This article originally appeared in the March issue of the North Dakota Farmers Union’s Union Farmer magazine. Many thanks to NDFU for helping share this work with their members. You can read the full issue here.
How Grower Input is Driving Innovation at Grand Farm
Farmers have always been innovators. From early mechanization to today’s precision agriculture tools, agriculture is constantly evolving. Grand Farm is excited to release the 2025 Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report (RAPPR) on June 12 at our annual Cultivate conference. This year’s report captures insights from over 60 pain points gathered from 10 organizations, identifying key areas where innovation can drive real impact. Today, we’re giving you a sneak peek at that work.
What is Grand Farm?
Grand Farm is an innovation ecosystem dedicated to solving agricultural challenges through technology. By bringing together growers, technologists, corporations, startups, educators, students, government, and investors, Grand Farm works to accelerate the development and adoption of AgTech solutions that address real-world issues on the farm.
The History of the Grower Pain Point Report
The Grower Pain Point Report has evolved over the years to better serve the agricultural community. The first iteration, published in 2020, was developed through insights gathered in conversations with growers. This initial report identified around 20 pain points. In 2023, the second iteration took a more strategic approach—designed to educate industry players on the challenges growers face. This report helped Grand Farm shape its events, projects, and partnerships to better connect innovation with real-world farming needs.
A Preview of the Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report 2025
Now, in 2025, the Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report (RAPPR) builds on this foundation with a stronger emphasis on tangible solutions. Developed using insights from grower associations, commodity councils, research articles, and statistical data from accredited organizations, this report not only identifies the most pressing issues facing farmers in the Upper Midwest but also explores globally tested solutions that can be successfully implemented at a local level. Grand Farm is committed to this work because agricultural challenges don’t disappear—they evolve. The Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report exists to ensure that as farming changes, innovation keeps pace.
With each iteration of this report, we dedicate significant time to understanding the most pressing challenges facing farmers in our region. This year was no different—over 60 unique pain points were gathered from 10 organizations, allowing us to identify the top concerns.
After careful evaluation, four key priorities emerged:
Priority #1: Pest Management
Effectively managing both new and existing crop pests is one of the most important challenges growers face each year. Recently, this task has become increasingly challenging with the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds, aggressive new insects, and new diseases. New methods of integrated pest management will be needed to address these critical challenges that maximize yields and reduce input costs.
Priority #2: Agricultural Equipment Development
Digitalization is reshaping farm equipment, bringing both opportunities and challenges. Additionally, labor shortages in agriculture and the need for increasingly more precise equipment means farmers are looking to new types of equipment for their farms, such as autonomously capable equipment. Farmers need more connectivity and efficiency, but also greater transparency and security when it comes to data privacy and costs.
Priority #3: Soil Health
With over 38.5 million acres of production land in North Dakota, soil productivity remains a top concern for many farmers. From cover crops to carbon intensity scoring, growers are looking for solutions that improve long-term sustainability without sacrificing yields.
Priority #4: Site-Specific Crop Management
No two farms are the same. Modern technology is challenged with creating accurate insights for each farm to maximize return on investment. As precision agriculture tools advance, the ability to fine-tune inputs, optimize yields, and adapt management practices to specific regions will be a game-changer.
Why This Matters for Growers
The RAPPR is driven by real grower input—ensuring that Grand Farm’s innovation priorities align with the actual needs of producers in our region. This means more research and development, as well as education and collaboration focused on practical, farm-ready solutions that can help mitigate risks, improve profitability, and sustain operations for future generations.
Grower Testimonial
“It is imperative that solutions being developed in agriculture solve real world challenges that farmers face in the field (…) By having farmers share their perspectives on agricultural technology and other practices used around their farm it carries more weight than other folks they may engage with in the industry.”
— Kyle Courtney, Grower based in Oakes, ND and Grand Farm Grower Advisory Board member
What’s Next?
The full 2025 Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report will be released at Grand Farm’s annual Cultivate conference on June 12th during AgTech Week. While the growing season will be in full swing, growers can stay informed by following Grand Farm on social media and signing up for our newsletter.
Future iterations of the RAPPR will continue to evolve alongside grower needs, likely expanding into areas like livestock, specialty crops, controlled environment agriculture, and small-scale agricultural challenges. The Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report is proof that when farmers speak up, the AgTech industry listens.
Growers: We want to hear from you. If you have insights, challenges, or ideas to share, contact Stetson Urlacher, Grower Engagement Coordinator, at StetsonU@grandfarm.com.
