agcentric

What agcentric does

AgCentric is a Minnesota State Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence operating as a publicly funded educational organization within the Minnesota State college and university system. Founded in 2014 (formally formed circa 2015) and headquartered at Central Lakes College in Staples, MN, the organization bridges agriculture and education by coordinating Farm Business Management (FBM) programs, career pathway development, and professional development for agricultural educators. Its core product is the credit-based FBM program, delivered through 66 instructors across 7 community colleges, providing financial recordkeeping, benchmarking, cash flow planning, estate planning, tax planning, and interpretation of financial results to farm owners and operators, beginning/emerging farmers, and post-secondary students. AgCentric maintains a State FBM database with historical farm financial data collected since 1955, and uses FINPACK and RankEm Central software from the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota for generating farm business management reports.

The organization's business model is primarily grant- and tuition-funded rather than commercial. FBM program tuition is $2,100 annually for 10 credits, spreadable over three semesters, supplemented by multiple scholarships. Revenue streams include tuition-based FBM education, workforce development scholarships, and grant funding from sources including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Federal Community Program funds (notably $2.0 million in 2025 for meat cutting and butchery programs at Central Lakes College and Ridgewater College). Beyond FBM, AgCentric delivers a portfolio of programs: the CASE Agricultural Robotics and Automation Technologies (ARAT) curriculum (NSF-funded), the Technology Trailer (mobile ag tech demos), Post-Secondary Summit annual convening, Professional Excellence Program (PEP) and Post-Secondary Instructor Mentorship (PIM) for educators, On Farm Communications Training for NRCS/SWCD staff, soybean crush facility training at Ag Innovation Campus, and the RCPP Precision Irrigation project.

AgCentric operates through a community-led go-to-market model, connecting K-12 schools, community colleges, government agencies, and agricultural industry stakeholders. Its core partnerships include Central Lakes College (headquarters host), CFFM at the University of Minnesota (software provider), USDA NRCS, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, BWSR, NSF, EDF, General Mills, the Ag Innovation Campus, and the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3). The organization is governed by an Operations Council of 12 representatives from partner colleges and is led by Executive Director Keith Olander (25+ years in ag education) and Assistant Director Judy Barka.

Name

agcentric

Legal name

AgCentric

Website

https://agcentric.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AgCentric is the Minnesota State Northern Agricultural Center of Excellence, coordinating Farm Business Management education, career pathway development, and professional development for agricultural educators through 66 instructors across 7 Minnesota community colleges. It serves farm owners/operators, beginning farmers, post-secondary students, and K-12 students with tuition-based FBM programs, federal grants, and NSF-funded curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Workforce Training

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural business education
• Farm management training
• Agricultural career pathways
• Educator professional development
• Agricultural workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Staples

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Farm Business Management Education: Tuition-based educational program for farm owners and operators. Students enroll in community college credits (10 credits per year) to receive farm business management education and support.
2. Workforce Development Scholarships: State and federal funding distributed to students pursuing agricultural education and training programs through partner institutions.
3. Grant Funding: AgCentric receives grant funding from sources including National Science Foundation (NSF) for curriculum development and federal programs for meat cutting/butchery training ($2.0 million awarded).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AgCentric operates as a Minnesota State program that connects agriculture and education through Farm Business Management programs, agricultural career-pathway resources, educator development, and specialized workforce training. Programs are delivered through community colleges, instructors, industry partners, and government agencies across Minnesota.

Product overview

AgCentric is a Minnesota State Agricultural Center of Excellence that operates as a multi-product educational services organization rather than a single software product. The core offerings center on Farm Business Management (FBM) programs providing credit-based agricultural business education, supplemented by career pathway resources covering eight AFNR career areas. Additional products include professional development programs (PEP mentorship, PIM instructor mentorship), technology education (Technology Trailer, ARAT robotics curriculum), workforce training (meat cutting programs, soybean facility training, precision irrigation), and annual convening (Post-Secondary Summit). These offerings connect education and industry to support lifelong learning, career success, and community leadership in agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm Business Management (FBM) Programs Tuition-based, credit-based educational programs for farm owners and operators, with 10 credits per year delivered through community colleges and supported by 66 Farm Business Management instructors. The program covers financial record analysis, benchmarking, cash-flow planning, estate and tax planning, and interpretation of financial results.
• CASE Agricultural Robotics and Automation Technologies (ARAT) Curriculum A yearlong secondary education curriculum of hands-on activities aligned with agricultural technician standards, developed in partnership with CASE and funded by the National Science Foundation. It includes animal, plant, and food application modules.
• Professional Excellence Program (PEP) A mentorship program for agricultural educators, led by Denise Reeser and co-led by Beth Berlin, supporting professional growth, peer connection, and curriculum leadership.
• Post-Secondary Instructor Mentorship (PIM)
• Federal Meat Cutting & Butchery Program A grant-supported workforce program using $2.0 million in Federal Community Program funds to support Central Lakes and Ridgewater Colleges in launching meat cutting and butchery programs.
• On Farm Communications Training A hands-on farm immersion and communications training program at the Central Lakes College Ag & Energy Center in Staples for NRCS and SWCD personnel.
• Soybean Crush Facility Training Program A $43,037 grant-funded collaborative employee training program with Ag Innovation Campus and Minnesota Farmer's Union for the soybean crush facility in Crookston.
• RCPP Precision Irrigation A Regional Conservation Partnership Program focused on precision irrigation technology and training for Minnesota farmers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Estimated gain per year: Beginner $10,903, Organic $20,727, Specialty Crop $18,638, All Others $20,552
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Case 4 LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborative partnership aimed at advancing agricultural education through innovative curriculum development. The partnership led to the Agricultural Robotics and Automation Technologies (ARAT) project, funded by NSF, to develop secondary education curriculum for automation and robotics in agriculture.
• Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFFM at the University of Minnesota creates innovative software, web applications, and educational programs. They provide FINPACK and RankEm Central software used for AgCentric's farm business management reporting and analysis.
• Central Lakes CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgCentric and the Central Lakes College Ag & Energy Center foster a unique and symbiotic relationship. CLC hosts the AgCentric headquarters and provides facilities for the Ag & Energy Center in Staples.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cover Crop Financial Benchmarking Cohort, working on environmental sustainability initiatives in Minnesota agriculture.
• General MillsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cover Crop Financial Benchmarking Cohort, supporting sustainability initiatives in agricultural supply chains.
• USDA NRCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service partners on On Farm Communications Training and conservation career pathway development.
• Minnesota Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting emerging farmers, beginning farmer resources, and agricultural education initiatives.
• Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in conservation practices, cover crop initiatives, and water quality programs including RCPP Precision Irrigation project.
• Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration of ten Midwest community colleges across nine states working on agriculture advancement. AgCentric is an active member.
• Minnesota Farmer's UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in soybean project and collaborative agricultural programs supporting Minnesota farmers.
• Ag Innovation Campus (AIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in soybean crush facility employee training program at AIC in Crookston, receiving $43,037 grant for training development.
• Minnesota State Southern Center of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellow Minnesota State Center of Excellence partnership supporting MAAE Ag Technology Conference and broader agricultural education initiatives.
• Headwaters Agriculture Sustainability PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership solutions benefit the environment, economic viability of farmers, and vitality of rural communities. Includes partners like Centra Sota Cooperative, Houston Engineering, Midwest Dairy, Syngenta, and The Nature Conservancy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agcentric
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP8hiucbYKu3hkWEB-bLDHA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/AgCentric
• Instagraminstagram.com/agcentric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 agcentric