Hoeven: Grand Farm to Manage Nationwide USDA AgTech Network, Placing North Dakota Precision Ag Ecosystem Front & Center

WHEATLAND, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that Grand Farm will serve as the National Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag). In addition, Grand Farm will be the first proving ground in the network, focused on weed control.
“With Grand Farm serving as both the National Program Manager and the first proving ground for this USDA initiative, North Dakota’s technology ecosystem is front and center in efforts across the country to develop the next generation of precision ag technology,” said Senator Hoeven. “The cooperative agreement we established between Grand Farm, NDSU and ARS served as the genesis for the USDA National Proving Grounds for AgTech. When we provided an additional $2 million to establish an ARS work site at Grand Farm, USDA saw this as an opportunity to create a national network of businesses and land grant institutions, with Grand Farm managing the program. What this means for farmers – new technologies will be tested and proven to work in real-world conditions, giving our producers certainty when they invest in the future of their operations.”
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