AI at the Farm Gate: How GROWMARK Is Bringing Practical Intelligence to Ag Retail

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries across the economy, ag retail is increasingly finding itself at the center of the conversation. During a recent appearance on CropLife Retail Week, Brian Henze, Agronomy Portfolio Technology Manager at GROWMARK, shared how the cooperative is approaching AI adoption with a practical, field-focused mindset designed to support — not replace — the agronomist.

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Henze, who has spent nearly 36 years within the GROWMARK system, has witnessed the evolution of ag technology firsthand, from the earliest days of precision agriculture to today’s AI-driven agronomy platforms.

“Precision farming basically came into existence when I was a crop specialist,” Henze said. “That’s when we started using satellites and variable-rate technology, and it became a passion for me.”

Today, that passion is centered around helping retailers and growers harness AI in ways that deliver meaningful, actionable insights at the farm gate.

From Months of Development to Instant Insights

According to Henze, one of the biggest changes AI has brought to ag retail is speed.

“What used to take us months or years to develop can now happen much faster,” he said. “We used to have to hire programmers, build systems, test everything, and slowly roll tools out to crop specialists. AI has really turned everything up on its ear.”

GROWMARK recently expanded its AI capabilities through work with imagery and scouting technology partner Intelinair. The company has integrated AI functionality into its agronomy systems, helping crop specialists analyze field data more efficiently and identify agronomic issues faster than ever before.

But Henze emphasized that speed alone is not enough.

Keeping Agronomists in the Driver’s Seat

While AI can process massive amounts of agronomic data, Henze stressed that the technology still requires human oversight and real-world experience.

“When you look at AI, its purpose is to give you an answer,” he said. “But is it always the right answer? No. Not always.”

That reality has shaped GROWMARK’s implementation strategy. Rather than allowing AI tools unrestricted access to broad information sources, the company has intentionally built guardrails around the technology.

“We’ve put rails on it to say, ‘These are the databases you use. This is the information you use,’” Henze explained. “We want to make sure we’re delivering the right recommendations.”

The reason is simple: agriculture remains highly local and deeply dependent on human context.

“An AI agent isn’t going to know where we tore down an old farmstead and buried a barn years ago,” Henze said. “It may identify an area in the imagery and say there’s a disease issue or nutrient deficiency. But an agronomist knows that area simply won’t produce because of the field history.”

For GROWMARK, the goal is clear.

“It’s a great tool for a crop specialist, but it’s not a replacement for a crop specialist,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure it’s a tool in the toolbox and not a replacement.”

Supporting the Next Generation of Crop Advisors

Beyond agronomic recommendations, AI is also becoming an important workforce development tool for ag retailers.

Henze pointed to GROWMARK’s AI-powered agronomy platform as a way to accelerate onboarding and improve knowledge transfer for younger employees entering the industry.

“You can put a new crop salesman into an area with new customers and have all that information at their fingertips,” he said. “Their past history, what they planted, problem fields — it’s all right there.”

For newer agronomists, access to that historical data can dramatically shorten the learning curve.

“When I moved locations as a crop specialist, I didn’t know one grower or operation,” Henze recalled. “It took me years to learn those customers. Now someone can come in and know everything about that operation in 35 seconds.”

As labor shortages and retirements continue impacting agriculture, Henze believes these tools will become increasingly valuable for retailers trying to attract and retain younger talent.

“The amount of knowledge available through these AI tools is unreal,” he said.

AI Adoption Poised to Accelerate

Looking ahead, Henze expects AI adoption across ag retail and farming operations to increase significantly over the next several years.

Part of that growth, he believes, will come from generational change.

“We’ve got younger farmers and younger family members coming into operations who grew up with technology in their hands,” he said. “I really think that adoption curve is going to go straight up over the next five years.”

At the same time, AI may also encourage growers to invest in additional precision equipment and data collection tools.

“As crop specialists start showing growers what these AI tools can identify, farmers are going to want more of that data,” Henze said. “I think you’ll see some growers upgrading equipment or adding technology they may have delayed before.”

Ultimately, Henze sees AI becoming deeply integrated into both customer-facing agronomy and internal retail operations.

“We’re starting to use these systems not just for customers, but internally to help employees and operations as well,” he said. “That’s a big shift.”

For ag retailers navigating the next phase of digital agriculture, Henze believes the winners will be those who combine technology with trusted local expertise.

“The true purpose,” he said, “is helping the grower do better on every field.”

Want to hear the full conversation with Brian Henze? View the complete episode of CropLife Retail Week for additional insights on AI adoption, agronomy tools, and the future of ag retail technology.