AgLaunch tells House committee Tennessee farmers can co-own ag-tech companies

NASHVILLE — Pete Nelson, founder of AgLaunch, told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that his nonprofit helps Tennessee farmers participate in and own parts of early-stage agricultural technology companies.

"Tennessee farmers own equity in all the companies where they're taking any of the energy and time that they spend," Nelson said, describing a model he called a "rural flywheel" that aims to convert farmer expertise into economic returns for local communities. He told members the program has worked with about 38 companies and cited examples including Spornado (fungal-spore monitoring), a grain-bin leveling robot, and a small autonomous tractor.

Nelson said AgLaunch began as a farm-based effort and has been supported by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and Launch Tennessee. He said the organization seeks state and federal funding while intentionally avoiding partnerships that could disadvantage farmers, and that farmers often help perfect technologies through on-farm trials.

Committee members expressed interest and asked about outside affiliations. Representative Fritz asked whether AgLaunch had ties to global organizations such as the World Economic Forum or UNESCO; Nelson said the group does not have direct affiliations but receives "deal flow" from many organizations and is intentional about selecting partners that align with farmer outcomes. Several members invited demonstrations and visits to AgLaunch sites.

The presentation concluded with a request for committee members to refer interested farmers and a welcome to Economic and Community Development staff present at the meeting.

Next steps: No committee action recorded; Nelson said he is available for follow-up demonstrations and district visits.