By Scout Nelson
Grand Farm is moving forward with the second phase of its Innovation Campus expansion after receiving a $5 million grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The funding supports the development of new facilities and equipment for agricultural technology research and testing in North Dakota.
Senator John Hoeven worked with the EDA to advance the project and help secure federal funding. He also spoke with EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary Ben Page about the grant. The project is part of a larger $33.7 million expansion designed to strengthen Grand Farm as an agricultural technology proving ground and national program manager.
A major part of the new funding will support the construction of an Indoor AgTech Test Track. The facility is planned to cover about 15,000 square feet and will allow agricultural companies and researchers to test equipment and technology throughout the year.
The indoor facility is designed to support testing, validation, and commercialization of agricultural equipment, autonomous systems, robotics, implements, and other technologies. Year-round testing can be especially useful during North Dakota's cold winter months when outdoor testing can be difficult.
Grand Farm will also use the funding to purchase a tracked tractor and a high-clearance sprayer. These machines will support field operations, research trials, and cold-weather demonstration plots.
The new facilities and equipment are expected to help farmers gain greater confidence in new agricultural technologies. Testing technology in real farm conditions can show whether equipment performs well before producers make major investments.
“With this $5 million in funding and today’s groundbreaking, we’re entering a new phase in Grand Farm’s history by providing a massive expansion of facilities and equipment so its work as an AgTech proving ground can continue on a year-round basis,” said Hoeven “The Indoor Test Track will be a central piece of Grand Farm’s cold-weather testing and demonstration work, giving their partner companies the support needed to prove these technologies can operate in severe, real-world conditions. On top of that, they are building a new Field Operations Facility, have nearly quadrupled their acreage and have even more ambitious plans in the works. Today is a marker showing that North Dakota has real momentum in AgTech.”
The Indoor AgTech Test Track is part of Grand Farm's wider Phase II expansion. The overall project is valued at $33.7 million. Grand Farm has secured $12 million so far, including $5 million in federal funding and $7 million in state funding.
Another major part of the expansion is a new 8,500-square-foot Field Operations Facility. The facility is intended to support Grand Farm's field activities, research work, and technology demonstrations.
The campus footprint is also growing by 450 acres. Once the expansion is complete, Grand Farm will have about 590 acres available for research, testing, and demonstrations.
The project also includes the installation of the BenchBot test platform. BenchBot is an autonomous rail-based imaging system designed to support research on weed control. The system is being developed through a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
Hoeven, as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, has secured $11 million for the ARS cooperative agreement so far. An additional $2 million provided this year supports the creation of an ARS work site at Grand Farm.
Grand Farm is also developing a Center for Electromagnetic Resilience and Autonomous Systems. The expansion includes AGCO as an anchor tenant, with the company operating the Precision Technology Institute North Dakota from the campus.
Photo Credit: hoeven
Categories: North Dakota, Government & Policy