Where Farmers Lead, Risk Innovation Follows: Lessons from an Intercontinental Field Exchange

Ceres AI connects leading row crop farmers from North America and South America at an Illinois farm to discuss different farm management practices, tech adoption, and the future of agriculture

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a year defined by uncertainty in agriculture, one thing remains clear: the best ideas often start in the field. This fall, Ceres AI brought together two of its long-standing partners, Jeff Brown of Brown Farms in Illinois and Carl Deane's team from Bolivia's Servisur, for a hands-on farm exchange focused on machinery, management, data, margins, and the future of risk in agriculture.

The visit took place at Brown Farms in Illinois, where Jeff Brown manages a multi-county row crop operation with his partners near Blue Mound. Jeff's longtime farm partner, Vince Reincke, owner of Agriculture Partners LLC, also joined the tour, contributing actively to conversations on operations, agronomy, and cross-regional farming practices. While Aaron Gingerich of Gingerich Farms, another key farming partner in the row crop operation, was unable to attend, his long-standing collaboration with Ceres has also shaped the data-driven approach taken at Brown Farm. Carl Deane, Servisur CEO, was joined by his head of operations and head of agronomy to share farm management practices across hemispheres and understand how technology can drive more resilient and profitable outcomes.

The visit unfolded naturally from Jeff's shop to his grain storage facility and machinery sheds, ending with open conversations over Lunch.

"We didn't hold anything back," said Jeff Brown, a long-time Ceres partner and conservation-focused grower. "We talked about what's working, what's not, and where tech can give us an edge. But more than anything, we just listened to each other. Turns out, farming at scale in Bolivia isn't all that different from farming in Illinois when you're both trying to make it work in tough economic conditions."

"This visit gave us confidence that Ceres is really trying to understand growers and the issues they care about," said Carl Deane, CEO of Servisur. "It's one thing to talk about data. It's another to walk fields together, ask questions, and talk margins. That's what we're here for."

Discussions ranged from soil health and crop insurance to capital access, agronomy, and quantifying the impact of management decisions. Despite differences in climate and scale, both teams found common ground in the data, how it's captured, how it's shared, and how it shapes risk.

"This visit reminded us why trust matters," said Kirk Stueve, Ceres AI chief agronomy officer. "Carl's team flew halfway across the world to attend the Farm Progress Show and tour one of the best row crop operations in the U.S. "That kind of visit only happens when there's mutual curiosity, a foundation of trust, and a shared interest in learning from one another."

The Illinois visit marks the latest milestone in a multi-year collaboration between Ceres, Servisur, and growers across the Americas. There is early momentum to host a reciprocal tour in Bolivia in 2026, further strengthening the global network of farmers working with Ceres to drive smarter, more sustainable agriculture.

This moment also builds on broader conversations with strategic partners like Munich Re, as stakeholders across the ag value chain look for scalable models to improve underwriting accuracy, reduce exposure, and increase transparency for both growers and insurers.

Key Takeaways:

• U.S. and South American growers shared operational strategies and risk insights
  
  
• Ceres AI reinforced its role as a trusted connector across geographies
  
  
• Technology was discussed not as a sales tool, but as a profit and resilience lever
  
  
• There is a strong interest in replicating the exchange in Bolivia in 2026
  
  

About us
Ceres AI is an agricultural intelligence company that helps growers, land managers, and financial services build more profitable and sustainable operations. Powered by 17 billion plant-level measurements across 32 million acres, Ceres delivers actionable insights that reduce risk, improve efficiency, and protect yield. Learn more at ceres.ai.

Media Contact:
Anubhav Sharma
[email protected]

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SOURCE Ceres AI