Relationships Still Drive Results

If there’s one thing Cultivate’25 reaffirmed, it’s that this industry still runs on trust. Across handshakes, side conversations, and even serendipitous run-ins, the throughline was clear: relationships are the currency of the grow industry. In an industry that remains close-knit and relationally driven, progress doesn’t happen in isolation, it’s fueled by high trust and shared history.

Strategic Conversations Are on the Rise

Charlie Hall’s State of the Industry Address rang especially true this year. With persistent economic uncertainty in the air, strategic conversations took center stage. Growers are increasingly thinking long-term: What’s the right structure? How do we stay lean? What risks can we afford to take, or avoid? Planning and agility are no longer luxuries — they’re must-haves.

🌿 Tech Takeaways from the Floor

1. AI Is Here — and It’s Everywhere

From back-end support to customer-facing automations, everyone was asking about how AI will change operations. It’s no longer hypothetical. Growers want to know: What will it do for me today?

2. Production Planning Remains a Bottleneck

It’s still one of the most painful friction points for most operations. The tools aren’t intuitive, workflows are siloed, and growers are still juggling spreadsheets. There’s clear appetite for smarter, integrated systems.

3. Demand Planning Needs Both Horizons

Short-term and long-term demand planning were hot topics, especially as buyers demand more excellence with inventory allocation , external pressures intensify, and Pay-by-scan continues to be adopted across retail chains. Growers want visibility without complexity — and decision support that works with their real-world constraints.

4. Software Must Be a Force Multiplier

The phrase we heard most often: “I need my software to work for me—not the other way around.” Tools that don’t drive efficiency or output are no longer tolerated. Growers want leverage, not overhead.

5. From Data Collection to Data Monetization

After years of collecting data, growers are asking the next question: “Now what?” They’re eager to monetize what the data they’ve been mining and managing. Tools that surface insight, reduce guesswork, and support better decisions will win.

6. One Truth, Not Ten Tabs

Growers are tired of reconciling different spreadsheets, systems, and assumptions. Inventory and availability planning needs to live in one place, with a single source of truth. Clean, connected data across departments isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s foundational to scale growth.

Where We Go From Here

Aside from connecting with current clients or establishing new leads, Cultivate serves as an compass and guide to what’s on growers minds. What we heard on the floor confirms what we’ve been building toward: growers want trusted partners who bring clarity, efficiency, and lift — not just more features.

We’re doubling down on our solutions that solve for real pain:

• Production planning that’s intuitive, actionable, and dynamic
• Demand planning tools that drives better decision making
• Inventory that operates from one clean, connected source of truth
• Doubling down on AI-powered features that actually do work

But beyond the tech, we’re staying grounded in what this industry values most: relationships. That means listening closely, building with empathy, and staying accountable for the results our software delivers.

As the post-pandemic market stabilizes and strategic thinking becomes the norm, we see our role clearly: to help growers do more with less, build stronger businesses, and mine the value of the data they already have.

The future of growing is more intentional, more connected, and more data-driven than ever. And we’re excited to help shape it—side by side with the people who grow the world.

Until next year,

Adam

Grow Smarter with Us

The future of growing is smarter, faster, and more connected, and we’re building for that future every day. If you’re ready to turn your data into decisions and your software into a true partner, let’s talk. We’d love to grow it with you.

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