Five generations of farming the Palouse.

Nelson Farms is a fifth-generation family farm in eastern Washington, rooted in the rolling hills of the Palouse and shaped by the realities of dryland agriculture. Each generation has faced different equipment, economic pressures, agronomic challenges and weather swings, but the underlying responsibility has remained the same: make good decisions today without compromising the farm for whoever farms it next.

Today, the farm is managed by Andrew Nelson, whose work spans both field operations and technology. He is a farmer, builder and collaborator in agriculture, with a perspective shaped by both machinery and software.

That overlap matters. Andrew can spend part of a day operating equipment or making field decisions, and part of the day building software or improving the systems behind farm operations. It is a practical way to approach technology: solve real workflow problems, not just chase novelty.

Grounded in tradition. Built for what comes next.

Dryland farming in the Palouse requires judgment, patience and respect for the land. We grow wheat, lentils, chickpeas, canola and peas, using data, field observation and practical stewardship to improve soil health, reduce unnecessary disturbance, manage inputs and keep the farm productive over the long term.

We are also Certified Regenerative by AGW, which reflects the way we think about soil, water, biodiversity and long-term productive capacity. The goal is not a perfect system, but continuous improvement under real conditions.

Research and collaboration

Nelson Farms is interested in testing ideas under real conditions: hills, weather, equipment failures, weeds, harvest deadlines and economics included. That is why research and collaboration matter to us. We work with agricultural researchers and technology partners to bring practical, field-tested ideas into the farm.

We have collaborated with organizations including Microsoft Research, Washington State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and others working in agricultural technology and applied research. The common thread is straightforward: the farm is a place where research can meet the reality of commercial farming.

Andrew Nelson

Andrew Nelson is a fifth-generation farmer, manager of Nelson Farms, software architect and technologist, and a co-founder and technology leader at AgAnswers. He also works at UW IT, where his work connects directly to how he thinks about practical systems, digital tools and operational problems in the real world.

That perspective is part of what makes Nelson Farms distinctive: the same person who can help make decisions in the field can also build tools to improve farm operations, capture better data and solve recurring workflow problems.