Wheatland, ND – At today’s Autonomous Nation Conference, Grand Farm announced the vision for the next chapter of its Innovation Campus with the unveiling of its Phase II Master Plan and the launch of a capital campaign to support that vision.
Grand Farm is building a global destination for agriculture innovation, positioning North Dakota as the capital for agricultural technology and innovation. The Innovation Campus serves as a hub where growers, corporations, startups, researchers, educators, and government come together to solve the most pressing challenges in agriculture.
Launched in 2022, Phase I established the foundation of the Innovation Campus through a 140-acre land acquisition near Casselton, ND, and the construction of the 25,000-sq-ft Innovation Shop. Enabled by $15.3 million in support from the State of North Dakota and more than 50 families and organizations, with the first private gift coming from entrepreneur and philanthropist Gary Tharaldson, Phase I created a collaborative hub that has already generated major impact.
Since opening, the Innovation Shop has welcomed more than 5,000 visitors, hosted over 55 international delegations, and supported 61 field trials. It continues to be a venue for research, demonstrations, and hundreds of stakeholder engagements, while attracting anchor industry partners to North Dakota.
To guide the next stage of development, Grand Farm partnered with Confluence, a Fargo-based landscape architecture and planning firm, alongside growers, corporations, startups, community leaders, and educators, to create the Innovation Campus Master Plan. The plan outlines how the campus will continue to evolve as a world-class environment where agricultural technologies can be tested, demonstrated, and scaled to meet global challenges.
Phase II of the Innovation Campus is already underway. The campus has expanded from 140 acres to 590 acres, and in 2023, AGCO’s Precision Technology Institute – North Dakota (PTI ND) became an anchor tenant with a presence on 300 acres. This next phase builds on the momentum of Phase I, creating a platform for economic growth, workforce development, and global leadership in AgTech. Planned improvements include, infrastructure enhancements, equipment storage, and expanded test environments designed to accelerate innovation.
The Phase II Capital Campaign will fuel this vision, supporting expanded facilities, research opportunities, and engagement spaces that ensure North Dakota remains a leader in agricultural technology.
“Phase I proved that North Dakota can lead the world in agricultural innovation,” said Greg Tehven, Board Chair of Grand Farm. “Phase II is about expanding that foundation and continuing to build a destination where the best minds in agriculture and technology come together to solve problems that matter to growers and communities in our state and across the globe.”
For more information on Phase II of the Grand Farm Innovation Campus, visit www.grandfarm.com/phase2.
