About AIVA
AIVA – the Agriculture Innovation, Validation, and Adoption Network – is designed to derisk on-farm technology adoption for Canadian farmers and bring proven agtech to market.
AIVA partners with farmers and innovators to validate agtech using standardized testing frameworks that can be applied to any technology, anywhere in Canada. AIVA makes it easier for farmers to access proven technology that helps to enhance on-farm efficiency, reduce risks, and increase profitability.
See AIVA’s work in action
Our ProjectsFarmer-Centric Approach
AIVA works with farmers to test and validate agtech across multiple Canadian geographies, farms and fields. We evaluate early-stage and market-ready technologies on farms to determine if they deliver measurable value, using two models:
The Validation Model
We find and assess the most promising early-stage agricultural technologies from around the world. These technologies are tested at Validation Hubs, which are applied innovation and demonstration farms that trial technologies in real Canadian environments and prepare the product for commercial deployment.
The Adoption Model
We rigorously test market-ready technologies with Farmer Alliance Members, a group of Canadian farmers who pilot agtech and provide structured feedback as early tech adopters. They help to identify the technologies that demonstrate tangible economic and operational benefits in real-world conditions.
AIVA Network Coalition
A key part of the AIVA Network is connecting leaders from across Canadian agriculture. That is why we created the AIVA Network Coalition, a strategic council dedicated to bridging the gap between agricultural innovation and on-farm adoption.
The Coalition unifies national programs and brings together over 15 representatives from industry, research, nonprofits, and investment groups. It is an opportunity for leaders to align on challenges, develop actionable strategies to overcome them, and shape AIVA trials and demonstration projects.
Why the Network Works
AIVA unites the people who create innovations, the farms that validate it, and the farmers who adopt it, all within a structured, unbiased system.
Our mission is to ensure that every investment a farmer makes into agtech improves on-farm efficiency and profitability. AIVA aligns farmers and innovators to solve real, on-farm challenges across Canada and provides commercial farmers with third-party validation to make adoption decisions with confidence.
View our projectsOur Team
Rebecca Franklin AIVA Network Lead
Alicia Demanuele Senior Project Associate
Carl Havixbeck Farmer Network Success Manager
Dale Penner Project Manager
Talia Thomson Communications Manager
Founding Partners



Chelsea Gray
Innovation Farms Partnership Manager, FCC
Jacqueline Keena
CEO, EMILI
Gordon Chandler
CFO, EMILI
Johnny Park
CEO, WHIN
Jack Stucky
CTO, WHIN
Jason Tennenhouse
VP, Strategy and Design, WHIN
Josh Karshen
Director, Business Development, WHIN