By Gretchen Dobervich MPH LBSW, Communications Manager, NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota
In the rolling plains of North Dakota, where horizons stretch wide and fields of crops whisper with the wind, investments in agricultural technology are underway, guided by the farmers who feed the world.
The engine driving all of this forward is the NSF AgTech Engine, an innovation ecosystem that blends use-inspired technology innovation with workforce development to address one of humanity’s most urgent challenges, food security.
The Birth of A Vision
Agriculture has been the backbone of North Dakota’s economy for generations. Yet despite this legacy, the industry faces pressing challenges like climate resiliency, workforce shortages, global competition, and uneven access to advanced agriculture technologies across rural and Indigenous communities.
This is where the NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota, formerly known as the AgTech Engine for Food Systems Adapted for Resiliency and Maximized Security (FARMS), comes into play. This initiative emerged from a competitive national process led by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program, a federal effort designed to build regional innovation ecosystems that address national challenges while driving long-term economic growth.
In 2024, North Dakota State University (NDSU) was named the lead institution for the agriculture-focused Engine, securing a $15 million initial award with the potential for up to $160 million over ten years. It was one of only nine Engines selected from 188 proposals nationwide, and the sole project focused on agriculture.
This historic investment signaled confidence in North Dakota’s potential to become a global hub for agricultural technology research, workforce development, and rural economic growth. To guide the effort, a state-wide ecosystem of farmers, universities, Tribal colleges, industry partners, economic development organizations, and community leaders came together with a shared mission to transform how food is grown, monitored, and delivered in the 21st Century.
An Ecosystem with A Purpose
The AgTech Engine is not a single facility or organization; it’s a coordinated ecosystem spanning rural communities, Tribal Nations, academia, industry, and government. The AgTech Engine brings together expertise in agriculture, engineering, data science, genomics, climate modeling, artificial intelligence, and community engagement to develop solutions.
Leadership is housed at NDSU, a land-grant university, but the Engine’s strength lies in its partners: Tribal Institutions such as Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College and United Tribes Technical College; higher education partners including NDSU, University of North Dakota, the University of NebraskaLincoln, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; on-farm innovation networks; economic development organizations; and private-sector collaborators.
At the helm is CEO Dr. Hollie Mackey, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, whose leadership integrates community engagement, policy, education, and innovation. Her team includes specialists in financial analysis, technology translation, workforce integration, scalable solutions, and research and development—all focused on strengthening America’s agricultural future.
What They Do
The work of the AgTech Engine is broad, but its mission is tobuild resilient food systems through research, partnership, and grower-driven innovation.
Driving Cutting-Edge Research and Development
The Engine supports research that connects advanced technologies with real agricultural needs—from genomics and climate modeling to AI-enabled analytics and edge computing. These tools help farmers better understand crop growth conditions, optimize resources, and make more informed decisions. Through ecosystem partnerships, insights that save time, water, and costs are moving from concept toward real-world use.
Building Innovation Testbeds
Working farms serve as living laboratories where technologies are tested under real field conditions. Farmers play a direct role in shaping development, ensuring solutions address practical challenges and supporting adoption.
Advancing Workforce Development
Technology is only effective when people are prepared to use it. The Engine invests heavily in workforce pathways by expanding STEM and agricultural education, supporting educators, and upskilling current workers. Community minigrant programs, such as the GROW Community Innovation Awards, provide funding for locally driven efforts that build AgTech awareness and career pathways.
Strengthening Community and Tribal Partnerships
A defining feature of the Engine is its intentional engagement with historically underrepresented communities. Partners such as Wozu on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation help integrate Indigenous knowledge with advanced technologies—supporting regenerative practices, food sovereignty, and culturally grounded innovation.
Translating Innovation into Economic Growth
Long-term economic impact is central to the Engine’s purpose. By supporting farmers, entrepreneurs, and startups in bringing new technologies to market, from mapping tools to AI diagnostics, or autonomous systems, the Engine aims to create new jobs and expand rural economic opportunity.
Where They Operate
While headquartered in Fargo, the AgTech Engine operates statewide from university laboratories to rural test sites and Tribal lands. Its geographic reach reflects North Dakota’s agricultural diversity and ensures innovation is tested where it matters most, in real farming environments.
This distribution model ensures the Engine’s work does not remain confined to research settings. It is embedded in the landscapes that produce food for millions, connecting farmers, students, and technology developers across the region.
Current Projects
White Water Project
A soil moisture and irrigation insight system that combines satellite technology and AI to help farmers optimize water use. This technology is being tested in multiple fields across North Dakota, with the potential to scale nationwide.
Bison Guard
A pioneering project that uses robotics and AI to improve bison herd management in collaboration with Tribal Partners, demonstrating how technology can serve ecological health and traditional ways of knowing.
Farmer Focused AgTech Adoption
The AgTech Engine is engaging growers to learn more about the factors that influence farm AgTech adoption. This direct user insight assists in the development, research, and commercialization of technology developed through the AgTech Engine.
Beet Balls
North Dakota soybean producers lose $100 million per year to spoilage. This technology reads heat and moisture from deep within the harvested beet piles and transmits it out to identify locations in the pile to pull from next for processing to reduce spoilage.
Education and Workforce Development
Collaborations with NDSU Extension and NDSU’s Agriculture Education Program continue to expand hands-on agtech and STEM opportunities in K-12 education to introduce students to careers in agriculture. Educators are able to access training and curriculum specifically designed to bring expanded agriculture education into the classroom.
Partnership Expansion
Strategic alliances with groups like AgLaunch, which bring farmer-centric commercialization pipelines to the region, help ensure innovations are grounded in real agricultural experience and positioned for market success
How To Engage
Whether you are a farmer, educator, student, entrepreneur, community leader, or researcher, the AgTech Engine offers multiple opportunities to get involved.
Follow Online and Social Platforms
Quarterly newsletters, research papers, and updates can be found on their website, farmsfeedstheworld. com. Their social channels, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram keep stakeholders informed about project milestones, opportunities, and success stories.
Attend Events
Field Forward, one of the AgTech Engine’s signature events, will be held on the afternoon of June 9, 2026, during AgTech Week in Fargo, ND. This event brings together farmers, agtech researchers, and innovators to connect, learn, and share strategies to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and shape the future of farming.
Join Innovation Projects and Collaborate with Research
Growers and rural communities can participate in on-farm testbeds, pilot projects, and field trials that help refine agtech tools under real conditions. Scholars and technologists interested in agricultural genomics, AI, climate modeling, and other agtech opportunities can explore partnerships within the AgTech Engine’s ecosystem.
A Future Rooted In Innovation To Feed The World
The AgTech Engine represents what is possible when community priorities, technology, and collaboration come together. It is not simply about new tools, it is about strengthening rural economies, supporting farmers and building resilient food systems.
By combining Indigenous knowledge with advanced analytics, community engagement with scientific research, and local insight with global challenges, the AgTech Engine offers a model for regional innovation that is locally driven and globally relevant.
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