Bushel, an independently owned technology company based in Fargo, North Dakota, has become one of the most influential digital infrastructure providers in the agricultural sector. Founded in 2011, the company entered the ag-tech arena with a mission that remains consistent today: to connect siloed parts of the agriculture industry through secure, intuitive, and purpose-built digital tools.
Rather than attempting to replace traditional workflows or disrupt long-standing business relationships, Bushel focuses on strengthening them. Its approach is rooted in a simple premise: agriculture is at its best when farmers, grain buyers, ag retailers, lenders, and supply-chain partners can share information efficiently, transparently, and on their own terms.
At the heart of the company’s mission is the recognition that agriculture’s “messy middle” — the operational space between farm production and final markets — has historically been underserved by modern software. Much of this middle layer is still dominated by paper receipts, manual data entry, siloed accounting systems, and slow, check-based payment processes. Bushel set out to solve these problems in a way that respects agriculture’s complexity while reducing the friction that slows down daily workflows. By combining user-friendly design with industry-specific tools, the company created a digital platform capable of reducing administrative tasks, increasing data reliability, and bringing stakeholders together in ways that were previously impossible.
As Bushel grew, so did its influence across North American agriculture. By 2023, the platform was being used by more than 100,000 farmers and over 2,600 grain and agricultural retail facilities, representing a meaningful portion of U.S. and Canadian grain origination. Investors took notice. In 2021, the company closed a $47 million Series C round, and in 2023 it secured an additional $26 million from a group of strategic partners that included well-known agribusiness companies such as Cargill, The Andersons, and Scoular. These investments signaled strong confidence in Bushel’s long-term vision to modernize the agricultural supply chain without disrupting the industry’s intrinsic relationships and operational rhythms.
Bushel’s software ecosystem is designed to support the full arc of agribusiness engagement, from farmer relations to payments and settlement. Its customer portals provide farmers with continuous access to scale tickets, contracts, settlements, and grain sales information. This immediate visibility reduces the need for phone calls and office visits while giving farmers confidence that their data is accurate and accessible. Agribusiness employees, for their part, gain time and efficiency by leaning on digital tools instead of manual, paper-based tasks.
One of the company’s most significant innovations has been Bushel Pay, a digital payment network built specifically for agriculture. Grain payments have historically been made by paper check, a slow and risk-prone process that can delay cash flow for farmers and increase administrative work for grain buyers. Bushel Pay accelerates this workflow by allowing secure, digital transfers that integrate with agribusiness accounting systems. It also offers tools for invoicing, line-of-credit management, and reconciliation, giving all parties a faster and more reliable way to manage the financial side of grain origination.
Bushel’s impact expanded even further after its 2021 acquisition of FarmLogs, a leading farm-management software solution. The acquisition enabled Bushel to launch Bushel Farm, a next-generation farm-management system that integrates grain-sales information directly into farmers’ profitability models. This move positioned Bushel as a company capable of connecting both sides of the grain supply chain — the farm gate and the grain buyer — in a more seamless and transparent digital flow. Farmers can now analyze profitability by crop, field, or operation while automatically pulling sales data from their grain-marketing relationships, creating a more complete understanding of farm-level financial performance.
Despite its tech-centric mission, Bushel has remained deeply grounded in agriculture’s human relationships. The company regularly highlights farmer and agribusiness feedback, emphasizing that its tools are built through real-world conversations rather than abstract software theory. Customers frequently note how intuitive the tools are and how much administrative time they save. Grain buyers appreciate digital contract signatures and real-time ticket visibility, while farmers value the convenience of seeing all of their marketing information in one place, without needing to call the office or sort through paper records.
As Bushel looks ahead, it faces both opportunities and challenges. Agriculture is a notoriously complex industry with fragmented systems, varying regional practices, and data-privacy sensitivities that must be handled with care. Digital adoption in many rural regions is still emerging, and integrating with the diverse range of accounting systems, ERPs, and farm-data platforms is an ongoing effort.
Yet Bushel’s steady expansion and strong partner relationships suggest that it is well-positioned to continue building the digital infrastructure the industry lacks. Its role in payments, farm management, traceability, and supply-chain connectivity gives it a unique vantage point in shaping agriculture’s digital future.
Ultimately, Bushel is succeeding not because it is trying to reinvent agriculture, but because it is committed to supporting it. By aligning modern technology with the practical needs of farmers and agribusinesses, the company has become a trusted partner in the digital transformation of one of the world’s oldest and most essential industries.
Jake Joraanstad: Tech Innovator and CEO Transforming Digital Agriculture
Jake Joraanstad is the co-founder and CEO of Bushel, an independently owned software company based in Fargo, North Dakota. Since its launch in 2017, Bushel has provided more than 1,000 grain facilities across the United States and Canada with real-time digital tools that keep producers connected to the information they need. In 2019, Bushel’s parent company, Myriad Mobile, folded its custom software development services into the Bushel brand through the creation of the Solutions by Bushel division. Today, the company remains committed to delivering innovative software products and technology solutions for the agriculture industry.
Beyond his role at Bushel, Jake plays an active part in the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He co-founded Emerging Prairie and frequently supports local startup initiatives such as Startup Weekend Fargo and 1 Million Cups Fargo. Named to Prairie Business Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list in 2013, Jake is deeply passionate about helping others grow their businesses — and is endlessly fascinated by technology that makes everyday life easier.
“With our software solutions, farmers and agribusinesses can discover new ways to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and drive profitability.”
