News

Farmers Business Network to add on-farm R&D initiative

Farmer’s Business Network (FBN) is launching its own on-farm research and development network for biological soil health and crop protection products. FBN will coordinate real-world testing of biologicals on FBN member farms, according to Matt Meisner, Vice President of R&D for FBN.

“Products that perform well based on the unbiased, clean real-world data are products that we’ll look to potentially commercialize through the FBN direct platform,” Meisner told Brownfield Ag News.

Biological products drive long-term, sustainable and profitable farming practices, says Meisner, adding that FBN’s approach results in testing on a large scale and across a diverse geographical footprint.

“We’re not talking about doing a five-acre plot in a research farm,” said Meisner, “we’re talking about testing on hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of real-world acres across different soils, different weather conditions, different management practices.”

Farmers Business Network is a membership-based ag-tech platform and farmer network.

“The Biological On-Farm R&D Network will create a win-win for farmers and manufacturers: a vast, real-world testing ground for biological developers and tangible, sustainable incentives for our farmer members,” said Amol Deshpande, CEO & Co-Founder of FBN, quoted in a company news release.

FBN members and biologicals manufacturers can enroll in the R&D program this fall and winter. The first trials start in the spring of 2021.