US — Farmer-owned cooperative, Landus has opened an Innovation Connecter in Iowa that it expects will put farmers at the center of agricultural innovation in a space that fosters collaboration and drives Iowa agriculture toward a more-sustainable future.
The move comes after the cooperative announced plans to invest US$150 million over the next four years into core grain and agronomy facilities throughout its Iowa territories to modernize aging infrastructure and improve service to local farmers.
“Ag innovation is moving fast, and this is our opportunity to enable our farmer-owners to be at the center of that innovation and co-create the future of farming,” said Matt Carstens, president and chief executive officer of Landus.
“Through the launch of our Innovation Connector in Des Moines, we have the ability to create an intersection for farmers, technology companies and consumers to collaborate on the solutions of tomorrow.”
The Des Moines Innovation Connector will host farmer events that will bring more than 1,000 farmers to the downtown area each year, connecting them with global innovation leaders and providing opportunities to leverage innovations more quickly.
Currently, 11 innovation partners will be featured at the Innovation Connector: AGI, Grain Weevil, Haber Technologies, CapstanAg, Drift, ChopLocal, Indigo, Yara, Sukup Manufacturing Co., Midland and Intellinair.
By inviting urban stakeholders, Landus brings together the key segments of agriculture from farm to table and the technology in between.
“We’ve long felt farmers should have a greater voice when it comes to the technology they need to farm more efficiently,” Carstens said. “Placing farmers at the front line of these conversations, while inviting our urban audiences, drives that innovation at a quicker rate.”
The Innovation Connector will host programming such as startup pitch competitions and “hackathons,” while serving as the foremost hub of agricultural innovation.
Consumers, city leaders and elected officials will see the performance technology available to growers, and, with the exponential growth of data resources, urban audiences can collaborate with Landus farmers to learn more about food production practices and sustainability efforts.
Landus, the largest farmer-owned cooperative in Iowa, is the No. 10 grain storage company in North America, according to Sosland Publishing’s 2022 Grain & Milling Annual, with 152.686 million bushels of storage capacity at 56 licensed grain storage facilities.
By connecting key contributors across the agricultural supply chain, the company is helping farmers build sustainable and profitable businesses and also activate a more secure food and fuel future for farmers and consumers alike, elevating thousands of farmers in communities throughout rural America.
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