Conservation Technology Information Center

What Conservation Technology Information Center does

The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 and headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana. It operates as a coalition-led accelerator for conservation agriculture, convening farmers, agribusinesses, conservation NGOs, and government agencies around the adoption of cover crops, reduced tillage, and related practices. CTIC's core technical asset is OpTIS (Operational Tillage Information System), a satellite-derived mapping and analytics product for tillage intensity and cover crop presence developed in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Regrow Ag. Adjacent offerings include Connector.ag, the National Cover Crop Survey, the Conservation in Action Tour, and large multi-stakeholder programs such as Farmers for Soil Health, Diverse Corn Belt, and Success From the Ground Up.

CTIC monetizes its mission through a non-profit revenue mix that includes coalition membership dues, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and federal funding (notably a $10 million USDA NIFA grant for the Diverse Corn Belt project). Sponsoring organizations include BASF, Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, Mosaic, Cargill, Regrow, and The Nature Conservancy. Programs typically pay growers per-acre incentives (e.g., $35 per acre under Farmers for Soil Health) and bundle technical assistance, peer learning, and outcome measurement. CTIC runs on a small staff of roughly 10-12 people and is governed by a multi-stakeholder board reflecting the breadth of its coalition.

The organization is in an active growth posture: it is launching Viridis View, a conservation benchmarking collaborative, in 2026; expanding Cargill-linked programs into Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio; and targeting 30 million acres of cover crops by 2030. Its strategic value to the broader ag ecosystem is its role as a neutral convener and data steward bridging input suppliers, food and ag companies, policymakers, and growers.

Name

Conservation Technology Information Center

Legal name

Conservation Technology Information Center

Website

https://ctic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CTIC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition, founded in 1982 and based in Lafayette, Indiana, that accelerates conservation agriculture adoption among U.S. growers by convening agribusiness, NGOs, and government to deliver data, programs, and incentives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Tillage & Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF, Compaction Reduction) (AFAGAMAJ), Remote Sensing & Crop Scouting Services (Satellite, Drone Imagery, In‑Field Sensing) (AFACACAA), Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) (AFACACAK), Farm Data Management & Decision Support Services (FMIS Setup, Data Integration, Analytics) (AFACACAC)

Keywords

• Conservation agriculture
• Soil health programs
• Cover crop incentives
• Remote sensing data
• Nonprofit coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CTIC is a member organization with dues from farmers, advisers, researchers, agribusiness leaders, retailers, conservation implementers, farm media, commodity groups, food companies, and public entities including U.S. EPA and USDA NRCS.
2. Donations: CTIC accepts charitable donations as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations support farmer-led networks and transition to sustainable production methods.
3. Project Grants and Program Support: CTIC receives grant funding from partners including USDA NIFA, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, General Mills, and others for specific conservation projects like Diverse Corn Belt and Farmers for Soil Health.
4. Event Sponsorships: The Conservation in Action Tour is sponsored by organizations including BASF, Bayer, Corteva, Cotton Incorporated, Ducks Unlimited, Farm Credit, Mosaic, Syngenta, and USDA NRCS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CTIC is a nonprofit coalition that delivers conservation agriculture programs, satellite-driven soil health data, and on-the-ground farmer support. Its core offerings include the OpTIS remote sensing data platform for tracking tillage, cover crops, and soil carbon; Connector.ag, a searchable database of conservation incentive programs; the National Cover Crop Survey; and the annual Conservation in Action Tour. Supporting programs include Farmers for Soil Health (cover crop incentives with soil health specialists and Cover Crop Coaches), Viridis View (multi-source benchmarking), Diverse Corn Belt research, and Success from the Ground Up peer mentorship.

Product overview

CTIC operates as a coalition-led accelerator offering a suite of interconnected data platforms, farmer support programs, and field-based initiatives. The core offerings include OpTIS (satellite-driven tillage and cover crop tracking), Connector.ag (conservation incentive program database), the National Cover Crop Survey (industry-standard trend research), and the Conservation in Action Tour (annual on-farm education event). Supporting programs include the Viridis View Conservation Benchmarking Collaborative (multi-source remote sensing data), Farmers for Soil Health (cover crop incentive and coaching), Diverse Corn Belt (diversification research), and Success from the Ground Up (peer network expansion). Together, these products provide end-to-end support for conservation agriculture adoption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OpTIS: Operational Tillage Information System - automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data.
• National Cover Crop Survey
• Connector.ag
• Conservation in Action Tour
• Farmers for Soil Health

Products and services

• OpTIS (Operational Tillage Information System) Satellite imagery-based system that automates mapping of tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices across CONUS croplands, grasslands, and livestock systems, with DNDC modeling for soil carbon and GHG outcomes. Data covers 2015-2021 and is used by researchers, agencies, and agribusiness for conservation benchmarking.
• Connector.ag

Quantifiable outcome

• Yield increases of 5% in soybeans, 2% in corn, and 2.6% in spring wheat after cover crops (2019-2020 survey)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Carolina State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host and co-organizer of Viridis View workshop. Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton serves as co-organizer. NC State also featured in Conservation in Action Tour pre-tour industry tours.
• USGSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Dean Hively from USGS provided context on importance of remote sensing for conservation tracking at Viridis View workshop.
• Field to MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-located 2026 Annual Meeting with Conservation in Action Tour. Focus on Cross-Sector Dialogue and State of the Sector Forum. Field to Market Fieldprint Platform drives sustainability outcomes.
• RegrowcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2010CTIC has partnered since 2010 with Regrow and The Nature Conservancy on the development, testing and application of OpTIS, an automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data.
• The Nature ConservancycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2010OpTIS partner since 2010 for development of automated satellite mapping system for conservation practices. Also provides grassland data and DNDC modeling for soil carbon and GHG outcomes.
• National Corn Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Farmers for Soil Health initiative backed by National Corn Growers Association, United Soybean Board, and National Pork Board. CTIC delivers enrollment support and technical assistance to farmers in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
• United Soybean BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Farmers for Soil Health initiative. USB's bold vision includes expanding cover crops to 30 million acres by 2030.
• National Pork BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Farmers for Soil Health initiative.
• CargillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTIC partners with Cargill's Success From the Ground Up program to increase farmer-led outreach on soil health in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. Provides financial support to soil health organizations helping row crop farmers rebuild soil health.
• USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTIC partners with USDA SARE on the National Cover Crop Survey, the leading resource for practice trends and analysis on cover crop adoption since 2012. Eight surveys conducted with over 1,900 farmers per recent surveys.
• American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTIC partners with ASTA on the National Cover Crop Survey for benchmarking farmer and adviser attitudes on cover crops.
• Purdue UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dr. Linda S. Prokopy, the Diverse Corn Belt project is a five-year, $10 million project funded by USDA NIFA through an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant. CTIC helps with communications for the project exploring alternative crops, longer rotations, and livestock integration.
• National Association of Conservation DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Farmers for Soil Health and Ex-Officio Board Member representation (Jeremy Peters). Supports farmer outreach and technical assistance delivery.
• Soil Health InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Farmers for Soil Health. The Soil Health Institute demonstrates how to use visual indicators to measure soil health at Conservation in Action Tour events.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by USDA NRCS at federal level. Soil and water conservation districts work with CTIC on farmer outreach and technical assistance. NRCS State Conservationists participate in tour events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soil Health Institute: National nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding and enhancing soil health, conducting research and providing farmer-facing soil health assessment and education — directly overlapping with CTIC's soil health specialist, Cover Crop Coach, and survey programs. CTIC and SHI explicitly partner on Farmers for Soil Health.
• Field to Market: Multi-stakeholder alliance focused on defining, measuring, and advancing the sustainability of U.S. commodity crop production through the Fieldprint Platform — closely comparable to CTIC's mission of measuring national soil-health practice trends and convening the same ag value chain. CTIC co-located its 2026 Annual Meeting with Field to Market.
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): USDA-funded program that has co-sponsored CTIC's National Cover Crop Survey since 2012 and funds on-farm conservation research; comparable in mission (advancing sustainable farming systems through research and education) and shares CTIC's primary external research brand.
• National Association of Conservation Districts: National nonprofit representing the 3,000+ U.S. soil and water conservation districts that deliver conservation technical assistance to farmers — the exact channel through which CTIC reaches farmers for Farmers for Soil Health and Connector.ag. Ex-officio board representation is shared between the two organizations.
• Regrow: Agricultural MRV platform that co-developed OpTIS with CTIC and The Nature Conservancy since 2010 and sells DNDC-based sustainability and carbon outcomes to food and agribusiness customers — directly comparable technology/methodology and overlapping customers with CTIC's data platform.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land — overlapping CTIC's conservation agriculture mission, member-base, and coalition-led funding model.
• Soil and Water Conservation Society: International scientific and educational organization for conservation professionals working on soil, water, and related natural resource management — comparable professional society function and overlapping membership with CTIC's "farm advisers and consultants" segment.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Ag: Ag-tech company with substantial sustainability/carbon program offerings (Indigo Carbon, SourceTrace) that compete for the same corporate Scope 3 and agricultural carbon customers that CTIC serves via OpTIS and Connector.ag — broader portfolio with venture-scale resources.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental NGOs with a major sustainable agriculture program; co-developed OpTIS with CTIC and Regrow and supplies grassland datasets and DNDC modeling inputs. A larger, broader organization with overlapping MRV and regenerative-agriculture objectives but a much wider portfolio beyond row-crop conservation.

Emerging players

• CIBO Technologies: Ag-focused modeling and MRV platform offering field-scale sustainability insights and carbon outcomes for enterprises — comparable remote-sensing + modeling approach to OpTIS, targeting similar agribusiness and food-company buyers, but venture-funded and commercially positioned.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservation-technology-information-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conservation Technology Information Center