WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources

What WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources does

WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) is a non-commercial research and extension center within Washington State University's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). It develops systems-level solutions for sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in Washington State, serving four primary stakeholder groups: agricultural producers (farmers and ranchers), educators, researchers, and agriculture-sector professionals. The center conducts applied research, disseminates findings, and delivers educational programming aimed at climate adaptation, soil health improvement, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, sustainable grazing management, and water-supply forecasting.

The center's core technical product is StockSmart, a free online rangelands management tool co-developed with the University of Arizona and the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. StockSmart integrates remotely sensed forage production data across the Western US, enabling users to overlay their own operation and livestock information to calculate stocking rates. Supporting offerings include the Climate Analogs Academy (webinars and practical adaptation courses for farm and industry advisors), the AI Literacy Toolbox (an 11-video lecture series on AI in sustainable agriculture), the Dairy Roadmap (a climate-emissions strategy for Washington dairy producers), the Columbia Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast, the Case Studies in Farm and Ranch Resilience series, the Publications Library Archive spanning decades of research, and a searchable Product Database. These products are informational, educational, and advisory rather than commercial SaaS offerings. The center's research platform includes longitudinal field trials such as the Wilke Farm compost application study initiated in 2016, which has produced seven-year yield and soil-moisture data on dryland wheat systems.

CSANR is funded through a mix of public and private sources: competitive federal grants from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE); Washington State Climate Commitment Act funding channeled through the Washington State Conservation Commission; Biomass Research Funds from the WSU Agricultural Research Center; and private endowments including the Kaiser Conservation Endowment. The center also operates grant-disbursement programs itself, notably the BIOAg Grants program. All tools, publications, and educational resources are provided free of charge. Distribution relies on WSU Extension's statewide county-office network, the CSANR website, an email newsletter, social media channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky), webinars, and the WSU Publications Extension Store.

Name

WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources

Legal name

Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University

Website

https://csanr.wsu.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is a non-commercial university research and extension center that develops free tools, research, and educational programs on sustainable agriculture, soil health, climate adaptation, and natural resource management for producers, educators, researchers, and agricultural professionals in Washington State and the Western US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research & Extension Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFACABAL

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Crop Consulting & Agronomy Services (Soil Health, Nutrient Planning, Yield Consulting)

SECONDARYAFACACAA

Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Precision Agriculture Services (Remote Sensing, Variable Rate, Farm Data Services)

SECONDARYAFACACAE

Soil & Terrain Mapping Services (EC/EM Scanning, Topography, Zone Delineation)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Precision Agriculture Services (Remote Sensing, Variable Rate, Farm Data Services)

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture research
• Agricultural extension services
• Rangeland management tools
• Climate adaptation education
• Soil health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wenatchee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: CSANR operates as a Washington State University research center funded primarily through grants from federal agencies including USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), and Washington's Climate Commitment Act through the Washington State Conservation Commission.
2. Dairy Roadmap: Climate roadmap for Washington State dairy providing practical research-based strategies, funded through Washington's Climate Commitment Act and Washington State Conservation Commission, with additional support from Biomass Research Funds through WSU Agricultural Research Center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CSANR is a university research and extension center that conducts sustainable agriculture and natural resource research, develops free decision-support tools (such as StockSmart for rangeland management), and delivers educational programs, publications, and climate adaptation resources to producers, educators, researchers, and professionals in Washington State and the Western US. All resources, tools, publications, and educational programs are provided free of charge.

Product overview

WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) is an educational and research organization that offers a portfolio of tools, programs, and resources for agriculture and natural resources stakeholders. The core product is StockSmart, a free online rangelands management tool. Supporting offerings include the AI Literacy Toolbox (11-video lecture series on agriculture and AI), Climate Analogs Academy (climate adaptation training with webinars), Columbia Basin Forecast (water supply/demand analysis), Dairy Roadmap (climate strategies for dairy producers), Case Studies in Farm and Ranch Resilience (producer-focused video case studies), Publications Library Archive (decades of research publications), and a Product Database for searching resources. These offerings are largely informational, educational, and advisory in nature rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StockSmart: A free rangelands management tool that uses big data to help make smart grazing decisions, accessing remotely sensed forage production data across the Western US.
• Dairy Roadmap
• BIOAg Grants
• Kaiser Conservation Endowment
• Climate Analogs Academy

Products and services

• StockSmart A free online rangelands management tool that uses remotely sensed forage production data across the Western US, allowing users to overlay their own operation and livestock information to calculate stocking rates. Developed by WSU, the University of Arizona, and the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station.
• AI Literacy Toolbox An 11-video lecture series on agriculture and AI designed for agricultural professionals to understand and communicate about AI applications in sustainable agriculture.
• Climate Analogs Academy A climate adaptation program featuring webinars and courses for farm and industry advisors, including a Climate Analogs tool demo and practical adaptation courses for specialty crops.
• Columbia Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast The draft 2026 Columbia Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast providing analysis of potential risks to water supplies for Washington agriculture, open for public comment through end of July 2026.
• Dairy Roadmap A Climate Roadmap for Washington State Dairy providing practical, research-based strategies to help dairy producers reduce their climate footprint while maintaining efficient, profitable, and responsible operations.
• Case Studies in Farm and Ranch Resilience A case study series exploring resilience strategies used by regional farmers and ranchers, featuring livestock, dryland, and irrigated production case studies with complementary videos.
• Publications Library Archive An archive of CSANR publications from decades of research spanning sustainable agriculture and natural resources topics.
• Product Database A searchable database of CSANR's publications, videos, and other products for researchers, educators, producers, and professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stable wheat yields maintained over 7 years at highest compost application rate (20 tons/acre) without external fertilizers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSANR is a research center within WSU's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, receiving institutional support, infrastructure, and access to university resources and faculty.
• WSU ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSANR works closely with WSU Extension to disseminate research findings and deliver educational programs to agricultural stakeholders statewide.
• WSU Agricultural Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSANR receives Biomass Research Funds from the WSU Agricultural Research Center and collaborates on agricultural research initiatives.
• University of ArizonacoreTechnology or IntegrationCo-developed StockSmart rangelands management tool with University of Arizona, contributing expertise in range science and data analytics.
• USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research StationcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in developing StockSmart tool, contributing federal research expertise and data resources.
• Washington State Conservation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy Roadmap funded through Washington's Climate Commitment Act via Washington State Conservation Commission, providing resources for climate strategy development.
• NewtrientsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Dairy Roadmap, providing technical expertise and catalog of approved conservation practices for dairy environmental stewardship.
• Dairy Farmers of WashingtonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner collaborating on Dairy Roadmap to support Washington dairy producers in environmental stewardship.
• Northwest Dairy AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional dairy industry partner supporting climate roadmap development and implementation.
• Whatcom Conservation DistrictsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation partner collaborating on dairy environmental recommendations and implementation.
• Washington State Department of AgriculturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner contributing to Dairy Roadmap and agricultural sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oregon State University Extension Service: Land-grant university extension in the Pacific Northwest delivering research-based agriculture and natural resource programming to producers, educators, and researchers, directly comparable to CSANR's role within WSU.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program that funds and disseminates sustainable agriculture research and extension outputs - CSANR is itself a Western SARE recipient and operates in overlapping content and audience.
• University of Idaho Extension: Regional land-grant extension serving Idaho and the Pacific Northwest with research-driven programs in sustainable agriculture, soil health, and rangelands - a parallel to CSANR's mandate and audience.
• UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute: University-based institute advancing sustainable agriculture research, education, and stakeholder engagement at a major land-grant, comparable to CSANR's systems-level research and extension mission.
• Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station: Cornell's agricultural experiment station delivers applied research, extension programming, and tools for producers and educators, structurally analogous to CSANR's research-and-extension model.

Broad incumbents

• USDA Agricultural Research Service: Federal in-house agricultural research agency that funds and conducts the type of sustainability and climate adaptation research CSANR delivers, including the NIFA programs that fund CSANR.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Federal agency delivering conservation planning, soil health, and rangeland management assistance - the public-sector counterpart to CSANR's producer-facing sustainability and grazing work.

Emerging players

• Soil Health Institute: Non-profit focused on soil health research, measurement, and adoption, directly aligned with CSANR's soil organic matter, compost, and dryland wheat research programs.
• Solutions from the Land: Farmer-led non-profit promoting systems-based sustainable agriculture solutions, overlapping CSANR's climate adaptation, water supply, and producer resilience work.
• Field to Market: Multi-stakeholder alliance advancing sustainability metrics and continuous improvement in commodity agriculture, paralleling CSANR's Dairy Roadmap and farm/ranch resilience case study efforts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wsuCSANR
• Facebookfacebook.com/wsuCSANR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csanr
• Instagraminstagram.com/wsu_csanr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources