At the recent Spur Converge event in Gothenburg, Nebraska, farmers didn’t just attend another tech showcase; they took charge of it. The Farmers Tech Adoption Challenge reshaped the traditional pitch competition by placing growers, rather than investors, at the center of the decision-making process. The result was a high-energy, hands-on, real-world innovation showdown unlike anything else in ag tech.
Nine ambitious startups opened the challenge with rapid-fire pitches, each presenting technology designed to solve real problems on real farms. Instead of leaving with polite applause and hypothetical conversations, the startups were immediately paired with farmers in attendance—producers who rolled up their sleeves and asked the essential question: Would this actually work on my operation?
These farmer-startup conversations were honest, practical, and sometimes blunt, exactly what the competition was built to spark.
“Farmers are tired of tech that doesn’t solve real problems. This challenge gave us the chance to shape the tools before they hit the market, and that’s powerful,” said Nick Bittner, ND farmer and participant in the Farmers Tech Adoption Challenge.
Each farmer delivered a clear verdict to their assigned startup: Would they adopt the technology or not? Regardless of the answer, they provided practical, actionable feedback to influence product design, performance, and on-farm usability. Some even committed to trialing the technologies directly on their own operations, turning conversation into collaboration.
A panel of three expert judges reviewed the farmers’ insights and evaluations, ultimately naming the competition’s top innovators.
But beyond winners and rankings, the heart of the Challenge was its mission:
• to understand growers’ pain points
• to identify the factors that drive real technology adoption
• to guide innovation by the people who will use it most
• to understand growers’ pain points
• to identify the factors that drive real technology adoption
• to guide innovation by the people who will use it most
By centering farmers in the development process and elevating their voices, the Farmers Tech Adoption Challenge didn’t just showcase new technology; it accelerated it, grounded it, and made it more relevant than ever.
This is what the future of ag tech looks like: collaborative, farmer-powered, and built from the field up.
