Future of Agriculture

Joining us on today’s episode of Future of Agriculture Podcast are two educators who are making an impact in the agricultural industry by engaging the youth and influencing the future workforce of agriculture. Our first guest, Seth Heinert, is an Agricultural High School teacher in Ogallala, Nebraska who started a rural program two years ago. Beverly Flatt is a program manager who works with city schools called Academies of Nashville in Tennessee helps students discover the passion they would like to pursue after high school. Seth and Beverly share two different programs and approaches as they cater to students from diverse backgrounds and regions. Seth shares some fascinating stories about his classroom experiences in western Nebraska and the reasons why he’s so passionate about pursuing rural education and instilling in his students a love for agriculture. Beverly identifies the agriculture programs they offer in urban education. She also mentions that for the urban students, their exposure to the amount of technology used in the agricultural sector play a significant role in generating interest in the students. “I think agricultural education plays a huge role in getting kids engaged in their rural communities.” – Seth Heinert “Just giving students an experience and an opportunity to get involved in agriculture is often the only thing we need to do to sell them on making this an industry and a passion for life.” – Beverly Flatt This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Seth’s priorities in the program he started The essence of having an advisory council and the responsibilities they carry out The three components of Seth’s rural program The primary classifications of the courses Seth teaches What led Beverly to agriculture literacy What the program Academies of Nashville is all about and the school levels and age group they cater to The four agricultural programs in the urban program Acquiring accurate information and getting rid of fake news is the biggest challenge on ag literacy How Beverly and her team determine the courses to be offered in their program How agriculture can improve the academic performance of students We are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is a part of a network called Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today. Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Millennials are making waves in many of today’s business and career industries – and the agriculture industry is no exception. This week, I’m speaking with Mikayla Sullivan, co-founder and “Ringleader of Regal Operations” at Kinosol. Her team of millennials – many of which are fresh out of college – are on a mission to solve one of the world’s biggest problems – world hunger – through agriculture technology. Kinosol uses dehydration techniques that can be used anywhere in the world – due to its solar-power technology – to make food products last longer, to effectively reduce food waste around the world. Currently, Mikayla and her team are focusing on helping people in developing countries reduce food waste and improve their food storage ability in an effort to help end world hunger on a global scale. Today, she shares the Kinosol mission and how the business idea got started, the interesting way the team generated the initial business capital to continue to grow and scale, and some of the food safety concerns surrounding dehydration – particularly with meat. “People don’t care what it looks like. It really just matters if it works and if it’s going to improve what they are already doing and save them time down the road.” – Mikayla Sullivan This Week on the Future of Agriculture Podcast: Kinosol’s mission to reduce food waste on a global scale – particularly in developing countries How the company is working to not only reduce food waste and combat world hunger, but also provide income-generating opportunities in developing countries What is a Specific Benefit Corporation and how it differs from a non-profit organization and an LLC How farmers in developing countries can receive Kinosol’s products What the Kinosol solar-power dehydrator is capable of Food safety concerns regarding meat and ensuring consumer safety Unit cost and distribution model The Kinosol “Sponsor-A-Unit” program How the business idea got started How they raised their initial business capital How the founding members decided which countries to target first Their biggest challenges throughout their entrepreneurial journey Why Mikayla believes her team’s naivety about the process of developing the product worked to their advantage New product development plans within the next two years Check Out Kinosol & Mikayla Sullivan Across the Net: Get Kinosol Facebook Twitter – Use these hashtags to follow the conversation: #SaveTheThird and #FoodforAll Instagram LinkedIN Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Today’s guest is from the Bronx in New York. His journey to agriculture started accidentally while he was dealing with student conflict in his class. From zero agricultural background, Stephen Ritz created a system – a whole school program that changed how the students, the parents, and the community view agriculture. This program, called Green Bronx Machine, is more than about educating his students about farming. Stephen sees it as a way to solve real problems in the community like lack of student engagement in school, poor education, and poor health including unequal opportunities for the disadvantaged. On today’s episode, Stephen talks about the effects and benefits of Green Bronx Machine to the students and the community as a whole. He shares how he integrates growing food with academics. Stephen also elaborates on one of the goals of the program’s model, which is not about a “me” mentality, but a “we” mentality. This outlook is about people everywhere working together in achieving the goal of making wise choices, living healthy, and personal and community development. He is encouraged to see the outcome as his students are empowered to make healthy choices as a result of instilling child wellness and mindfulness in them. “When we teach our children about nature, we teach them to nurture. And when we teach children to nurture, we as a society collectively embrace our better nature. And that’s what this work is about.” – Stephen Ritz This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The 9-1-1 situation in Stephen’s class that lead to a 3-1-1 moment One of the significant effects of the Green Bronx Machine Project: Students you don’t expect to go through college ending up as college graduates Evolution of the program, how it has evolved today, and some of the programs offered such as after-school programming, weekend programming, and summer camps Age window of students allowed in the program How the collateral learning influence the behavior of the students How the program can change the community’s outlook on food as medicine in relation to diabetes and obesity The process that Stephen adapts especially for first-time student-growers: If they grow it, they eat it The focus of the model of the program – quality of teaching and quality of learning Metrics Stephen uses in the program concerning academics (attendance, performance, etc.) What makes the Green Bronx Machine a whole-school solution and not just any other kind of school economics program Content of Stephen’s book – his story, his children’s story, the community’s story, and tools that equip people to grow something great and impact their community Check Out Stephen Ritz Across the Net: Green Bronx Machine Website Green Bronx Machine on Facebook The Power of a Plant Book by Stephen Ritz Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Today’s guest is my close friend, James Garner. He is a partner in a company called Cogent Communications that does public affairs work in agriculture and agricultural businesses in Sacramento, California. For ten years, he has been a part of a band called Johnny Cash Tribute Band, where he is the group’s manager and front man. On top of these varied roles, James has also been doing drag racing with his dad. James’ father has been a part of a drag racing team as a racer for years. On today’s episode, James talks about the significant changes that occurred in his life when he started Cogent Communications with his colleague, together with the ideal clients they work with. He also points out the strong suits that have kept them on top of their game, which are understanding the issues on the farm and coherently communicating these matters to the board (local, supervisory, or regulatory). James also elaborates on what currently seems to be a mild concern, but can be a hot one in the future because of its impact at the farming level – the Food Safety Modernization Act. “We try to be cogent in all our communications – clear, logical, convincing.” – James Garner This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How technology helps shape the communications and data collection in James’ work High-level issues affecting the clients and what James and his team do: water, water quality, and sustainability James’ magic formula for building healthy business relationships More tips on establishing good business and personal relationships An on-going concern that the consumers keep asking for but valued much and lived out by farmers Check Out James Garner Across the Net: Cogent Communications Website Email: [email protected] Johnny Cash Tribute Show Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Women have been part of agriculture since the beginning of time. Today’s guest is passionate about showing how the roles of women have progressed and increased in this field. Born and raised in Iowa, Marji Guyler-Alaniz studied Graphic Journalism and Photography in college. Recently, she had a lot of surprises and transitions in her life in a span of only four years – from insurance to photography to owning a company and being a TV hostess. Today, Marji is the president of Farmher, a company that came about as a result of her passion in shining the light on women in agriculture. On today’s episode, Marji recounts the Super Bowl advertisement that inspired her to start capturing images of women in agriculture. She shares the exciting story of how she built her brand from scratch and how Farmher has progressed from a hobby to a brand with a regular TV show. She also narrates the quick progression of her journey with Farmher, talks about her mission and vision, and points out her considerations when making decisions. “I started it with a premise of shine me a light on the role that women play in agriculture through photographs and help to update the image of agriculture with those photographs.” – Marji Guyler-Alaniz This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Marji’s mission and the tale of the first woman Marji photographed in 2013 Effects of the connection between Farmher website creation and the publication Modern Farmer Merchandise creation and the factor that made women identify to her brand Producing FarmHer TV Show and Marji’s reasons for pursuing it Company challenges and breakthroughs Marji’s biggest surprise since starting the business Check out Marji Guyler-Alaniz Across the Net: FarmHer Website Email: [email protected] Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Today’s guest grew up in Grass Valley, California. Sara Hollenbeck lives with her husband on a ranch in Molt, Montana called the Hollenbeck Ranch. Together with her husband and in-laws, Sara manages a sheep operation in Molt on top of many other diverse things they do on the farm. On today’s episode, Sara talks about an unfamiliar topic to many – sheep operation. She discusses the necessary tasks and human resources it takes to keep the operation running smoothly. She also shares who Totes MaGoats is, how her lamb company was born, and how she was able to open the community to eating lamb. “The people I’m focused on are the ones that are interested, or curious even, about where their food is coming from or how their food is being raised.” – Sara Hollenbeck This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Brief background about the sheepherders and reasons why their presence and the H-2A program play a vital role in the sheep operation Where the sheep ranch gets the majority of its revenue The importance of breeding on the quality of the meat and wool and reasons why it is important to focus on the latter Sheep shearing and why it is considered the “fun time” in the ranch Sara's goals for the future of the ranch Check Out Sara Hollenbeck Across the Net: Sara Hollenbeck on Instagram Hollenbeck Ranch Website High Five Meats Website Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Today’s guest is a scientist, researcher, and the founder of Dynamite Ag – a sales and consulting company founded in 2012. Growing up in a Christian household, Dr. Curtis Livesay was told not to do drugs, to research about it. This pursuit of knowledge led him to acquire a Ph.D. in interpersonal communication and research methods. It is also the heart of his company – to do great research and disseminate good and useful information. On today’s episode, Dr. Curtis shares his knowledge, experience, and viewpoints about a variety of topics such as critical agronomic problems, lies fed to farmers, and specific ways to deal with particular agronomic concerns. “Don’t just try something different, but pay attention to where you put it.” – Dr. Curtis Livesay This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How Dr. Curtis found his niche and how he finds the people he works with Difference between plant recoverable and plant available How farmers should balance the economics of farming with environmental stewardship Yield contest over profitability contest What volunteer corn is, why it’s a problem and what farmers can do about it Check Out Dr. Curtis Livesay Across the Net: Dynamite Ag on Facebook Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

On today’s episode of Future of Agriculture Podcast, my guest is an engineer by who was born in Nebraska and grew up as a city kid in Omaha. Russ Conser eventually fell in-love with energy which started his decades-long career in Shell Oil where he learned more about oil, gas, and carbon. You may be surprised to hear that the knowledge and experience Russ gained in this industry eventually led him to his present venture in the field of agriculture. Russ Conser is the CEO of Standard Soil, a company that uses adaptive multi-paddock grazing to grow grass-fed beef at scale. He spent the last 15 years in innovation and investing in pioneering startups that produce revolutionary and edgy outputs and results. A writer, speaker, investor, and game-changer, Russ talks about Standard Soil’s business model, its difference from other tech startups, the positive environmental impact it brings, and a lot more. “I tend to think of agriculture really as the biological solar energy business in the world of farmers and ranchers.” – Russ Conser This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Russ elaborates the difference between traditional grazing and multi-paddock grazing. He shares the effects of multi-paddock grazing that are advantageous not only to the business itself, but also in the quality of the nutrient produced in the soil. Together with the overall environmental impact of multi-paddock grazing, Russ talks about what the organic-rich soils can do for everyone. He gives some tips on how they handle moving paddocks frequently, how they manage the grazing during wintertime, and how to know the right square footage of paddocks per cow. Russ emphasizes that the methods by which these things are produced usually cause concern with broader environmental issues. He introduces the “cocktail mix” producers use to create a superior product. Forward-looking, Russ talks about the significance of multi-paddock grazing to the US beef industry 20 years from now. Additional Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode TED Talk by Allan Savory Check Out Russ Conser Across the Net: Standard Soil Website Standard Soil on Twitter Standard Soil on Facebook The Grassfed Exchange Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

AgTech has experienced quite a boom over the years. There is no question that innovation can boost tremendous improvements in the Agriculture industry. And like me, many Agriculture professionals and business owners are curious and eagerly awaiting the next big thing from AgTech. Louisa Burwood-Taylor is currently at the heart of the AgTech industry as the Chief Editor of AgFunderNews.com. She was originally a financial journalist and was privileged to shift to AgTech just when the industry started gaining significant progress. In today’s show, Louisa shares her experience in AgTech, along with invaluable entrepreneurial advice, insight and a glimpse of what is to come in the industry. “Agriculture is the least digitized industry in the world, which is pretty concerning because it is one of the most essential industries in our daily lives.” This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The Agriculture industry is currently experiencing an Intersection between food, technology, and entrepreneurship. Women are making great strides in the Agriculture industry and it makes sense to have more of their voice in the corporate scene, because they influence more than half of the food choices in the family). Consumer demand and changes are really going to impact how farmers plant, what they plant, and how they grow it. There's a huge potential for robotics to revolutionize farming, but it has not yet raised much funding because the technology is not quite there yet and it can be quite expensive. Louisa shares the “hot” areas for AgTech where there are a lot of start-ups and tech innovation hubs. She discusses what accelerators do and their role in AgTech. Entrepreneurs are demonstrating more enthusiasm with AgTech this year. It may take some time before AgTech finds another unicorn, because the investors have pulled back over the last few years. Resources Mentioned How Consumer Preferences and the Role of Women are Informing Food & Ag Innovation The Climate Corporation Memphis Meats Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology Research Triangle Park Volcani Center Swiim Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies Reach out with Damian Mason: Louisa Burwood-Taylor on Twitter Louisa Burwood-Taylor on LinkedIn com com AgFunder on Twitter AgFunder on Google+ Get First Access to the Farm & Rural Ag Network! If you enjoyed this show, then you'll also love the Farm & Rural Ag Network! It is an exclusive community led by the founders of the fastest growing agriculture podcasts: the Shark Farmer Podcast, the Ontario Agcast, and yours truly – the Future of Agriculture Podcast. Subscribe now to join the community and gain access to our robust content library and grow your network by connecting to other industry players. Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Food waste is a major issue in the United States, as well as the world. Research shows that about 97% of food wasted in the United States ends up in landfills and the less than 3% of waste that doesn’t see a landfill is being utilized in other commodities such as compost, black soldier fly larvae, and other methods. That means that approximately 30-40% of the calories available to the human population finds their way into the landfill. Although the global economy and environment are slowly becoming more aware of the massive issue regarding food waste, it’s still one of the biggest issues plaguing, not only the agriculture industry, but also the global economic, ethical, and environment. Public speaker and author of the book, America’s Waste Land, and founder of Wasted Food joins me today to shed some light on this significant issue, share his thoughts on what the ag industry – as well as consumers in general – can do to increase awareness and make a difference in the world by finding different ways to reduce the amount of food wasted throughout the country. “Food waste is simply a poor use of resources. To me, it’s being a poor steward of the Earth.” – Johnathan Bloom This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Why consumers should care about food waste and its impact on the global economics, ethics, and environmental factors. About $200-Billion dollars are squandered nationally by wasted food. That’s about $2,000 per family in food not eaten. The food waste data does not show the amount of ag-level waste because we don’t have a good enough handle on the amount of food being wasted at the farm level. On an international scale, the amount of food wasted amounts to about $2.6-Trillion. Depending on the price of harvest, farmers might not be able to justify the expenditure of time and labor to harvest certain crops such as sweet potatoes. The misconception of “sell by” and expiration dates on food. Where food goes when you put it in the garbage disposal. How several European countries are making progress in reducing food waste. How the ag-community can inspire consumers to utilize food in the best ways possible. The positive changes Johnathan has seen since he began his food waste project. Practical Things Consumers Can Do to Reduce Food Waste: Become a smarter shopper. Plan what food you will need before going shopping. Think more about portion sizes. Use your freezer as a resource. Stop treating “sell by” and expiration dates as the be all, end all. Instead, use them as a guide, trust your instincts and senses. Connect with Johnathan Bloom: Wasted Food Wasted Food on Twitter Wasted Food on Instagram America’s Wasteland book Just Eat It documentary Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

On today’s episode of the Future of Agriculture Podcast, my guest is a Purdue graduate who was brave enough to make a career change from being a Turkey breeder in Perdue Farms to sales. Dave Myers shares his journey in farming and how a man changed his perspective when he was taught about the soil and how it can maximize the growth in farming. As Dave saw the struggles of many growers, he appreciated that with his new career path, he can help growers become more efficient with how they grew their crop. Not only that, he created an online app, Bird Dog, that helps growers market themselves while protecting their reputations at the same time. “Longevity and being able to put together a long term plan is a huge value for many growers.” – Dave Myers This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: He shares the burden of many growers who desire to expand their farming operations, but are concerned about their reputation if they pursue the landowner. As he elaborates the steps he took before Bird Dog was launched, he also enlightens us how Bird Dog helps growers market themselves to landowners. He explains what landlords are searching for when looking for people who would rent their land and what growers are looking for in a landlord. Dave talks more about Bird Dog in terms of geographical coverage of their services, the challenges they face involving landowners and growers, and the benefits of using Bird Dog. He also shares the mistakes and struggles people make regarding landowner-farmer relationship. Check Out Dave Myers Across the Net: Bird Dog Website Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

On today’s episode of Future of Agriculture Podcast, I have the privilege of talking with the Casey Neistat of Agriculture – Matthew Sligar. He documents his life in relation to rice farming through video blogging. He creates artistic videos that are made in engaging and amusing ways. Matthew is a rice farmer from Gridley, California. He shared with us today where he got his inspiration and confidence to launch his website Rice Farming TV. We also talked about some of the episodes on his website that have greatly impacted him, his family, and the community that encourage him to continue and push on. He looked back and shared with us parts of his life that contributed to the overall productiveness of the videos. “In 2015, medium grain rice from California won the world’s Best Tasting Rice Award. So, not only do we grow rice in California, but it’s premium, award-winning quality rice.” – Matthew Sligar This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Matthew shares his inspiration to launch Rice Farming TV. He shares the untold story about a mom who reached out to him when she saw the Halloween video that was aired on TV as she watched the response of her child with autism towards Matthew who handed over rice grains and candies to trick-or-treaters. He also shares his unexpected journey from college, to the time he met his wife, and back to the family farm. He talks about the amount of time he spends filming and editing the episodes together with the personal challenges he encounters such as balancing work, family, and hobby. He even shares with us the equipment he uses for filming and editing the episodes. He discusses how he chooses which part of his life he would share in each episode. He expresses his desire for his children when asked about passing the farm to the next generation. He also mentions some things he foresees in the future of agriculture. Check Out Matthew Sligar Across the Net: Rice Farming TV Website Rice Farming TV on YouTube Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

I recently had the opportunity to attend a media event held by Monsanto announcing the new project initiatives that the company will be unveiling in 2017. The information, research, and development that this company has invested to bring better technology and products to the agriculture industry is simply amazing. On this week’s episode, I’m talking with Dr. Shannon Hauf of Monsanto. Dr. Hauf graduated with a background in plant breeding and weed science, then later, she began working at Monsanto where she became experienced in many fields and departments, including pricing, sales, product strategies, and currently leading her own team within the company. She shares her insight into some of the new products the company will be launching this year, how they hope this new technology will help farmers and others within the agriculture industry, explains what “biologicals” and “digital agriculture” are and why they are important aspects farmers should consider on their farms. She also offers her advice to agriculture graduates on how the market is changing and how they should embrace these changes. “There’s room for all types of food on the dinner plate.” – Dr. Shannon Hauf This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Hauf explains what her role is at Monsanto, her responsibilities at the company, and the type of projects her team focuses on. She explains what the term “biologicals” means in the agriculture industry and why focusing on this area is important to the future of the industry. She shares how ideas at the company evolve into projects and how long it typically takes for a new product to be released to the public. She explains how agricultural professionals can help educate consumers about biological advancements and the benefits in their field. She explains how the company is looking at the “colony death” problem plaguing the honeybee population and what technology integrations they are using to investigate and resolve the issue. She explains what Climate Corp is and why Monsanto acquired the company. She shares where Monsanto hopes to expand their services and products and why they believe they can help improve the future of agriculture in these areas. We discuss the product initiatives the company is unveiling this year and which ones she’s most excited about. She explains why it takes Monsanto 12 years to launch new agriculture technologies and products into the mainstream agricultural population. Connect with Dr. Shannon Hauf: Monsanto website Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Utilizing Food Waste for Urban Agriculture with Tinia Pina of Re-Nuble The United States has a shortage of people who want to work in agriculture. We’ve gone from most of the population to only one percent of people working in this industry. There are fewer people with farms and a lack of individuals who want to make long lasting and meaningful careers in agriculture. There is something we can do about attracting interest in farming, though, such as enticing professionals from other industries to pivot into urban agriculture, like our guest Tinia Pina did. Tinia worked in the financial sector until she learned about the problems that existed related to entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture. Today she is the founder and CEO of Re-Nuble, a New York City company that converts food waste into organic fertilizer. On today’s show, Tinia shares the story of how she established Re-Nuble, and shares her insights about food waste and what it’s like to be a minority entrepreneur in the agriculture industry. “The lack of proper nutrition and fresh available food options impacts our future generations.” Tinia Pina This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Tinia talks about how teaching her students opened her eyes about food. We talk about the supply chain that supplies organic food scraps. She cites reasons why the company may not be using all the waste that is produced in the city. Tinia tells us who her typical customers are. She explains OMRI certification in relation to Re-Nuble. Tinia tells us about her transition from the financial world to a full-time career in agriculture. She shares her vision on the issue of food waste. She fills us in on what the urban agriculture/ag-tech scene is like in New York. Tinia tells us how she attracted her first customers. She shares her thoughts on competition. She discusses the disadvantages to being a minority in the agriculture sector. Mentioned in the Show: Eating Bugs with Robert Nathan Allen Organic Materials Review Institute Food-X Freight Farms Crop Box Growtainer The New American Dream: My Life As A Minority Startup Owner NYC Ag Collective Contact Tinia Pina: Re-Nuble Email: [email protected] Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

On today’s episode of the Future of Agriculture Podcast, my guest, Jared Flinn, is the founder and operating partner of Bulk Loads. His site provides an online platform that connects shippers with the transportation companies. Jared graduated with a minor in agricultural economy, but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his credentials. He started working as a truck driver and grew to love all the aspects of the industry and eventually moved into shipping logistics in the agriculture sector. His passion for the trade inspired his vision of connecting companies and shippers, and so Bulk Loads was born. Jared started his venture without knowing whether it would be successful, but he persevered and created a sustainable and profitable business which addressed and solved clients’ pain points. On today’s show, you’ll hear his thoughts, wisdom, and advice about taking ideas and building a business in agricultural and transportation space. “You have to have the commodities to trade, but behind that you have to have the efficient supply chain to get it through.” – Jared Flinn This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Jared shares his story about the route he took after he graduated from university. He tells us how he found the industry’s pain points and turned that into his success. Jared shares the best life and work advice he received and took to heart. We talk about how the industry has changed for transportation entrepreneurs. Jared explains how he strikes a balance with his business model. He gives us an idea about his marketing techniques. Jared shares his story about starting the company despite the resistance he met from other businesses. He reveals his thoughts on Donald Miller’s message and how it relates to business. We talk about the future of the transportation industry. Jared talks about how he caters to his customer base. Mentioned in the Show: Donald Miller Connect With Jared Flinn: Bulk Loads website Smart Freight Funding Call Jared at 800-518-9240 Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

This is a good time for reflection on this past year and anticipation of what is to come in 2017, and I’m energized about the potential we have in some of the strategic objectives that we’ll be rolling out here in the coming year. I’m also excited to interview our guest today who came from humble farming beginnings and is now a leader in agri-business and a force in politics. On today’s episode of the Future of Agriculture Podcast, we have who could very well be our next United States Secretary of Agriculture, Kip Tom. Whether Kip is nominated or not, he will play an integral role in the leadership of our industry from his home in Indiana, from Washington D.C., or across the water in South America where he has a farming operation. He is passionate about encouraging and motivating our youth to step into the agri-business sector to continue family farming operations. Kip shares his wisdom, insights, and advice, about this business and you’ll hear how a young man who grew up on his family’s homestead became a passionate advocate of continuing the American dream of keeping family-run farming businesses alive. “If there’s one thing you do, work towards succession planning to prepare the next generation to grow your business and sustain it. “ Kip Tom This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Kip talks about what his unique business model. He talks about how he diversifies in the farming industry. He tells us about his involvement in politics. Kip describes his role in the family operations. We talk about ag-policy and innovation. He talks about his focus and goals in the event he becomes the next Secretary of Agriculture. Kip tells us his views on the challenges of our Ag producers. We discuss the needs in farming and how important it is for young people to get involved. Kip talks about how social media impacts our agriculture stories and relays valuable information. Kip speaks about his story about agri-business in South America. He shares his insights about the future of Check Out Kip Tom Across the Net: Tom Farms CereServ, Inc. Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

On today’s episode of the Future of Agriculture Podcast, I am extremely excited to chat with a guest with whom I have the utmost respect for and who I am in awe of. Dr. Temple Grandin is an author and a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University who is passionate about agriculture and the people involved in it. Temple has revolutionized the industry with practices she devised and is a highly-regarded internationally known speaker on the subjects of autism and cattle handling. Temple’s incredible story of overcoming personal and professional challenges to revolutionize the agriculture industry, a sector which is set in its ways, will blow your mind. She is an inspiration to everyone in general and to people who want to break into an industry where they don’t necessarily fit the mold. Temple brings value, wisdom, and inspiration to today’s show and I’m honored and humbled to interview her. She is passionate about keeping the agriculture industry alive and shares her invaluable advice for those seeking a life in the agricultural sector. “Students get interested in things they get exposed to.” – Dr. Temple Grandin This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Temple discloses her experiences in the agriculture industry in the 20th century. She expounds on the ethics of eating animals. Temple speaks about encouraging all types of careers in the agriculture industry and keep it in the forefront. She talks about how to best serve people in the industry who are visual learners or thinkers. She gives you information and advice on autism. She tells us what she likes most about teaching students. Temple recounts about her life since the movie about her aired. She talks about improvements in the agriculture and food processing industry. Temple tells us about what’s changed in animal handling. Mentioned in the Show: National FFA Organization 4-H Check Out Temple Grandin Across the Net: Temple Grandin on HBO Video Tour of Beef Plant Featuring Temple Grandin Temple Grandin on Ted Talk Share the Ag-Love! Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Kevin Heikes is the Founder of In10t.io, an advisory firm dedicated to helping clients solve problems in Agriculture related to technology strategy, product commercialization and digital system design. Kevin has worked with several start-ups, including FarmLink, where he served as Vice President of Product and Farms Technology where, post acquisition, by DuPont Pioneer he led the integration and product migration to DTN. This episode is filled with new ideas, tactics, and anecdotes that will both entertain and inspire anyone interested in the future of agriculture. Kevin mentions a couple of tools including Full Contact and Product Hunt. Check out Kevin’s personal website: http://www.kevinheikes.com/ or his company: http://www.in10t.io/. Thanks for listening! We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below. The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using. You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources. We also encourage you to tell any of your friends that are interested in farming, livestock, agribusiness, or AgTech to check out our show!

AgriCorps sends American college graduates and professionals into developing nations to teach agriculture and to build local agricultural communities. The volunteers, known as AgriCorps Fellows, work for one year in countries such as Ghana and Liberia. Trent shares his perspective on the future of agriculture in Africa, challenges and rewards of agricultural development, and the differences between U.S. and African food production. I agree with his perspective that Africa will grow into a major player in global agribusiness. So do many major corporations, who are rapidly expanding into the region. Enjoy Trent’s firsthand experiences and I look forward to hearing your feedback about your perspective on international development and the future of agriculture in Africa. Learn more about AgriCorps: https://agricorps.org/join/im-interested-in-more/ Like AgriCorps on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agricorps/ I encourage you to consider becoming an AgriCorps Fellow or contributing to their crowdfunding campaign! Thanks for listening! We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below. The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using. You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources. We also encourage you to tell any of your friends that are interested in farming, livestock, agribusiness, or AgTech to check out our show!

Dr. Nate Storey holds a PhD in Agronomy and Crop Science from the University of Wyoming. He started his company, Bright Agrotech while completing his graduate studies. Six years later, Bright Agrotech are leaders in the high density indoor and greenhouse farming industry. They partner with farmers of all sizes to build a fresher, more distributed food system. Many of you, especially the more entrepreneurial-minded, will really enjoy this episode. Vertical farming holds promises of entry-level farming with low startup costs, good margins, and excellent production per square foot. We often talk about the future of agriculture battling the challenge of producing more food with less land, water, fertilizer, chemicals, and environmental impact. Many of those elements are addressed with vertical farming and mentioned in this episode. If you’ve often dreamed of being in production agriculture but don’t have land in your family, give this one a listen! Check out Bright Agrotech’s Website and YouTube Channel. Thanks for listening! We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below. The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using. You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources. We also encourage you to tell any of your friends that are interested in farming, livestock, agribusiness, or AgTech to check out our show!

According to AgFunder, over $4 billion poured into AgTech investments in 2015. Many times when people think of the recent AgTech craze, their mind immediately goes to drones. I have been curious about drones for quite some time, both from a "coolness factor" perspective and from the perspective of "what's really that great about them in agriculture?". I had been looking to bring on a drone expert to the podcast for quite some time, but didn't want someone who would be too technical or would look at it from an impractical angle. One day on Linkedin I came across the article "Applications of UAVs in Agriculture" by Michael Dunn, CCA. I knew I had found my next podcast guest. Michael is able to talk about drones from the perspective of the farmer and from someone who is trying to help the farmer utilize technology to improve their operation. He is both technically knowledgeable as well as practically sensible about the uses of drones in agriculture, their limitations, and their potential. I hope you enjoy this interview with Michael Dunn of Anez Consulting. Connect with Michael on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunn-cca-75a64028 Check out Anez Consulting: http://anezconsulting.com/ Thanks for listening! We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below. The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using. You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources. We also encourage you to tell any of your friends that are interested in farming, livestock, agribusiness, or AgTech to check out our show!