A new 15,000-square-foot facility will help companies test autonomous equipment, robotics, and smart farming technology even during harsh winter conditions
Casselton, North Dakota, 7 October 2026 – Agricultural technology is advancing quickly, but testing new equipment in real farm conditions can be difficult when weather limits the growing season. Grand Farm is working to address that challenge with a new Indoor AgTech Test Track that will allow agricultural technology companies to test and demonstrate their solutions throughout the year.
Grand Farm has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support the second phase of its Innovation Campus near Casselton, North Dakota. The funding will help establish an indoor facility designed for year-round testing, validation, and commercialization of agricultural equipment, autonomous systems, robotics, implements, and other AgTech solutions. The project also has a $1.25 million match from the North Dakota Autonomous Agriculture Grant.
The planned test track is expected to cover approximately 15,000 square feet, giving companies enough space to work with large, full-size agricultural machinery indoors. Grand Farm also plans to acquire a tracked tractor and a high-clearance sprayer that can support field operations, research trials, and cold weather demonstrations.
For agricultural technology developers, the facility could solve a practical problem. Many farming technologies need to be tested under demanding conditions before they are ready for wider use. In regions where winter brings snow, freezing temperatures, and difficult field conditions, companies may have to wait months before testing can continue. An indoor environment gives researchers and developers another option.
The test track will become part of Grand Farm’s wider work to connect technology developers, farmers, researchers, startups, and industry partners. Its goal is to test technology in conditions that closely reflect real agricultural challenges rather than relying only on controlled demonstrations.
The new facility is part of a much larger $33.7 million expansion of the Innovation Campus. Grand Farm has secured $12 million so far, including $5 million in federal funding and $7 million in state support. The expansion also includes an 8,500-square-foot Field Operations Facility and an additional 450 acres, taking the campus to approximately 590 acres.
Another important addition is BenchBot, an autonomous imaging platform developed through work with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. The system is expected to support agricultural research, including work related to weed control and the development of data that can help advance AI-based farming tools.
AGCO’s Precision Technology Institute North Dakota is also set to operate as an anchor tenant at the expanded campus. Together, these developments create a larger environment for agricultural research, precision farming, autonomous machinery, robotics, and technology demonstrations.
As agriculture becomes increasingly connected, testing infrastructure will be important for turning promising technology into practical solutions. Grand Farm’s new indoor test track offers companies a place to continue that work beyond the traditional growing season, while giving farmers and industry partners an opportunity to see how emerging technologies perform under challenging conditions.
The project represents a broader shift toward smart farming, where automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven systems are becoming part of everyday agricultural operations. By creating space for these technologies to be tested throughout the year, Grand Farm is building a stronger bridge between agricultural innovation and real-world use.
