Key Takeaways
- Farmwave has appointed Michael K. Stern as Advisor and Member of its Board of Directors, bringing in one of the most experienced executives in digital agriculture.
- Stern previously served as CEO of The Climate Corporation, Head of Digital Farming at Bayer Crop Science, and held senior leadership roles at Monsanto for 30 years, including Vice President of Row Crops Americas and President of American Seeds.
- Farmwave's Precision Harvest System uses cameras mounted on combine harvesters to count kernel loss every 3 to 5 seconds, delivering real-time in-cab data to operators across corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton.
- The system runs on edge computing, allowing it to function in the field without a reliable internet connection — a practical constraint in most commercial farming environments.
- Stern also sits on the Board of Directors of Ohalo Genetics and the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University along with 24 U.S. patents.
Stern Joins Farmwave Board as Global Scaling Begins
Agricultural AI company Farmwave has named Michael K. Stern as Advisor and Member of its Board of Directors. Stern, who previously served as CEO of The Climate Corporation and Head of Digital Farming at Bayer Crop Science, joins the company as it prepares to expand its Precision Harvest System into new markets.
Stern brings more than 30 years of executive experience in agricultural technology. During his tenure at Monsanto, he held roles including Vice President of Row Crops Americas, President of American Seeds, and Director of Technology for Agriculture Productivity. In those positions, he oversaw the deployment of digital farming tools across millions of acres worldwide. He currently also serves on the Board of Directors of Ohalo Genetics and the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University, has authored 25 scientific publications, and holds 24 U.S. patents.
What Farmwave's Precision Harvest System Does
Farmwave is building AI solutions designed to cut crop losses at harvest, one of the more costly inefficiencies in large-scale grain production. Its Precision Harvest System uses cameras placed at key points on a combine harvester, analyzing images every 3 to 5 seconds to count kernel loss as it happens. The data is delivered directly to operators inside the cab, allowing machinery adjustments in real time across corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton.
The system is built around edge computing, which means it processes data on the device itself rather than relying on a cloud connection. That design choice makes it viable in field conditions where internet connectivity is intermittent or absent — a common reality in production agriculture. For those tracking how AI is being applied to on-farm machinery and yield management, Farmwave's approach represents one of the more operationally focused deployments in the sector.
In Their Own Words
“Our mission has always been to build technology that actually works for the farmer — solving real problems like harvest loss directly at the edge, without requiring a constant internet connection. Mike's unparalleled expertise in commercializing digital agriculture, combined with his deep understanding of agronomy and farm management, will be invaluable as we scale our operations globally and roll out our next-generation Precision Harvest System.” — Craig Ganssle, Founder and CEO, Farmwave
“The next leap in agricultural productivity is not just about gathering data, but providing farmers with actionable, real-time intelligence precisely when they need it most. Farmwave's edge-AI technology directly addresses a critical and costly pain point in the harvest process. I look forward to working with the board and leadership team to accelerate the company's growth and bring this game-changing technology to more farmers around the world.” — Michael K. Stern, incoming Board Member, Farmwave
