The Center for Data Innovation recently spoke with Kyle Folk, CEO of Ground Truth Ag, a Canadian company developing AI-powered grain grading technology. Kyle described how the company’s tools are helping farmers and grain handlers make faster, more informed decisions through objective, real-time assessments of grain quality.
David Kertai: What challenge is Ground Truth Ag tackling?
Kyle Folk: We’re tackling the problem of manual and inconsistent grain grading, which is the process of evaluating harvested grain for factors such as size, weight, and impurities, qualities that determine its market value and safe storage potential. Today, grading is often subjective, slow, and prone to disputes between farmers, buyers, and processors. These inconsistencies not only affect pricing and contracts but also create bottlenecks across the agricultural supply chain. Our automated, real-time grain grading system removes human subjectivity from the process, standardizing results. This improves operational efficiency, builds trust between all parties, and ensures that every decision, from storage to sale, is based on accurate, transparent information.
Kertai: How does your grain grading technology work?
Folk: Our technology combines machine vision with near-infrared spectroscopy to analyze grain samples instantly. Machine vision detects visible traits like kernel damage, color, and foreign materials, while spectroscopy measures internal traits such as protein, oil, and moisture. Our AI system then processes these inputs in real-time to deliver a precise grade, without waiting for lab results or relying on human judgment. This dual-layer analysis ensures a holistic picture of grain quality. Whether used in the field during harvest, at bin sites for storage, or at delivery points, the system integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, providing clarity where it is most needed.
Kertai: How central is AI and automation to your platform?
Folk: AI and automation are fundamental to making our system possible. The AI system interprets both visual and non-visual traits with a level of speed and consistency that humans or traditional labs simply can’t match, while automation streamlines the physical grading workflow, capturing samples, analyzing them in real-time, and recording results without the need for manual handling or paperwork. This ensures the process is easy to use anywhere, from a truck scale to a processing facility. But it’s important to emphasize that AI is a means, not the end.
Our goal isn’t to use AI for the sake of it, but to solve real-world challenges: reducing uncertainty, streamlining operations, and giving every player in the supply chain confidence in the product they’re dealing with. As agriculture becomes increasingly data-driven, we see automation and AI as critical tools for making decisions faster, fairer, and more transparent.
Kertai: How do farmers use the system’s findings?
Folk: Farmers use our results to make immediate, data-driven decisions about how to handle their grain. With real-time insight into quality factors like protein or moisture, they can decide whether to store, blend, or sell a load on the spot. This helps optimize storage strategies, reduce spoilage risk, and ensure they capture the best possible value in the marketplace.
Beyond farmers, grain handlers and processors benefit by knowing exactly what product they are receiving, which reduces disputes and speeds up transactions. The system essentially turns the process into one where every stakeholder has access to clear, objective data.
Kertai: What impact have you seen so far from the system?
Folk: Even in the early stages of deployment, we’re seeing measurable impact. Farmers and handlers are saving money by avoiding unnecessary lab tests and reducing delays at delivery points. They’re also cutting down on costly disputes and being able to separate or blend grain more strategically is significantly reducing waste. Over time, these operational improvements translate into significant cost savings, stronger bargaining positions, and ultimately a more resilient supply chain.
