EMILI collaborates on 20 agtech tests and demos in 2024/2025 season

Innovation Farms is unique in Canada in that it operates on a commercial seed farm to test and validate new technologies to bring them from pre-commercial to market, showcase technology demonstrations, and share insights to increase understanding of and access to digital agriculture tools.

Since launching Innovation Farms, EMILI has partnered on a number of digital agriculture activities that aim to increase productivity, sustainability, and profitability across the agriculture and agri-food sector. This page represents our 2024/2025 activities. You can also view an archive of past activities.

Testing and validating technology solutions

We test and validate new technologies in a commercial setting to demonstrate whether or not they can effectively solve prairie issues at a prairie scale, bringing new innovations from pre-commercial to market. Increasing access to data and equipping people with solutions to advance the digital agriculture industry has widespread benefits across the prairies.

Elmer's Manufacturing Hive Motherbin

Elmer’s Manufacturing Hive Motherbin

EMILI, Elmer’s Manufacturing (2024, 2025)
EMILI is collaborating with Elmer's Manufacturing during the 2024 harvest season to test their Grain Cart Hive Motherbin.
Agi3 Crop Sentry System

Agi3 Crop Sentry System

EMILI, Agi3 (2023, 2024, 2025)
AIRM's Crop Sentry systems collect daily multispectral point cloud and sensor data throughout the season on crop health and yield.
Alterra Innovation Grain Tracker

Alterra Innovation Grain Tracker

EMILI, Alterra Innovation (2024, 2025)
EMILI is working with Alterra Innovation to validate its GrainTracker system, which provides track-and-trace technology to digitize grain inventory records.
Geco Strategic Weed Management AI Tool

Geco Strategic Weed Management AI Tool

EMILI, Geco Strategic Weed Management (2023, 2024, 2025)
We are working with Geco Strategic Weed Management to assess the performance of their techniques for proactive weed management.
FINCH Crop Residue Mapping

FINCH Crop Residue Mapping

EMILI, University of Toronto (2024, 2025)
EMILI is working with researchers from University of Toronto's Aerospace Team to conduct technological demonstrations of crop residue mapping.
UW and NRC Machine Learning Algorithm

UW and NRC Machine Learning Algorithm

EMILI, UWinnipeg, NRC (2023, 2024, 2025)
We are developing image collections of pea plants and their root systems to apply machine learning to prairie crops.

Showcasing agtech demonstrations

We demonstrate the productivity and sustainability of commercialized technologies to empower growers and others along the value chain to adopt and fully deploy digital tools. Our location on Rutherford Farms gives us access to multiple years of historical data and on-farm trials, providing a valuable benchmark for future trials and demonstrations.

Bushel Plus Technology

Bushel Plus Technology

EMILI, Bushel Plus
Access to commercial harvesting equipment during 2023 corn harvest allowed Bushel Plus Ltd. to deploy their technology on the farm.
UW and UM Weed Identification Algorithm

UW and UM Weed Identification Algorithm

EMILI, UWinnipeg, UManitoba (2023, 2024, 2025)
We are developing a public database of plant and weed images to train machine learning models for Prairie-centric crop management.
iSCOUT® insect trap

Metos iScout

EMILI, Metos (2023, 2024, 2025)
EMILI uses an iSCOUT® mobile app to monitor insect traps and identify specific insect species on the farm.
Ukko Agro Weather Stations

Ukko Agro Weather Stations

EMILI, Ukko Agro (2023, 2024, 2025)
Live and predictive information from Ukko Agro's weather station provides insight into weather, crop growth stages, and crop disease.
Metos weather station and soil sensor

Metos Yield Prediction Model

EMILI, Metos (2024, 2025)
Live and predictive information from seven METOS® weather stations provides insight into disease forecasting, yield predictions, and local weather events.
IoT sensors and weather stations

IoT sensors and weather stations

Multi-partner activity (2024, 2025)
Weather stations, soil sensors, crop cameras, and insect monitoring stations allow us to remotely monitor crops to inform decisions.
AgExpert MyFarmConnect Integration

AgExpert MyFarmConnect Integration

EMILI, AgExpert (2023, 2024, 2025)
Importing years of operation data from John Deere Operations Center into AgExpert Field enables valuable insights and optimized farm practices.
MacDon Digital Agriculture Collaboration

MacDon Digital Agriculture Collaboration

EMILI, MacDon (2023, 2024, 2025)
Having access to MacDon’s high-performance harvesting equipment and related resources increases EMILI's ability to test agtech tools on Innovation Farms.

Sharing data and insights

We share insights learned at Innovation Farms to optimize decision-making, increase skills and knowledge, and expand the development and adoption of ag tech tools for economic and environmental sustainability across the Prairies.

Manitoba 4R Day

Manitoba 4R Day

Multi-partner activity (2023, 2024, 2025)
Each year we welcome over 140 visitors to Innovation Farms for a day of field demonstrations and presentations.
AgExpert Field and Accounting Software

AgExpert Field and Accounting Software

EMILI, FCC (2023, 2024, 2025)
EMILI uses AgExpert Field and Accounting software to provide valuable insights as part of our testing, research, and technology development.
Innovation Farms sensor network

Innovation Farms sensor network

EMILI, Metos (2024, 2025)
We have set up Internet of Things sensors to provide vital insights to inform sustainable and profitable crop production decisions.
Innovation Farms field tours

Innovation Farms field tours

Multi-partner activity (2023, 2024, 2025)
EMILI hosts tours and demonstrations on Innovation Farms to showcase new agricultural technologies, and increase understanding of digital tools.
Round Image

Being a third generation farmer myself and the fourth generation starting, the collaboration with EMILI actually is moving us into the future of ag and what ag can do for our farm to make it sustainable.

Rick Rutherford, President, Rutherford Farms