Alabama Farmers Cooperative and GreenPoint Ag join Land O’Lakes to grow and harvest new ag technologies

DECATUR — Harnessing the strengths of its cooperative system, Land O’Lakes has partnered with two area agriculture co-ops to invest in the future of ag innovation.

Decatur-based Alabama Farmers Cooperative and GreenPoint Ag are joining Land O’Lakes in AgRogue Growth Partners, an initiative aimed at harnessing the strength of the cooperative model to fast-track the discovery, investment and adoption of breakthrough technologies to support farmers, their businesses, and their communities.

In recent years, agriculture has seen cutting edge innovation and technology meet resistance at the farmgate, then fail to reach its potential.

Land O’Lakes and a coalition of its retailer-owners will invest up to $7 million in each of 10 to 15 companies focused on improving crop inputs, ag data, supply chain processes, business models and more, according to a news release from the Minnesota-based agribusiness.

Along with the Alabama Farmers Cooperative and GreenPoint Ag, the other retail partners include Keystone Cooperative (Indiana), Central Valley Ag (Nebraska), Farmers Cooperative – Dorchester (Nebraska), and Farmward Cooperative (Minnesota).

Land O’Lakes is a member-owned cooperative with operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods.

“We believe the key to jumpstarting the adoption of modern ag technologies lives in the partnership and trust between retailers and growers,” said Jason Trusley, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Land O’Lakes. “This platform represents a focused strategy that builds on the strength of Land O’Lakes’ co-op model and our retail owners to assist Radicle Growth in finding, funding and scaling new innovation to help ensure our system remains at the leading edge of ag tech, and U.S. agriculture remains competitive on a global stage.”

Through AgRogue Growth Partners, the coalition will:

• Invest in and scale innovative technologies, business models and systems that drive on-farm impact.
• Pool resources — including capital, talent and market insights — to access proprietary ag innovations beyond traditional channels.
• Accelerate early adoption by leveraging the trusted, local relationships between participating retailers and farmers.

This launch comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. agriculture, the news release said. Net farm income for U.S. row crop producers remains persistently low, while public funding for agricultural research has declined to 1970s levels.

At the same time, global competitors like China have dramatically increased their investments.

“Right now, we’re seeing a wave of necessary innovation stall before it reaches the farm gate — often lacking the local trust and infrastructure needed to succeed,” said Brett Bruggeman, chief operating officer and executive vice president of ag business at Land O’Lakes. “As one of the largest farmer- and retailer-owned cooperatives in the U.S., we know our retail-owners are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap and get proven innovation into farmers’ hands faster.”

The AgRogue Growth Partners will be managed by ag tech investment firm Radicle Growth, which will help identify and vet cutting-edge startups from around the world.

“AgRogue Growth Partners represents an exciting new chapter in agricultural innovation, driven by a commitment to farmer success,” said Kevin Still, president & CEO of Keystone Cooperative. “By uniting our strengths, we’ll focus on creating new opportunities for farmers to thrive – providing them with new tools and resources they need to overcome industry challenges and grow a more reliable, abundant food supply.”