based agtech ecosystem, Grand Farm, will serve as the national program manager for NPG-AG. The initiative will also invite start-ups and companies to share their commercial and pre-commercial agtech solutions, with enrollment details forthcoming.

Scott Hutchins, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the USDA, emphasized the importance of agricultural research in his remarks: “Innovation has been our competitive edge and ensured food security since the nation’s founding 250 years ago.” He reiterated that by establishing a coordinated national research network to validate new technologies, particularly those driven by digital and AI, NPG-AG intends to provide reliable performance data to producers across all sectors of agriculture.

North Dakota: An Emerging AgTech Hub

Founded in 2019, Grand Farm has blossomed into an ecosystem comprising over 3,300 global organizations, having successfully conducted more than 80 field trials, according to the organization’s website. Supported by a cooperative agreement with North Dakota State University, this initiative was significantly backed by Republican Senator John Hoeven.

The cooperative agreement between Grand Farm and North Dakota State University has secured $11 million thus far, which includes $2 million earmarked for establishing an ARS work site that will serve as the program management office for NPG-AG, as highlighted in a press release from Hoeven.

Senator Hoeven remarked, “Grand Farm is about leveraging North Dakota’s global leadership in agriculture and the dynamic technology sector we’ve built in our state to develop and implement the next generation of precision agriculture.” He emphasized that this collaboration aims to reduce producers’ input costs, improve their yields, and enable them to continue providing the highest quality and lowest cost food supply globally.