New Potato Farm Boosts FCC Innovation Network
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is enhancing its Innovation Farm Network to support Canadian farmers and foster agricultural innovation. The network has expanded by adding a 6,000-acre farm in MacGregor, Manitoba, with 2,600 acres dedicated to growing potatoes.
This is the first time a potato farm has joined the Innovation Farm Network, highlighting FCC’s commitment to supporting diverse farming operations and advancing agtech solutions.
FCC’s collaboration with EMILI, a Winnipeg-based organization focused on accelerating digital agriculture, strengthens the farm’s role as a hub for agtech testing. This partnership aims to trial technologies that can improve farm efficiency, resilience, and risk management.
The new farm will focus on five cutting-edge technologies for potato farming, including sensor-based storage monitoring and field-scale monitoring systems. These tools will help optimize irrigation, water management, and crop rotations, with the ultimate goal of increasing productivity and sustainability.
“World leading innovation is essential to helping Canadian farmers keep pace in a highly competitive global industry. New methods and technologies in the ag and food industry keeps Canada’s economy resilient and strong” said Justine Hendricks, president and CEO of FCC. “FCC’s Innovation Farm Network and its partners are critical to delivering this vital innovation to Canadian producers when they need it the most.”
The farm in MacGregor, part of FCC’s broader commitment to agtech, will also contribute to the $2 billion investment FCC announced to support Canadian agtech companies. This funding ensures farmers have access to practical, tested solutions to enhance their operations.
“With the addition of this site, we can evaluate more technologies in more settings and see how they perform in prairie conditions and on different crops,” said Jacqueline Keena, managing director of EMILI. “We’re grateful to FCC for their ongoing investment. Their multi-year commitment helps us reach more farmers and support more innovators to accelerate the adoption of on-farm technologies, ultimately making them more efficient.”
By expanding the Innovation Farm Network to over 17,000 acres, FCC continues to support Canadian farmers with real-world testing environments. These environments offer valuable insights into new technologies, lowering the risks for farmers adopting new methods. FCC and EMILI will continue their work to connect innovators with testing resources, helping to accelerate the adoption of effective farming technologies across Canada.
Photo Credit: emili-logo