Bailey Schober
June 1, 2025

Driving Real Results: How Three Ag Retailers Are Leading the Way in Digital Adoption

After two packed days of learning, connection, and big-picture thinking at the 2025 Partner Summit, we closed with something refreshingly grounded: real talk from real ag retailers – AgVend partners – about what it takes to drive digital adoption and use of their AgVend-built platforms.

The session featured three leaders from Country Visions Cooperative (WI), Ag Partners (MN), and Ag Valley Co-op (NE), each bringing candid reflections on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where they’re heading next. Moderated by AgVend Partnership Managers Nick Miller and Laura Garvin, the discussion quickly turned from launch plans and onboarding for their digital enablement platforms to deeper themes like change management, internal culture, and the ROI that matters most.

Launching Their Platforms With Purpose (And People)

Each panelist approached their launch differently, but they all agreed on one thing: getting the right people in the right roles early on made the difference.

For Brian at Country Visions Cooperative, it was about more than a go-live date. It was about laying a foundation: starting with clean data, accurate customer contact info, and a dedicated internal lead to drive alignment across teams. The team took their time before launching, but when they did, they hit 60% customer activation in just six months.

Meanwhile, Taylor at Ag Partners took a “rip the band-aid off” approach. After a soft launch to 40 users, they rolled the platform out broadly and fielded more than a few calls from customers in other states wondering what “Ag Partners” was and why they were getting a text. The immediate impact? Nearly 700 users logged in within 24 hours.

At Ag Valley Co-op, Bryce emphasized the power of tying digital change to broader organizational transformation. Their rollout included change management sessions and a heavy focus on culture, framing the adoption of AgVend as a key piece of the cooperative’s evolution. Within two weeks, they had full buy-in from their previous customer app to AgVend.

Turning Goals Into Habits

As the conversation turned to goal-setting, it was clear that successful adoption isn’t just about setting targets; it’s about turning those goals into daily habits.

Country Visions set expectations for every agronomist: two to three logged sales calls per day, complete with notes. Those notes became more than documentation—they created visibility across teams, allowing feed, energy, and agronomy staff to collaborate, resolve issues faster, and deliver better service at the farm gate.

Ag Valley took a similar approach using AgVend’s business intelligence tools to track department-level goals. That visibility sparked a surprising side effect: competition. “There’s something about that little meter going up,” Bryce said. “Everyone wanted to hit their numbers.”

Ag Partners combined company-wide targets with seller-level goals, aiming to create pressure from both the top-down and bottom-up. Customers would ask agronomists about the platform, which in turn nudged the agronomists to engage more deeply with the tools.

Making the Platform a Daily Habit

Adoption stuck when the platform became the go-to place for work, not an extra step.

All three cooperatives quickly moved key workflows into the portal. For Ag Partners, the inbox feature replaced Dropbox, Lessonly, and even internal tools like Constant Contact. Sellers could access financing sheets, rebate info, and customer materials right from their phones.

Ag Valley took a similar path, routing market updates, harvest hours, and product information through the app. For Country Visions, it was about replacing silos through sharing price sheets and updates via shared folders instead of scattered systems.

The big win? These weren’t just one-time uploads – they were behavior shifts. When you need something, go to the portal.

Customers as Catalysts

While internal adoption was the first mountain to climb, the panelists were quick to point out that customer behavior often helped accelerate the climb.

At Ag Valley, customers started pushing the internal team forward. “They were asking questions. Wanting to do more. It motivated our sellers,” Bryce shared. For Ag Partners, a simple flyer showing a tank monitor screenshot drove over 1,000 new users – proof that clear, simple value resonates.

Country Visions set a firm deadline to shut down their old portal, and stuck to it. Within a month, they’d moved nearly 2,600 MyGrower users to Connect. Their advice: make the change, own it, and move forward.

The ROI Is Real (and Measurable)

When asked about early wins, the panelists didn’t hesitate.

Ag Valley saved $7,000 in interest in just six months by accelerating payments through the portal. They also attributed more than $500,000 in product sales to the marketing feature alone. “That was huge,” Bryce noted. Ag Partners eliminated costly software subscriptions and saw grain contracts signed faster and more frequently thanks to e-signatures and text-based prompts.

Country Visions saw accounts receivable drop and cash flow improve. And by shifting 5,000 customers to paperless billing, they expect to save thousands per month while giving their office team a break from stuffing envelopes.

The impact wasn’t just financial. “It’s about reducing touches,” Brian said. “Every step you remove gives your team more time to focus on what they’re good at.”

Lessons Learned

Of course, not everything went smoothly. From outdated customer data to uneven training across departments, the panelists faced their share of speed bumps.

But they also shared what they’d do differently:

Involve all departments early, not just sales and grain.
Be selective with initial launch lists to avoid unnecessary support calls.
Don’t underestimate the impact of small frustrations. Answer questions fast and provide hands-on support when needed.
Celebrate champions. Give them the mic.

Most importantly, continue the journey. As Bryce put it, “We’ll probably never cross the finish line, but we’re going to keep getting better.”

Whether you’re just beginning digital transformation in your organization or deep into the process, the stories shared in this session remind us: adoption isn’t just about software. It’s about empowering people, evolving processes, and staying focused on delivering real value: to your teams, your growers, and your business.

Thanks to Brian, Taylor, and Bryce for sharing their stories, and for leading the way.

To hear their full conversation and more insights, watch the full recording.

Ready to explore AgVend’s digital tools and see how we can elevate your business? Let’s talk.