‘That'll change soon': Technology front and centre at Sask. Ag In Motion
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National Post
9 hours ago
- National Post
FBN Expands AI-Powered Platform for Ag Commerce, Financing, and Farm Intelligence
Article content SAN MATEO, Calif. — Farmers Business Network (FBN®), the collaborative peer-to-peer farmer network generating farm-level intelligence and a leading marketplace for North America's agricultural sector, announced new investments and platform expansions alongside $50 million in funding to fuel new product lines and AI deployment. Article content The funding will support FBN's mission of powering the prosperity of family farms. Backed by leading investors, including GV (Google Ventures), Temasek, Arteqin, Colle Capital and T Rowe Price, the company builds on its digital platform to simplify agriculture's supply of goods, financing and services, while becoming the farmer's trusted personal AI partner. Article content FBN's farmer network has grown to over 117,000 farms, representing 187 million acres in the U.S. and Canada. Its Amazon-like e-commerce platform offers more than 7,200 products from crops and livestock with direct-to-farm delivery on most orders within 24 to 72 hours. According to recent farmer surveys by Stratus Ag Research, FBN was visited by 35% of farmers when shopping for inputs, and the number of farmers buying inputs online grew 86% vs. 2023. In 2025, more farmers returned to FBN to purchase inputs than ever before, as producers focused on profitability. FBN's Finance platform has now extended nearly $3 billion in total financing to growers. Article content 'Our commitment to putting farmers first means a relentless focus on efficiency and convenience,' said Diego Casanello, CEO of FBN. 'Our goal is to reduce a farm's operating costs 20% or more compared to brick-and-mortar retail. We're working to maximize grower savings and ensure every dollar they spend goes as far as possible.' Article content To better serve its members and build for the future, FBN is evolving to focus on its core digital strengths. This has meant making difficult choices to align its workforce with strategic priorities. These essential changes, while challenging, position FBN to deliver exceptional and sustainable value to its members through innovation. Article content FBN is increasing its strategic investment in advanced AI development. 'Artificial Intelligence is enabling us to provide our farmer members with more personalized and relevant insights,' said Casanello. 'Simultaneously, it offers new tools to automate our marketplace operations, reducing costs and improving the customer experience.' Article content FBN launched 'Norm', the first Large Language Model (LLM) to answer farmer's agronomy questions. The model has been now trained to help farmers with crop marketing related inquiries. Future versions are expected to include personalized agronomy, finance and risk management support. Article content The company is broadening its marketplace offerings – all while improving the fast and convenient service farmers have come to expect and rely on. FBN has significantly expanded its private label product portfolio in 2025 and opened the platform to third-party sellers, allowing them to offer their own brands directly to FBN members via a suite of seller tools and commercial services. Article content Today's announcement includes these expanded product portfolio features: Article content More Private Label and Third-party Crop Protection Products: FBN is enhancing its crop protection, biological and nutrition offerings for major commodity crops like corn, canola, cotton, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat, creating one of the industry's broadest and most trusted portfolios under its Willowood USA ® and Farmers First ® brands, while opening up the platform to more third-party sellers. Canadian Growth: FBN Canada has expanded its wheat crop protection portfolio, added bulk liquid fertilizer and equipment financing, and will open two new distribution centers in 2026. New Seed Platform: FBN is opening the marketplace for third-party seed offers, with leading brands like Seitec Genetics ®, featuring products for corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa, and cover crops. Expanding Livestock: FBN's rapidly growing livestock marketplace will continue to expand with new products including feed from Ridley ® & Sweetlix ®, fencing, and a growing assortment of farm & ranch supplies. Article content Farmers Business Network, Inc. (FBN®) is a pioneering digital marketplace and farmer-to-farmer network dedicated to empowering family farmers globally while promoting sustainable agriculture. With over 117,000 members, FBN's Farmers First® promise unites growers and ranchers in their quest to maximize profitability and increase food production. FBN leverages data, AI and direct-to-farm delivery to simplify the agricultural supply chain, boosting convenience and transparency, reducing farm input costs, enhancing access to financing and services, and providing personalized farm insights. Its Gradable® joint-venture helps thousands of farmers adopt and earn rewards for regenerative practices while simplifying the access of regenerative products for the world's leading food companies and grain buyers. Article content Article content Article content Article content
National Post
9 hours ago
- National Post
Echelon Masonry Joins the Western Canada Market
Article content ACHESON, Alberta — Echelon Masonry, Oldcastle APG's flagship masonry brand and North America's leader in architectural masonry products and materials, is now available in Western Canada. Building on its foundation with predecessor Expocrete's longstanding local relationships and regional expertise, Echelon Masonry strengthens access to innovative masonry solutions for contractors, architects, designers, and specifiers throughout the region. Article content Article content 'We have established our longevity and expertise in Western Canada with Expocrete, serving as a cornerstone for the evolution of Echelon Masonry,' says Jesse Blanchard, President, Oldcastle APG Canada West. 'Paramount to our success is maintaining our Canadian roots with local manufacturing and local service delivered by local team members.' Article content The move brings together the strength of Oldcastle APG's North American and Canadian resources -including a global R&D network, advanced manufacturing facilities, and industry-leading training – with a continued focus on regional development and customer service. This integration ensures that Western Canadian professionals and communities receive both world-class innovation and trusted local support. Article content 'We take great pride in our understanding of what our customers need and expect, and that we can continue to manufacture and deliver locally made products that support their projects and specifications,' adds Blanchard. 'With these additional resources, we will be able to provide those customers with the next generation of durable, safe masonry solutions that meet the Canadian stamp of approval.' Article content Echelon Masonry is part of Oldcastle APG's family of signature brands, offering a comprehensive portfolio of masonry veneers, architectural masonry, insulated wall systems, and structural brick across North America. Through Oldcastle APG University, the brand also provides accredited continuing education courses tailored to contractors, architects, and design professionals, alongside tools like the Masonry Visualizer to streamline the design process. Article content About Echelon Masonry Article content Echelon Masonry, part of Oldcastle APG, is North America's leading manufacturer of architectural masonry products and materials. Its portfolio includes artisan masonry veneers, architectural masonry, insulated wall systems, and structural brick. Since 2015, Echelon has been a trusted source for high-quality products and reliable service partnerships. For more information, visit Article content Article content Article content Article content Media Contact: Article content Article content
CBC
18 hours ago
- CBC
Farmers welcome 'buy local' boost, but still worry about tariff threats
Some Lower Mainland farmers say they are noticing a push to buy local produce this summer. While they welcome the move, they say the industry needs more support to overcome the threat posed by U.S. tariffs. Sohrab Sandhu reports.
