Grainswest - Tech 2026

Tech 2026 Grains West 10 JUST AS YOU TEST DRIVE A CAR before you buy, a new program is focused on the testing and adoption of emerging ag technology. Launched in May 2026, the Agriculture Innovation, Validation and Adoption Network (AIVA) was founded by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the Enterprise Machine Intelligence & Learning Initiative (EMILI) and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network. The network is a standardized testing system that supports both innovators and farmers by validating new farm technolo- gy products. “We formed AIVA to accelerate the adoption of proven technology for Cana- dian agriculture,” said Jacqueline Keena, CEO of EMILI. The program’s founders aimed to address two adoption barriers in the market. The first exists at the farm level. “Farmers are so busy operating their businesses and making complex decisions,” said Keena. “How can we help them with tech adoption choices that will benefit their farms through reduced costs or greater productivity?” Entrepreneurs and innovators also face a barrier in that full-scale testing and evaluation spaces are hard to come by. In the past, companies would often go door- to-door asking farmers to adopt unproven technology, which was usually a tough sell. “Even if farmers were agreeable, innova- tors would only have results from one farm with one set of variables,” said Keena. AIVA will employ four demonstration farms where early-stage technology is tested and validated. It oversaw nine projects across four farms in 2026. “The staff at these farms ensure a high level of oversight and management of the technology,” said Keena. “[AIVA] then provides the companies with feedback on how their product performed in real world conditions.” If AIVA finds that a technology pro- vides measurable value to farmers and is therefore ready to market, innovators may choose to continue testing it in AIVA’s adoption stage. AIVA’s participat- ing farmers trial the technology on their commercial farms through a complete growing season using AIVA’s standard- ized testing framework. “These farmers complete a report card on the technolo- gy’s fit with Canadian agriculture,” said Keena. “Innovators review that report and use it to refine their product before taking it to market.” For farmer participants, it’s a chance to see how the technology performs at full scale prior to making an investment. “We currently have 30 farmers signed up in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, rep- resenting 300,000 acres,” said Keena. “Over time, we hope to include farms in other provinces as well.” Once a product passes the validation or adoption stage, AIVA will share the in- formation it has compiled with the public through online reports and demonstra- tion days. Findings for 2026 will also be reviewed at EMILI’s annual Agriculture Enlightened conference on Nov. 5 in Winnipeg, MB. The AIVA Network is funded primarily by FCC, which has pledged to invest Test the tech AIVA Network drives adoption of new farm tools Tested at one of AIVA’s demonstration farms, the LENS by Picketa Systems uses scanned leaf samples to quickly analyze plant nutrients. Photo: Courtesy of Picketa Systems. THE FARMGATE