Farmers Edge Inc., a dedicated digital agriculture firm, and Gevo Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO), a frontrunner in renewable fuels, have joined forces in a collaboration integral to Gevo’s Climate-Smart Farm-to-Flight project, which is fueled by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Initiated in 2023, Gevo’s Climate-Smart Farm-to-Flight project aims to monitor and assess the carbon impact of climate-smart practices while establishing market incentives for low carbon-intensity (CI) corn to expedite Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and low-CI ethanol production.
Having already engaged in carbon-intensity programs with Canadian growers over the past three years, Farmers Edge brings invaluable expertise to the table, particularly in recruitment and education. Working alongside growers in three states, Farmers Edge will facilitate data collection related to qualifying sustainability practices and the calculation of field-level CI scores. Participating growers will benefit from hands-on training and support, gaining access to Farmers Edge’s leading platform, FarmCommand®, and extensive agronomic knowledge to fulfill the reporting requirements of the project. Farmers Edge is steadfast in its commitment to empowering growers through digitalization and showcasing their sustainability efforts through data.
Subsequently, this data will be furnished to Gevo, which will utilize its Verity Tracking platform to trace the CI of feedstocks from the field to biofuel production.
The project will unfold across three locations: Council Bluffs, Iowa; Lake Preston, South Dakota; and The Standing Rock Reservation. Gevo’s Climate-Smart Farm-to-Flight project is bolstered by a $30M grant from the USDA’s Climate-Smart initiative.
Amit Pradhan, VP of Strategy at Farmers Edge, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with Gevo, emphasizing its potential to expedite the availability of commercially viable Sustainable Aviation Fuel in the United States. Pradhan highlighted the seamless data acquisition and computation facilitated by the integration of FarmCommand and Gevo’s Verity Tracking platform, simplifying the verification of sustainable farming practices’ impact throughout the value chain.
Travis Deppe, Sr. Manager of Strategic Alliances at Gevo, underscored the significance of partnering with Farmers Edge, noting that their trained personnel will work closely with growers to accurately collect supporting data, thereby effectively conveying the growers’ sustainability narratives.