Core Functions

The Engine develops relationships based on authenticity and reciprocity, grounded in long-term investment in people and places. The Engine is accelerating innovation by working directly with cutting edge researchers, industry partners and rural communities to co-design AgTech solutions based on growers needs.

The Engine’s Core Partners, Workstream Leads, and Innovation Managers codesign new approaches that advance AgTech Priorities. Grassroots innovations are elevated, while national expertise and resources are localized and contextualized, thus strengthened by exposure to local conditions. Together we and our partners accelerate potential solutions through assessment and prototype development applying the Integrated Innovation Framework. 

When a project begins the Engine engages industry workforce partners, research and development teams, community organizations, and funders in partnership to implement solutions. This integration includes data sharing platforms, pilot project coordination, and storytelling to give local innovators visibility, while aligning with state and federal programs. The Engine is a delivery system for integrating AgTech innovation and translating solutions into practice. Implementing pilot projects with solid feedback loops accelerates implementation of innovations. 

Elevating partners and projects to scale horizontally, by sharing toolkits, replication strategies, and providing peer to peer support. The Engine is also scaling vertically by supporting solutions that can transfer to private sector deployment, commercialization, or integration into the public infrastructure, while keeping community benefit front and center. The Engine ensures that scaling works across communities and markets. We are accelerating innovation scalability though outcome assessments, model refinement, and packaging of solutions for broader deployment and commercialization. Our place-based initiatives are designed to retain rural economies’ greatest assets- its talent and youth.