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Key people at Grand Farm.
Grand Farm, based in Fargo, North Dakota, United States, operates as a neutral platform for agricultural technology (AgTech) innovation, fostering collaboration among businesses, researchers, and startups to solve key challenges in agriculture. The non-profit organization has secured $10,000,000 in total funding, generates $1,454,435 in annual revenue, employs 11-20 individuals, and supports a network of over 2,900 organizations. It provides test sites for applied technology in farming, emphasizing the creation of ecosystems for growers and innovators to develop future agricultural solutions. Key figures involved include founder Barry Batcheller, co-founders Greg Tehven and William Aderholdt, and Board Chair Mike Derheim. Grand Farm was formally launched as a test site in 2019 by Barry Batcheller, Greg Tehven, William Aderholdt, and Brian Carroll.
Key people at Grand Farm.
# Grand Farm: A Collaborative AgTech Innovation Hub
Grand Farm is not a traditional company, but rather a collaborative innovation platform and physical test site designed to accelerate agricultural technology development[2]. The initiative operates as a hub where stakeholders across the global AgTech ecosystem—including large organizations, startups, researchers, and growers—come together to solve the agriculture industry's most pressing challenges[3].
The platform's core mission is to bridge the disconnect between emerging agricultural technologies and the farmers who need them[3]. Rather than building products itself, Grand Farm functions as a convening space where dozens of field trials occur each growing season, hosted in partnership with industry leaders and researchers to test and validate technologies in real-world agricultural settings[2].
Grand Farm emerged from a 2017 community challenge posed by local entrepreneur Barry Batcheller, who asked the Fargo region to identify a specialty that could attract innovation and new businesses[2]. This sparked an idea to leverage North Dakota's strong history in agricultural innovation by creating a dedicated space for global collaboration on farming challenges.
By 2018, local business and civic leaders championed the concept, led by Emerging Prairie. Local AgTech entrepreneurs Kevin and Stacey Biffert donated land for the initiative, and by spring 2019, Grand Farm was positioned with land, partners, and projects[2]. The venture gained significant momentum when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the test site west of Casselton, North Dakota, and Microsoft pledged $1.5 million to support and accelerate the initiative[2].
Grand Farm addresses a critical gap in agricultural innovation: the disconnect between cutting-edge technology development and farmer adoption[3]. As the agriculture industry faces mounting pressure to increase productivity while addressing sustainability concerns, the need for collaborative innovation platforms has become increasingly urgent.
The initiative capitalizes on North Dakota's existing strengths in agriculture and technology, positioning the region as a global center for AgTech innovation[1][3]. By facilitating connections between organizations worldwide, Grand Farm influences how agricultural technology is developed, tested, and ultimately deployed to farms[4]. The platform's emphasis on grower-informed solutions helps ensure that innovations address real-world challenges rather than theoretical problems.
Grand Farm represents an emerging model for agricultural innovation: the collaborative ecosystem platform rather than the traditional venture-backed startup or corporate R&D lab. As the agriculture industry grapples with autonomous farming, precision agriculture, and sustainability technologies, platforms that can rapidly connect innovators with growers and validate solutions in real-world conditions will become increasingly valuable.
The initiative's ambitious goals—including a stated aim for 100% autonomous farming by 2025[5]—reflect the accelerating pace of agricultural technology development. As Grand Farm continues to mature, its influence will likely extend beyond North Dakota, potentially serving as a template for how regions can position themselves as innovation hubs by facilitating collaboration rather than competing for individual companies. The platform's success ultimately depends on its ability to translate collaborative energy into practical, scalable solutions that farmers adopt and that meaningfully advance the industry.
