Farmers Business Network
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agriculture, E-commerce, Financial technology |
| Headquarters | San Carlos, California , United States |
Area served | North America (United States and Canada) |
Key people | Diego Casanello (CEO, 2024–present) |
| Products | FBN Direct marketplace, FBN Finance, F2F Genetics Network, AcreVision, SeedFinder, Crop marketing tools, Community platform |
Farmers Business Network (FBN) is a farmer-to-farmer platform based in North America, combining e-commerce and financial technology, with its headquarters located in San Carlos, California. Diego Casanello assumed the role of CEO in 2024. By July 2025, FBN's membership comprised more than 117,000 farms spanning close to 187 million acres.
FBN introduced FBN Direct in 2016, an online system for purchasing agricultural inputs that consolidates data on seed pricing and performance to aid in agronomic resource decisions. The company broadened its portfolio in August 2018 by launching the F2F Genetics Network, which offers non-GMO varieties of corn and soybean seeds. Several members have noted notable savings when acquiring seeds through FBN. Furthermore, FBN distributes third-party seed brands such as Seitec Genetics within specific U.S. regions via the FBN Direct platform.
Products and services
FBN's operations center around two primary divisions: the FBN Direct® marketplace for farm input procurement and FBN Finance, which delivers agricultural lending solutions across the United States and Canada. The FBN Direct platform debuted in 2016.
- FBN Finance
- Operating lines of credit designed to support farm working capital needs.
- Input financing options facilitating the purchase of seeds, crop protection products, and other inputs through FBN Direct.
- Farm land loans available for acquisition, refinancing, or capital improvements; includes a Regenerative Agriculture Financing (RAF) initiative that provides interest rate reductions contingent on sustainable soil and water management practices.
- FBN Direct (Direct-to-Farm E-commerce Marketplace)
- Crop protection: comprehensive selection of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and adjuvants.
- Fertilizer & nutrition: bulk fertilizers alongside FBN-branded biologicals and nutritional products under the Farmers First brand, including biostimulants and soil probiotics.
- Seed: distribution of third-party seed brands like Seitec Genetics in designated U.S. states.
- Livestock supplies and animal-health products: enables online orders for prescription medications supported by an internal pharmacy team.
- Livestock feed and nutrition: offerings spanning beef, dairy, swine, poultry, and small ruminant nutrition.
- Farm & ranch supplies: includes fencing materials, tools, tanks, hardware items, and various equipment.
- Digital services
- AcreVision: a farmland assessment tool delivering parcel-specific land valuations and comparable sales data (introduced July 2023).
- SeedFinder: an online platform that compares seed genetics, pricing, and performance across different regions.
- Crop marketing: provides farmers with market insights and sales support tools.
- Community: a digital forum where farmers can exchange knowledge, pose questions, and collaborate.
Anti-Competitive Interference by Incumbents
In February 2020, Canadian federal authorities issued subpoenas to leading agricultural companies amid an antitrust investigation into alleged collusion aimed at obstructing Farmers Business Network, Inc. (FBN), an online farm-supply startup. The Canadian Competition Bureau examined Bayer, BASF, and Corteva for engaging in anti-competitive conduct targeting FBN’s operations within Canada. The inquiry revealed communications among certain entities intended to sway manufacturers or wholesalers against collaborating with FBN.
Expansion and Growth of the Company
In 2022, Farmers Business Network (FBN) collaborated with the Environmental Defense Fund to introduce financial incentives aimed at farmers who implement regenerative agricultural methods. The following year, FBN unveiled an AI-driven agronomy advisor designed to assist growers with pest management, seed choices, and livestock disease prevention. Additionally, in 2023, FBN inaugurated a 198,000-square-foot distribution center located in Saskatoon. By March 2024, the company had extended over $1 billion in operating credit lines to farm operators.
August 2024 saw FBN join forces with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to create Gradable, a joint venture equally owned by both entities, focused on expanding their sustainability and grain procurement platform. Gradable boasted a user base exceeding 20,000 farmers managing upwards of 12 million acres, evaluated more than 200 million bushels, and administered $30 million annually in incentives promoting sustainable farming practices.
In January 2025, FBN launched a pilot initiative called the Regenerative Agriculture Financing (RAF) Land Loan program, supported by the Walton Family Foundation. This program provides interest rate reductions to producers adopting soil and water conservation practices that meet standards set by the Environmental Defense Fund and Gradable.
By mid-2025, FBN broadened its livestock product offerings to include Ridley Feeds, fencing materials, and equine supplies, serving over 13,000 livestock producers across the United States. In July of that year, FBN announced an infusion of $50 million in new capital aimed at advancing its AI-enabled platform. The company also opened its marketplace to third-party vendors and reported a membership network encompassing more than 117,000 farms covering roughly 187 million acres. Its financing platform had disbursed nearly $3 billion in grower credit lines, while its proprietary large language model "Norm" expanded its capabilities from agronomy advice to include crop marketing inquiries.
AI-Powered Agronomic Advisor (Norm)
In April 2023, FBN introduced "Norm," an agronomic advisory tool powered by artificial intelligence and built upon OpenAI's ChatGPT framework. Norm provides insights on topics such as crop protection strategies, input recommendations, livestock health management, and general agronomy by leveraging both publicly available data and FBN’s exclusive datasets. At launch, industry publication Future Farming recognized Norm as a pioneering AI agronomic advisor. Kit Barron, FBN’s Vice President of Technology, highlighted that the platform aims to assist farmers in optimizing return on investment across various operational areas.
Awards and Recognition
In 2022, Farmers Business Network was honored by Fast Company as one of the “10 Most Innovative Companies in Data Science.”