Agtonomy Secures Funding for Physical AI Adoption

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Ag software and services company Agtonomy has secured $18 million series B funding to accelerate physical AI adoption in agriculture and other off-road industries.

This investment was led by DBL Partners, a pioneering double bottom line venture capital firm renowned for early investments in Tesla, SpaceX, and Farmers Business Network, with participation from new investor Nuveen, one of the world’s largest owners and operators of agricultural land—managing over 2 million acres globally. Existing investors Autotech, Allison Transmission, Rethink Food, and Black Forest Ventures also participated in the round.

“Agtonomy is at an exciting inflection point as we expand our commercial footprint and bring physical AI into everyday field operations,” said Tim Bucher, founder and CEO of Agtonomy.

The new capital will be used to advance Agtonomy’s physical AI platform, expand equipment integrations with OEM partners, and scale commercial deployments across agriculture and adjacent off-road industries with the goal of helping operators cut labor costs and improve safety and sustainability in orchards, vineyards, fields, and managed green spaces.

“DBL seeks out mission-driven, execution-orientated companies that not only disrupt their industries, but also deliver real-world benefits,” said Jake Harris of DBL Partners, who is joining Agtonomy’s Board. “Agtonomy fits squarely into the legacy of DBL’s portfolio by ushering in the next wave of highly-scalable, customer-centric physical AI in a way that delivers tangible performance gains and cost-savings, while setting a new standard for sustainability and profitability in food production and off-road industries worldwide.”

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture

DWFI Podcast 46 – Nebraska Know Your Well Youth Program

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

This episode of the Water for Food Podcast explores a unique initiative that puts water quality testing directly into the hands of high school students across Nebraska. Sara Brock-Contreras, a PhD student advised by Dr. Dan Snow, joins us to discuss her work on the Know Your Well program — an innovative educational and participatory science effort that equips students with the tools, training, and confidence to test domestic wells in their communities.

Through hands-on learning, students gain a deeper understanding of water quality, local geology, and science communication while generating real data about local water quality. Sara shares how this interdisciplinary program is inspiring and engaging the next generation of water leaders.

Learn more about the UNL Nebraska Water Center’s Know Your Well program at https://knowyourwell.unl.edu/.

Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI podcast episode 46 26:31

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

How to subscribe:

AgWired Precision, Audio, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Industry Ag News 10/24

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • To open the 2025 World Food Prize Week of Events, a private ceremony marked the unveiling of a new statue installation on the east side of the historic Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates, the international headquarters of the World Food Prize Foundation.
  • The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) hosted a moving and memorable ceremony honoring Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn with the 2025 CAST Lifetime Achievement Award, held as an official side event of the World Food Prize events in Des Moines. The event brought together global leaders, scientists, and distinguished guests to celebrate a lifetime dedicated to advancing peace and progress through agricultural science and technology.
  • A broad coalition of U.S. farmers launched Grow It Here, a new advocacy campaign focused on bringing attention to mounting agricultural labor shortages, which imperil American family farms and lead to higher food prices. With spokespeople from across the country, representing commodities from livestock to dairy to produce, Grow It Here will elevate farmer voices to speak on the need for ag labor reform and the importance of a robust workforce for the success of American farms.
  • The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) submitted comments to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the development of a definition for “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs). IFPA emphasized that this effort is an important opportunity to improve the overall nutritional quality of the U.S. food supply while ensuring that fresh fruits and vegetables remain central to public health and nutrition strategies.
  • NAFA Fleet Management Association is engaging with the American Lung Association and the United Soybean Board to expand access to continuing education opportunities for fleet professionals. Through this new collaboration, courses from the Lung Association’s Biobased Academy are now approved by NAFA for Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) recertification credit. Supported by the United Soybean Board, the Lung Association’s Biobased Academy is a comprehensive training program designed to educate professionals on the operational, health, safety, and environmental benefits of biobased fleet, facility, and grounds products.
  • Applications are now open for the 2026 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Research Ambassadors Program, which connects graduate students in corn-related research with growers, industry leaders and policymakers shaping the future of U.S. agriculture.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pointing to California as an example of what could be achieved across the country after the state enacted a law extending access to fuels with a 15 percent ethanol blend, or E15, year-round.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    ZimmCast 752 – Farm Journal Ad Insights

    Chuck Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.

    In this episode you’ll learn all about Farm Journal’s new Ad Insight tool which is new to the agrimarketing industry. It’s a first for a digital advertising analytics solution. Talking with me is Prescott Shibles, Farm Journal CEO.

    Farm Journal Ad InsightsFarm Journal has launched a new ad insights tool, which is the agriculture industry’s first universal digital advertising analytics solution designed specifically for agrimarketers who want to measure, optimize and prove the impact of every digital dollar.

    As digital budgets grow and audience attention fragments across channels, agrimarketers need more than siloed reports. They need a single view of what is working and what is not working. Farm Journal’s ad insights tool delivers that clarity, providing a unified, real-time analytics resource that connects all major platforms and ad formats in one place.

    “In today’s digital landscape, agrimarketers need more than just data, they need insight, context and confidence,” said Prescott Shibles, Farm Journal CEO. “This ad insights tool delivers measurable value, transparency and performance benchmarks in ways the industry has never had before.”

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 752 - Farm Journal Ad Insights (12:25)

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Advertising, Agencies, Audio, Marketing, ZimmCast

    Battle Over Beef

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    There’s been a lot of back and forth about beef this week between the Trump administration and the U.S. beef cattle industry after President Trump suggested importing beef from Argentina to address high prices. “We would buy some beef from Argentina. If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down,” Trump said to reporters on Sunday.

    “The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and its members cannot stand behind the President while he undercuts the future of family farmers and ranchers by importing Argentinian beef in an attempt to influence prices,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “If President Trump is truly an ally of America’s cattle producers, we call on him to abandon this effort to manipulate markets and focus instead on the promised New World Screwworm facilities in Texas; making additional investments that protect the domestic cattle herd from foreign animal diseases such as FMD; and addressing regulatory burdens, such as delisting of the gray wolf and addressing the scourge of black vultures.”

    In response, the Trump administration released a plan to strengthen the American beef industry. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced a suite of actions, including increased grazing access, cutting inspection costs, and growing markets.

    “USDA will immediately expedite deregulatory reforms, boost processing capacity, including getting more locally raised beef into schools, and working across the government to fix longstanding common-sense barriers for ranchers like outdated grazing restrictions,” said Rollins.

    The plan also includes enforcement of the voluntary ‘Product of USA’ rule that goes into effect next year ensuring that only products that have been born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States will be eligible to make U.S.-origin labeling claims.

    The plan was released in the wake of remarks President Trump made on Truth Social Wednesday. “The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil… If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — Terrible! It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!”

    In a Fox Business interview on Thursday, Rollins discussed the plan, stressed President Trump’s love and respect for farmers and ranchers, and downplayed the significance of the Argentina beef deal, which expands Argentina’s low-tariff beef import quota to 80,000 metric tons annually from the previous limit of 20,000 metric tons.

    “Currently, Americans consume 12 million metric tons of beef, 10 million we produce in this country, 2 million we import,” said Rollins. “The Argentinian piece is only about currently 20,000 under a tariff quota… out of 12 million, that would be 20,000 every quarter. This is not a massive influx in the millions of tons, I think, that some have thought of beef from Argentina.”

    Listen to Rollins’ comments on Fox here:
    Rollins remarks on Fox Business 10/23/25 4:12

    Audio, Beef, Livestock, NCBA, USDA

    Precision Ag News 10/22

    Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • MyLand, a leading innovator in soil health, announced an expansion of its collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, designed to accelerate the adoption of sustainable soil practices across Texas and beyond.
  • The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is proud to announce its new role as the leading voice for crop biotechnology advocacy and regulation, following the dissolution of the Agriculture and Environment Section (BIO AE) of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) in July 2025.
  • AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a leading provider of advanced drone and aerial imaging solutions, is proud to announce the launch of the company’s MicaSense™ RedEdge-P™ Triple sensor package. This groundbreaking system, featuring each of the company’s three RedEdge-P camera models mounted simultaneously on a single drone, establishes a new standard for capability in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and geospatial mapping.
  • Traction Ag Inc., the first cloud-based farm accounting software delivering solutions to growers across the Midwest, has appointed Hannah Parsons as Chief Operating Officer.
  • Agriculture’s long-term sustainability will rest on its ability to attract the best and brightest among the next generation of college graduates to build long-term careers in the industry. This is the main driver behind the Gateway to Ag Careers program, hosted by AgGateway and sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable, with additional support from Syngenta.
  • Agtonomy, a leading software and services company specializing in automation and physical AI solutions for agriculture and land management, announced a bold expansion in the United States with new deployments in the Southeast and its first international commercial operation in Australia. Following its mission to get AI-enabled autonomous fleets in growers’ hands faster, Agtonomy is accelerating adoption of advanced agriculture technology in diverse regions—unlocking efficiency and productivity for specialty crop producers and land managers worldwide.
  • Erin Roesler, deputy executive director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, received the UAS Sky Pioneer Award on Oct. 15 during the general session of the 19th annual UAS Summit & Expo, produced by UAS Magazine.
  • The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is taking proactive steps to enhance its AI solution for the fresh produce industry by leveraging Agtools‘ comprehensive dataset on global commodity prices, market trends, and trade activity. IFPA aims to provide its member companies with a more robust and accurate understanding of their business as Agtools provides current insights data on global commodity prices, volumes scraped, curated, and audited every 15 seconds.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    MyLand and Texas A&M Expand Soil Health Research

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    Soil health innovator MyLand and Texas A&M AgriLife Research are expanding their collaboration designed to accelerate the adoption of sustainable soil practices across Texas and beyond. The new phase will focus research in Texas on microalgae’s impact on nutrient density, water efficiency, citrus greening, and sustainable farming practices

    This milestone builds on the success of the collaboration, which began in 2023. Over the past two years, MyLand and AgriLife Research have expanded soil research and data collection across 12,000 acres in Texas, representing multiple soil types, crops, and regions. Building on this momentum, the program’s microalgae expansion will add 10,000 more acres, deepen collaborative research, and explore new applications of MyLand’s microalgae-based Soil as a Service™ to drive agricultural success and sustainability. This expansion underscores the growing value of public-private collaboration in advancing economically resilient agriculture.

    The expanded research program includes studies such as nutrient density of food, water use efficiency, soil salinity, improving groves impacted by citrus greening, and studying microalgae’s impact on reduced water and inputs while maintaining turf quality for sports fields and golf courses.

    “Our collaboration with MyLand brings research out of the lab and into farmers’ fields, where results truly matter” said Dr. G. Cliff Lamb, Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. “It’s partnerships like this that show how soil health isn’t just about crops – it’s about people, communities, and the future of Texas agriculture.”

    With continued collaboration, MyLand and AgriLife Research are cultivating a future where healthy soils mean healthier farms, stronger food systems, and more resilient ecosystems.

    AgWired Precision, Citrus, land, Precision Agriculture, Research, Soil, specialty crops, Water

    Traction Ag Appoints Chief Operating Officer

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    Cloud-based farm accounting software company Traction Ag has appointed Hannah Parsons as Chief Operating Officer.

    Parsons is an experienced operator known for building structure around innovation and aligning vision, people, and process to deliver results. At Barn Owl Technologies, she established the systems, teams, and culture that enabled the company’s evolution from an early-stage e-commerce startup to a respected name in agricultural technology through product development and government-backed research initiatives.

    As COO, Parsons will lead Traction Ag’s day-to-day operations, ensuring the company’s systems, teams, and customer experience scale in step with its growth. Her focus will be on translating strategic goals into clear execution across growth, customer success and operations. The appointment comes at a pivotal moment as more farms seek integrated financial platforms to manage increasingly complex operations and data-driven decisions.

    AgWired Precision, data, people, Precision Agriculture

    Animal Ag News 10/20

    Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) responded to comments from President Donald J. Trump that suggested importing Argentinian beef as a solution to lower beef prices. NCBA’s family farmers and ranchers are concerned that rewarding Argentina with this expanded access to the U.S. market harms American cattlemen and women, while also interfering with the free market.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is accepting nominations for the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards. Established in 1991, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) annually recognizes outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle producers across the country.
  • Michigan Milk Producers Association received the honor of Cooperative Communicator of the Year in the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual cooperative communications contest, winning five categories and a ‘Best of Show’ award in the Writing category. Dairy Farmers of America’s farmer-member Paul Windemuller received NMPF’s Farmer Communicator of the Year award.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative now ranks as the second-largest dairy cooperative in the nation, based on milk volume, according to Hoard’s Dairyman. The ranking moved Edge from third to second place due to an increase in member milk volume and growth in farm membership.
  • At the forefront of poultry production, USPOULTRY’s 2025 Live Production, Welfare and Biosecurity Seminar addressed critical challenges posed by avian diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and avian metapneumovirus, while emphasizing the importance of housing in poultry practices. Industry leaders presented forward-thinking approaches to improving flock health and biosecurity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a careful balance between production efficiency and maintaining animal welfare best practices.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is pleased to announce the 2026 Young Leaders Under 30 honorees. This award celebrates emerging talent within the industry and provides recipients with an opportunity to gain recognition at the world’s largest annual trade show dedicated to the production and processing of meat, poultry and egg products, as well as the production of animal food and pet food. Save the date and join us in celebrating the rising stars of the poultry, egg, meat and animal food industries. Register now here.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Students Selected For 2025 Gateway to Ag Careers Program

    Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

    AgGateway’s Gateway to Ag Careers program, sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable, with additional support from Syngenta, has selected six students to participate in the program this year.

    “We’re excited to be hosting these exceptional students at the 2025 Annual Meeting and Conference,” says Brent Kemp, AgGateway President and CEO. “Interest in the program has continued to grow over the years, and participants bring a wide range of interests and disciplines to the program.”

    The selected students will attend the annual meeting November 3-5 and be able to engage with attendees, sit in on educational sessions, and learn more about the many career opportunities that agriculture has to offer.

    The following students will be participating in the 2025 Gateway to Ag Careers program:
    · Omar Abdelmawgoud, Arizona State University
    · Tristan Cravens, Illinois State University
    · Jenna Kirkland, Arizona State University
    · Emma Koger, Mississippi State University
    · William Leiva-Mercaod, Iowa State University
    · Patton Simbeck, Mississippi State University

    “The AgCIO Roundtable is pleased to sponsor the Gateway to Ag Careers program annually to give exceptional students the opportunity to engage with agriculture professionals and learn about the many possible careers in our industry,” says Jeroen Hoogendoorn, AgCIO Roundtable Chairperson. “We look forward to welcoming them to this year’s conference and to making it a beneficial experience.”

    Registration is open for the upcoming AgGateway annual conference. Learn more about what is happening this year in this interview with President and CEO Brent Kemp:
    Interview with Brent Kemp, President/CEO, AgGateway

    AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, data, Education, Technology