What Crop-Tech Consulting does

Crop-Tech Consulting is an independent agronomy consulting firm founded in 1991 by Ken and Jeanenne Ferrie and headquartered in Heyworth, Illinois. The company serves corn and soybean farmers across the Midwest — including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota — by providing soil testing and recommendation services, field research through annual test plots, pest and nutrient scouting, replant decision support, and agronomist speaking engagements. Its product portfolio combines hands-on professional services with digital tools (Combine Calibration Calculator, Replant Decisions, Hybrid Yearbook rating system) and a structured Virtual Farm Visit scouting subscription limited to Illinois fields.

The firm's core offering is built around a "systems approach to farming" methodology, and the company emphasizes an unsponsored, vendor-neutral stance that differentiates it from input-company-affiliated agronomists. Education and content distribution are central to the model: the Boots In The Field Report podcast (455+ entries since 2014) drives top-of-funnel reach, while the annual Farm Journal Corn & Soybean College (a 2-day in-person event at $625 per ticket, approved for 13 CEUs) plus a January Virtual Winter College ($200 virtual-only) anchor mid-funnel engagement with agronomists and crop consultants.

Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services fees, event ticketing, subscription scouting (Virtual Farm Visit, 2-year program), and paid speaking engagements. The company is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed external investors, acquisitions, or partnerships. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range, and the firm operates a single integrated offering rather than a portfolio of distinct business lines.

Name

Crop-Tech Consulting

Legal name

Crop-Tech Consulting

Website

https://croptechinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crop-Tech Consulting is an independent agronomy firm founded in 1991 that provides soil testing, field research, scouting, and agronomy education to Midwestern corn and soybean farmers and crop consultants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agronomy Consulting Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Yield Optimization & Crop Performance Consulting (AFACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB), Precision/Variable-Rate Agronomy & Rx Development (AFACABAG), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Agronomy consulting
• Soil testing services
• Crop scouting
• Farm field research
• Agricultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Heyworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Agronomy Consulting Services: Soil testing and recommendation services, along with field scouting and agronomic consulting for corn and soybean producers.
2. Farm Journal Corn & Soybean College: Two-day in-person educational event ($625 per ticket) with complimentary virtual winter college access. Also offers virtual-only tickets ($200). Approved for 13 CEUs.
3. Speaking Engagements: Agronomists available to speak at various events, with pricing varying by level of involvement and preparation required.
4. Virtual Farm Visit Program: A 2-year structured program with 2 field visits per season, limited to 10,000 acres first year, with 60 acres or less of selected scouting area per field.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crop-Tech Consulting provides independent agronomy consulting built around a "systems approach to farming." Its core service is soil testing and tailored agronomic recommendations for corn and soybean operations, supported by annual test plot research, a structured Virtual Farm Visit scouting program, agronomist speaking engagements, and the annual Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College educational event. Free digital tools (Combine Calibration Calculator, Replant Decisions, Hybrid Yearbook) and the Boots In The Field Report podcast extend the firm's agronomic guidance to a broader grower audience.

Product overview

Crop-Tech Consulting is an independent agronomy consulting firm founded in 1991 by Ken and Jeanenne Ferrie. The company operates as a single integrated service offering built around a 'systems approach to farming' philosophy. Its core offering is soil testing and recommendation services combined with extensive field research through test plots. The product portfolio includes the Boots In The Field Report (weekly podcast), Virtual Farm Visit scouting service, web-based calculator tools (Combine Calibration Calculator, Replant Decisions), the Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College educational event, the Education Corner resource hub, and agronomist speaking services. These offerings work together to equip customers with knowledge and tools for implementing sustainable farming systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Annual unsponsored agronomy training event featuring two days of classroom sessions and hands-on field time, approved for 13 CEUs
• Boots In The Field Report
• Winter Virtual College

Products and services

• Soil Testing and Recommendation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 CEUs available through Farm Journal Corn & Soybean College event

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Nutrien Ag Solutions is one of the largest North American crop input retailers and offers bundled agronomy services and digital tools to growers. Comparable to Crop-Tech as a competitor for agronomic advisory work, but with vastly broader product portfolio, geographic reach, and bundled chemical/seed sales.
• Helena Agri-Enterprises: Helena is a major U.S. agricultural inputs distributor with an agronomy team providing recommendations, soil testing, and crop scouting to growers. Competes with Crop-Tech on independent agronomy advice but typically bundles services with proprietary product sales.
• GROWMARK: GROWMARK is a Midwest-focused agricultural cooperative providing crop inputs and agronomy services to member farmers. Closely comparable to Crop-Tech in geography (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa) and crop focus (corn and soybeans), but operates at cooperative scale with bundled input sales.
• WinField United: WinField United is the agronomy and crop inputs arm of CHS Inc., serving Midwest growers with Answer Plot test plots, agronomic advice, and digital tools. Directly comparable to Crop-Tech's test plot and systems-approach agronomy, but at much larger scale and tied to product sales.
• Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness: Wilbur-Ellis is a long-established U.S. agribusiness providing crop protection, seed, and agronomy services across the West and Midwest. Comparable to Crop-Tech in agronomic consulting and field testing, but at significantly larger scale and with input-bundled offerings.

Emerging players

• Taranis: Taranis is an AI-powered precision agriculture platform offering aerial field scouting and crop intelligence to agronomists and growers. Comparable to Crop-Tech's Virtual Farm Visit scouting service, but with proprietary AI, satellite, and drone-driven delivery rather than in-person field visits.
• Sound Agriculture: Sound Agriculture offers source-reduction nutrient efficiency products and agronomic digital tools, including on-demand agronomy recommendations. Comparable to Crop-Tech's nutrient management and digital agronomy focus, but with venture-backed technology and broader crop applicability.
• Farmers Edge: Farmers Edge provides digital agronomy, field scouting, and farm data management tools to growers globally. Comparable to Crop-Tech on agronomic decision support and field-level scouting, but operates as a venture-backed software platform rather than a founder-led consulting practice.
• Ceres Imaging: Ceres Imaging provides aerial imagery and analytics for crop health, irrigation, and pest detection to agronomists and growers. Comparable to Crop-Tech on field-level scouting insights, but delivers via remote sensing rather than agronomist field visits.

Others

• AgriGold: AgriGold is a U.S. corn and soybean seed company that runs agronomy research, test plots, and field events for growers. Comparable to Crop-Tech on corn/soybean agronomy content and field-focused educational programming, but focused on seed brand promotion rather than independent advice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/croptechinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crop-tech-consulting-inc.
• Xx.com/CropTechInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crop-Tech Consulting