By Nathan Marcotte, Senior Program Manager of Innovation & Technology at Grand Farm
At Grand Farm, a nonprofit based in North Dakota with a global reach, we focus on solving challenges in agriculture through applied technology. These challenges show up every day on farms, including increasing weed resistance to herbicides, labor shortages, narrow in-field timing windows and the need to better match inputs to precise field conditions. Many of these challenges also present opportunities that can be addressed through modern practices and applied technologies, such as in-field IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, robotics and autonomous equipment, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and software and AI-driven systems.
To support the implementation of these technologies, connectivity plays a foundational role. Farms rely on reliable networks, including fiber broadband, wireless and cellular, to enable sensors, automate equipment and process data in real time. We view agricultural connectivity as an “all of the above” approach, where the right solution depends on the application, while recognizing the importance of strong fiber backhaul as a critical backbone. Our work is rooted in collaboration with growers, technology providers, including SRC provider MLGC (Enderlin, N.D.) and DCN (Fargo, N.D.), researchers and rural communities to ensure these systems work in real-world conditions.
Much like the Rural Electrification Act (1936) brought electricity to farms across rural America, today’s connectivity initiatives present similar opportunities to transform agriculture. In our work, we see the importance of both “last mile” and “last acre” connectivity, each of which plays a critical role in connecting farms and agricultural operations.
Last Mile Connectivity brings broadband to the farm or farmhouse. This connectivity supports farm management operations, enables last-acre wireless networks and allows for off-farm remote job opportunities for families.
Last Acre Connectivity extends broadband across the entire farm to support in-field operations such as sensors, autonomous equipment and UAS. This layer often relies on technologies like LoRaWAN, private cellular (CBRS/5G), Wi-Fi HaLow or satellite.
Both last-mile and last-acre connectivity serve different but equally important purposes, and both must be considered when planning connectivity solutions for agriculture.
Investments in connectivity remain key for rural communities and farmers, supporting input efficiency, faster decision-making through real-time data and new opportunities enabled by autonomous robotics.
At the Grand Farm Innovation Campus located in eastern North Dakota, we have built a testbed known as the Sensor Sandbox to test and validate IoT technologies in real-world conditions. The Sensor Sandbox allows us to evaluate sensors and communication protocols using on-site infrastructure that includes private cellular 5G (CBRS), LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi and fiber connectivity. Farmers and producers can see these systems in action, helping to de-risk adoption for their own operations. Our deployed sensors include soil moisture, pest and disease detection and weather stations, and continue to expand.
As agricultural technology continues to advance, connectivity remains a foundational infrastructure enabling these innovations. By providing reliable, scalable networks, we enable farmers to leverage automation, data-driven decision-making, and AI, ultimately improving yields, reducing labor demands and optimizing inputs. Continued investments into connectivity and adoption ensure farms remain competitive and prepared to adopt the technologies of tomorrow.