June 12th, 2025 // 8 am – 5 pm

Fargo Civic Center // Fargo, ND

 TICKETS

The conference where
  • technology
  • and agriculture
collide.

JUNE 12TH, 2025 | 8 AM - 5 PM

ABOUT

Cultivate Conference 2025 brings AgTech innovators together to explore the most pressing challenges in agriculture and the technologies being developed to solve them. This year, Cultivate will focus on insights from the Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report (RAPPR), highlighting industry-wide challenges and opportunities for innovation.

Attendees will gain practical insights, connect with key players in the Grand Farm’s AgTech ecosystem, and participate in discussions that shape the future of agriculture technology. With expert-led keynotes, solution-driven breakout sessions, and high-impact networking, Cultivate provides a platform to drive meaningful progress in the industry.

Conference Goals

  1. Create Feedback Loops Between Industry and Innovation: Ensure AgTech solutions are informed by real-world challenges through insights from the Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report.
  2. Facilitate Meaningful Industry Connections: Bring together our diverse ecosystem of industry innovators to create partnerships that drive real solutions.
  3. Support Technology Validation & Commercialization: Provide a platform for emerging AgTech innovations to gain industry feedback and visibility.
  4. Advance Discussions on AgTech Adoption: Address challenges like connectivity, affordability, and data security that impact technology implementation in agriculture.

Key Focus Areas

  • Industry Challenges & Solutions: Sessions, workshops, and discussions will center on the Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report, offering insights into:
    • Pest Management: Strategies to combat herbicide resistance and improve control methods.
    • Equipment & Automation: Innovations in autonomy, cost reduction, and system connectivity.
    • Soil Health & Carbon Markets: Exploring sustainability incentives and long-term soil impact.
    • AI in Agriculture: Practical applications for machine learning, robotics, and predictive analytics.
    • Site-Specific Crop Management (S-SCM): Yield projection tools and data-driven agronomy.
  • Targeted Workshops & Discussions: Interactive sessions will bring together our diverse ecosystem to collaborate on real-world solutions.
  • Networking & Partnership Opportunities: Designed to foster connections between startups, corporations, investors, researchers & educators, growers, and policymakers, Cultivate is where ideas turn into action.

2025 SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Brian Hefty
Hiro Iwanaga

CEO and Co-Founder,

TalusAg

MAINSTAGE SPEAKERS + PANELISTS

Aman Anand

Senior Manager of Digital and Agronomic Collaboration, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Kathi Luther

Grower, Cass County

Sarah McNaughton-Peterson

Senior Editor,

Dakota Farmer

Gregg Muehler

CEO,

Muehler Farms

Pete Nelson

President &

Executive Director,

AgLaunch

Anne Schwegerl
Ryan Thompson

Strategic Account Manager,

AGI

Piet Van Bedaf
Allison Weckman

Director of Community Engagement & Marketing,

NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota

STARTUP PITCHES

Wyatt Arnold

Cofounder and CEO,

Prospect Ag

Brandon Chi

Cofounder and CEO,

Crop Diagnostix

Kathleen Glass

VP of Marketing,

AquaSpy

Lisa Kosciuk

Founder and Chief Relationship Officer,

Verdethos

Charles Smith

Founder and CEO,

IMIO

AFTERNOON WORKSHOP HOSTS + PANELISTS

Vikram Adve

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Maureen Ballatori
Founder and CEO, Agency 29

WORKSHOP:

Soil Health

Adrian Battiston
Principal, Product Creation,

WORKSHOP:

Soil Health

Zach Bonefas
Autonomous Technology Leader, John Deere

WORKSHOP:

Ag Equipment

Martin Cook

WORKSHOP:

Pest Management

Kyle Courtney
Grower, Courtney Farms, and CEO, RentEase

WORKSHOP:

Ag Equipment

Jennifer Edney

President and CEO,

Edney Distributing

WORKSHOP:

Ag Equipment

Michael Frank

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Steven Hanson

Grower, Oakes

North Dakota Irrigation Assocation

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Joel Kaczynski
Ag Technology Solutions Manager,

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Bangya Ma
Founder and CEO,

WORKSHOP:

Pest Management

Dr. Carlos Pires
Extension Soil Health Specialist,

WORKSHOP:

Soil Health

Kris Poulson
CEO,

WORKSHOP:

Ag Equipment

Bridgette Readel
Ag Director,

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Nathan Schlief
Technical Communications Specialist,

RDO Equipment Co.

WORKSHOP:

Pest Management

Chris Sherman
Principal Owner,

WORKSHOP:

Ag Equipment

Ehsan Soltan
Founder and CEO,

WORKSHOP:

Soil Health

Brent Wiesenburger
Director of Ag Technology Services,

WORKSHOP:

Precision Ag

Jamen Windish
Weed Control Officer,

WORKSHOP:

Pest Management

AGENDA

8:00 am — Coffee and Registration

9:00 am — Welcome with Andrew Jason, Grand Farm, and Camille Grade, Grade Consulting

9:05 am — Regional Agriculture Pain Point Report Overview

9:15 am — Brian Hefty, CEO of Hefty Seed Company: “Soil Health: It’s Not Just No-Till & Cover Crops”

9:30 am — NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota

9:50 am — Startup Pitches

9:45 am — Startup Pitches

10:15 am — Break

10:45 am — Aman Anand, Senior Manager of Digital and Agronomic Collaboration, Nutrien Ag Solutions

10:55 am — Pete Nelson, President & Executive Director of AgLaunch: “AgLaunch’s Farmer-Focused VC Model and Launch into the Upper Midwest”

11:05 am — Startup Pitches

11:25 am — Hiro Iwanaga, TalusAg

12:00 pm — Lunch

1:00 pm — Ryan Thompson, AGI

1:15 pm — Grower Feedback Panel

2:00 pm — Workshop Session #1

  • Managing Crop Pests of Today, Tomorrow, & Beyond
  • The Future of Ag Equipment: Addressing Industry Challenges with AI, Digitization, and Smart Engineering
  • Digging Deeper: Understanding Challenges and Solutions in Soil Health & Management
  • Where Does Precision Agriculture Go From Here?

3:15 pm — Workshop Session #2

  • Managing Crop Pests of Today, Tomorrow, & Beyond
  • The Future of Ag Equipment: Addressing Industry Challenges with AI, Digitization, and Smart Engineering
  • Digging Deeper: Understanding Challenges and Solutions in Soil Health & Management
  • Where Does Precision Agriculture Go From Here?

4:00 pm — Happy Hour sponsored by Agency 29 and Skull, Diamond, and Heart Capital

WHO SHOULD ATTEND CULTIVATE?

  • Startups & Entrepreneurs: Understand industry challenges firsthand, connect with investors, and showcase your solutions to potential partners.
  • Corporations & Industry Leaders: Gain insights into emerging AgTech trends and engage with innovators shaping the future of agriculture.
  • Researchers & Educators: Explore how academic research translates into industry-ready solutions and find potential collaborators.
  • Investors: Discover promising AgTech startups backed by real market demand.
  • Policymakers & Government Leaders: Learn about policy gaps in AgTech adoption and opportunities for public-private collaboration.
  • Growers: Gain further knowledge about the technologies being developed to address industry challenges, as well as opportunities to provide direct feedback to innovators.

COMPANIES ATTENDING CULTIVATE 2025

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS