Future of Agriculture

What affect will animal genomics have on the future of agriculture? Dr Jesse Hoff from Gencove joins us today to explain the advantages assessing livestock genomics can offer. Gencove performs genetic sequencing providing half of the animal’s genome. This allows for an avenue to assess the genetic potential of any animal for a breeding program in a rapid, efficient, affordable fashion. “What we’re trying to capture is what we call the genetic value or sometimes the breeding value of that bull. And that really describes very purely, the genetic component of who they are.” - Dr. Jesse Hoff Dr. Hoff explains that the genetic value encompasses their “genetic contributions on average to their offspring.” In the dairy industry you might focus on milk production or in beef cattle, the marbling, but neither of those things can be assessed in a bull without evaluating the production or carcass of their offspring. “Using that genetic data really takes quite a bit of risk out of the process of buying a bull or using new semen from a new AI stud or retaining heifers in our population. So we don’t need surprises of open animals. We don’t need surprises of animals that don’t perform well.” Dr. Jesse Hoff Studying the animal's genomics can answer that question as soon as the bull is born, saving time in selection and feeding. It is rare to find any elite bulls that haven’t had some genotyping technology used on them. Previous genomic processes assess 10-50,000 positions in a genome. Gencove’s sequencing technology provides 10’s of millions of sites. “We’ve been able to get a great running start in animal genetics and breeding by defining these marker panels and helping us understand an elite and a core population in a well-defined way.” - Dr Jesse Hoff As more datasets accumulate with more testing Dr. Hoff sees the potential to continue to identify “unique sets of genetic locations that are influencing those phenotypes that matter to you.” All of this will add detail to the picture of genetic potential Gencove can provide livestock producers. As an aside, Dr. Hoff mentioned his opinion on a different cutting edge field in agriculture. Being raised as a beef rancher and working as a scientist with a PhD, Dr. Hoff has very unique insight into lab grown meats. He comments that “there’s a lot of incredibly sophisticated biological things” that contribute to animal protein that are unlikely to be replicated in a lab. He also sees many ways that animal protein processes can be enhanced, promoted and made to be more efficient that can open opportunities to that industry. Lab grown meat may not have the same versatility. Dr. Hoff also gives us an update on genetic modifying and editing in livestock animals and the potential it allows. This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Meet Dr. Jesse Hoff, Agrigenomics business development manager at Gencove Explore the advantage genomics can give livestock operations Hear about Dr. Hoff’s perspective on other new and up and coming technologies in agriculture Check out Heifer International and Helping Hands to see how you can get involved! 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

What does food security mean? We hear about it frequently but this complex category involves much more than just assessing our agricultural capabilities. The main pillars of food security involve food affordability, food availability, food quality, food safety, and natural resource and resilience. One tool for evaluating where companies and governments land is provided in the Food Security Index Report performed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Corteva. Dana Bolden joins us today from Corteva where he acts as the Global Corporate Communications Leader. He shares the motivation behind creating the Food Security Index Report and the impact it could have. “We really wanted to put into the mainstream discussions about food security.” - Dana Bolden Over the years there has been a shift of interest in these annual reports. You now find local governments taking positions on the data and working to increase their rating. Dana shares his optimism about how the data will influence global food protocol. Getting the governments to take ownership and discuss their efforts towards food security, food sourcing and feeding populations is “a conversation that we want to have.” Corteva’s perception of food sustainability is “trying to create a profitable business model in a sustainable way….using fewer inputs to get more yield and profitability while continuing to be responsible stewards in the environment.” “This is why we do things like the Food Security Index. To show governments that the traditional ways do not need to be the ways of the future. There’s technology that’s out there that can help agriculture become more effective with less impact on the environment and we need you to embrace it. We need the industry to embrace it.” - Dana Bolden To further highlight these efforts, Corteva also sponsors the Climate Positive Challenge. This program provides $500,000 to growers that can demonstrate that they have scalable sustainable practices. Corteva does not consider themselves exempt from following sustainable practices either. They went public in June and are actively collecting a year's worth of data that they will share in order to hold themselves accountable and also plan for the future. This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Learn about the Food Security Index Report Meet Dana Bolden, Global Corporate Communications Leader at Corteva Explore what Food Security means to Corteva and the actions they are taking to promote it Learn about the effects the Index Report has had at both local and global levels. Read The 2019 Report! Food Security Index 2019 Report Food Security Index Data 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Make sure you listen to FOA 201 with Matthew Pryor. This is some bonus content from that episode where Tim asks Matthew about water issues, policy, and innovation. Connect with Matthew Pryor AgThentic Website Tenacious Ventures 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Matthew Pryor joins us today as not only a partner in AgThentic, an Australian based food, and ag sustainability and innovation consulting firm, but also as a co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, a food and ag venture capital firm that just closed their first fund of nearly $30 million. As though that wasn’t enough, Matthew has already successfully exited two different startups. To say he has his finger on the pulse of ag innovation, sustainability and company start-ups is putting it mildly. In this episode, we discuss Matthew’s rise to success from an entrepreneurial point of view beginning with his first company, Observant. Observant is a company that was born from an issue of water management for cattle in remote areas of Australia. Matthew was solving this water management problem with “bespoke micro-electronics” that they were building themselves. “We were pretty mindful about looking at other industries. And the filter that we wanted everything to pass was why should this be different in ag?” - Matthew Pryor Observant focused on finding different ag applications for technology originating outside of ag They also strived to create a simple “solid, reliable, agricultural product” to ease any consumer-adoption challenges. Matthew shares that especially in the agricultural hardware space the “product better work and if it doesn’t, your reputation will suffer.” “Customer success is about fundamentally understanding human psychology and what makes people feel like you know what they need and that you’re going to get it to them as soon as possible.” - Matthew Pryor Observant supplied all of “the information and diagrams” and provided a great deal of support to their customers if needed. He compares their strategy to an Apple store. If an Apple product needs repairs you will gladly return to the Apple store to visit with their technicians because of their perceived customer service. By doing this, they provided a “sense of being supported (and) a sense of being understood” which the customers appreciated. Following the success of Observant, Matthew spent his time growing the agtech space in Australia and eventually moved on to AgThentic. AgThentic assists startups by giving them access to experience, advising them on how to raise money, and “helping them work out how to tell a story better.” This exposure to startups led him to create Tenacious Ventures to help match startups with capital. With years of experience under his belt, he is not only supporting startups but also organizing funds for them. So what basic advice does he give would-be entrepreneurs? “There is nothing harder than being an entrepreneur. You’re strapping in for a long period of hard slog and you better know why you’re doing it.” - Matthew Pryor This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Meet Matthew Pryor Learn about Matthew’s rise to success as an entrepreneur in Australia’s Agricultural Technology Industry Explore what set his original company apart in customer service Discover how he helps guide startups and what advice he shares with them Connect with Matthew Pryor AgThentic Website Tenacious Ventures 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

We made it to episode 200! Drones have become a sort of symbol for modern ag technology whether over-hyped or legitimate. Michael Ott, CEO of Rantizo, proves that there is little room to be a drone skeptic anymore. Rantizo uses drones with a ten foot boom sprayer to spray, seed and sometimes even pollinate crops. Their main customers are retailers interested in expanding their territory by virtue of ease of application and mobility of equipment. “We can get into fields where nobody else can….We’re doing a demo tomorrow, it’s going to be super sloppy and muddy. That’s totally fine. We can get out and apply in those situations.” - Michael Ott The inputs carried by the drone are tailored to keep its weight below 55 pounds. At this weight, Michael says he “can train pretty much anyone to be an operator” through a 2-3 day course. The drone flies itself requiring the operator to only hold the controller rather than actively maneuver the drone. The light weight does result in multiple trips to refill tanks to be able to cover a field. But in this instance that doesn’t serve as a disadvantage. Using this technology enables the farmer to precisely deliver the inputs to specific areas in the field that require them. “So rather than spray the whole field, we sprayed just a portion of it. So there’s a significant advantage for the farmer, especially because we can dramatically reduce your input costs.” - Michael Ott Another added benefit is the mechanical air movement of the crops caused by the drone. This slight movement allows the spray to better cover beyond the top of the plants. A coordinated effort with this equipment can keep pace with what most tractors are doing. Does it sound too good to be true yet? Regulatory restrictions represent the biggest obstacle to drone spraying operations. While Rantizo is licensed by the FAA there are individual state requirements that can involve anything as simple as filling out a form to 500 hours of experience. With Rantizo’s operator course they help you find and meet all of the requirements for each state. There is very little these drones can’t do and at a fraction of the cost. This is the future of agriculture. This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Meet Michael Ott, CEO of Rantizo Learn about the groundbreaking technique Rantizo is able to achieve with automated drone farming Explore the many benefits in labor costs, chemical costs, equipment costs and long-term weed resistance that can be achieved Discover the barriers to entry to becoming an operator of this technology and how Rantizo can help you navigate them Hear why operators were required to wear a seatbelt when they first became licensed Connect with Rantizo Share this episode and tag @rantizosprays to possibly be selected for a demonstration of the technology at your location! Visit their website at rantizo.com Farmer Spotlight: Clayton Wolfe Northerly grows and delivers sustainably grown oats to not only grocery outlets but also directly to its consumers Learn about the Climb to Give Program and Northerly’s commitment to supporting St. Mary’s Food Bank and get involved! 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Is it possible to become a rancher when you aren’t born into a land inheritance? Aimee Danch and Jeremiah Stent from Square Mile Ranch join us today to talk about their recent purchase of a 370-acre ranch in Wallowa, Oregon. Like people buy a fixer-upper home for their first one. We’re buying a fixer-upper ranch for our first one and we feel really excited about (it). -Jeremiah Stent Both Jeremiah and Aimee have experience managing ranches across and even outside the country. Originally their goal was to manage livestock and land rather than own their own. They planned on being able to “sell semi truckloads of finished animals and get a paycheck.” But the allure of ownership, autonomy, personally contributing to a local community and being able to manage at their own discretion led them to start looking at land for sale. By pursuing services from the Farm Service Agency Joint Financing Program they were able to gain access to operating loans. Pairing that with an individual investor allowed them to take their first steps into ranch ownership. That’s what people think about farmers and ranchers buying land. They (think) they probably pay for it with what they’re going to grow there. But that's not very common anymore” - Aimee Danch Despite working very long hours and needing to find supplemental income off the farm Aimee explains that their “quality of life is so high.” They enjoy the food they produce, the “amazing relations” with their neighbors, the “hands-on time with their daughter” and the control over their own schedule. There is a huge amount of flexibility in this lifestyle and just the sheer beauty and satisfaction of what we’re doing seems to make up for the other parts.” - Aimee Danch At this time they are raising grass-fed beef, pastured hogs, pastured chickens and grass-fed lambs. Their farming model relies on a small quantity of high-quality livestock focused on a customer base that is “looking to make a direct connection to where they’re sourcing their food and to know what their food is eating.” In this model, they are able to sit down and tell their customers their story and to have them ask questions. This has created a very loyal following in their customer base that by word of mouth continues to expand. I took a visit to one of their pork drop off sites in Boise and was struck by the ability of their product to be used as a powerful tool for building a real community. Their main takeaway for would-be ranchers is to “find somebody to work for that's going to help pay for your education.” Work in the field and gain experience before jumping all in to avoid “a really steep learning curve getting into this.” They also suggest “seeking out people that are going to give you a really hard honest truth about what it looks like.” “Unless you can afford your mistakes” this experience and knowledge will save you from being overwhelmed. This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Meet Aimee and Jeremiah of Square Mile Ranch Learn the journey they took towards gaining ranch ownership Explore how their current ranch model was not what they anticipated it to be Find out what makes their product unique and the retention rate of customers consistent Learn the advantages to ranch ownerships and some of the hardships Hear their advice to would-be ranchers looking to pursue ranch ownership someday Connect with Aimee and Jeremiah Square Mile Ranch Instagram 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Chris Peacock is the CEO and Founder of AQUAOSO, a company that aims to build a water-resilient future through software and technologies that identify, analyze, and monitor water risk in the economy. Chris is a three-time water tech entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the water industry. He works with agricultural lenders and helps reduce their financial risk by providing analytics and insights on water risk management. Chris joins me today to share AQUAOSO’s main goal and how it can help interpret water data that can benefit both banks and farmers. He discusses the importance of knowing where farm water is sourced and how much water they use. He explains why there is an imperative need to address water needs from both an economic and humanitarian perspective. Chris also describes what happens if AQUAOSO becomes a successful company in the future. “The reality is, extreme water events, degrading water quality, these are all happening. We need to find ways to manage around them. We can't really ignore them anymore.” - Chris Peacock This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: My thoughts on the current effects of the coronavirus. What AQUAOSO is and what it aims to do to help farmers. The importance of knowing water data and how it impacts bank loans. How AQUAOSO’s tech can help provide accurate water data. The different water problems and issues each state faces. How Chris defines water scarcity and how it impacts economics. The economics of water and how you price it. AQUAOSO’s plans for the business and what to expect in the future. The water risks we're facing now and what we should do. Connect with Christopher Peacock AQUAOSO Email: [email protected] 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Mark Kahn is the Managing Partner of Omnivore, an India-based venture capital firm specifically focusing on funding entrepreneurs who are working to advance agriculture and food systems. Before this role, Mark served as the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Godrej Agrovet and Strategy Manager of Syngenta. Mark earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and has extensive experience in rural marketing, corporate strategy, product development, research and development, mergers and acquisitions, and new business incubation. Mark joins me today to discuss his business, Omnivore, and share his insights on the agritech landscape in India. He shares differences between the makeup of the agricultural sectors in India versus the United States, including how the family dynamic plays a role in certain Indian aspects of agriculture such as dairy farming. Mark also explains impact investing, and what Omnivore looks for when it comes to choosing which start-ups to invest in. “Venture capital is like jet fuel. If you put jet fuel in a jet, the jet flies. If you put jet fuel in a Ford, the Ford explodes.” - Mark Kahn This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: What led Mark to build his venture capital firm Omnivore and some of the companies the firm has invested in. How to determine whether or not your company is suited for venture capital and the role of scalability in making this determination. Trends Mark has noticed with entrepreneurship and the talent dynamic in India’s start-up sector. The farming dynamic in India, including how many farmers there are in the country and the average farm size. How the Indian dairy industry works, the socio-cultural aspects of this, and the industries India ranks highly in. What leads many smallholder farmers to want to adopt new technologies and how accessibility plays a role. What impact funding and impact investing is, how it is a spectrum, and how it differs from ESG investing. Changes Mark has seen in agriculture, what he sees for the future of agriculture, and why Mark prefers “agritech” over “agtech.” Mark’s thoughts on exits and three ways exits could happen. Resources Mentioned: Upstream Ag Insights Connect with Mark Kahn Omnivore Mark Kahn on 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Sam Watson Jones is a fourth-generation farmer and the co-founder of Small Robot Company, an agri-tech startup firm that specializes in advancing agriculture through artificial intelligence and robotics. Specifically, Small Robot Company uses precision agriculture to promote efficiency over speed. Sam is also a director of his family’s farming, house building, and manufacturing business, Howle Manor Group. Sam joins me today to discuss a different way of looking at precision agriculture and how his brand, Small Robot Company, is making waves in the agricultural industry. He shares some insights on agricultural technology entrepreneurship as well as current trends in agriculture. Sam also highlights how his brand’s technology enables per plant precision agriculture as well as his vision for the future of farming. “We are not looking to replace the farmer. We are looking for this technology to empower the farmer.” - Sam Watson Jones This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Sam’s journey back to his family’s farm and what he realized about the farm’s business model. The trend of precision farming and how big of an industry it currently is. The potential relationship between small smart machines and per plant precision farming. Concerns Sam has with bigger machines and the impact they could have on soil health. Sam’s perspective on what kills so many entrepreneurial ideas. The power of shifting your mindset from thinking “how” to thinking “who.” The three robots that Small Robot Company is working to create and their functions. Sam’s “farming as a service” model, how it differs from other models, and why his company chose that route. The reason monocultures exist, whether or not it is natural, and the implications. How innovation will influence big players in agriculture. The potential of what could happen to the cost of production over the next five years. How Sam’s farmer background aided his perspectives as an entrepreneur. Sam’s hopes for the future of agriculture, our farmlands, and the 4th Agricultural Revolution. The personality behind Small Robot Company and why this branding matters. Resources Mentioned: Strategic Coach RootWave Connect with Sam Watson Jones Small Robot Company Sam Watson Jones on 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Michael Stenta is the software developer and owner of farmOS, a web-based app used for planning, record keeping, and general farm management. What sets farmOS apart from other apps is its open-source nature. This means the app can be tweaked or fixed by virtually any contributor. To take advantage of its open-source nature, Michael also created Farmier, a platform that makes it easy for farmers to update or host their farmOS systems. Michael joins me today to discuss what farmOS is, its purpose, and why he decided to develop it. He shares where his passion for programming came from and what inspired him to apply his skills to the ag industry. He explains the unique aspects of creating an app that is open-source by nature and some of the benefits and risks involved with open-source platforms. Michael also describes what the farmOS community is like and the onboarding process involved with using the app. "We've been sharing ideas forever. It's really the foundation of civilization." - Michael Stenta This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: When his passion for development met agriculture. Comparing software development to solving puzzles. The humble beginnings of farmOS and what it aims to do. What it's like working with an open-source community. The advantages of working with open-source software. The different costs involved in software development. What the farmOS community is like and its members. How farmers will be onboarded using farmOS. Resources Mentioned: Drupal Discourse Farm Hack GOATech Connect with Michael Stenta Farmier farmOS Community farmOS 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

In10t CEO Randy Barker joins me to share some high-level thoughts on customer adoption. He told me it all starts with the farmer, and the recognition that all farmers are different. In10t collaborator Chad Rubbelke is a farmer in Central North Dakota who is a great example of someone who is the right type of collaborative, intelligent, and curious farmer collaborator any company would want to work with. Along with Chad, we talk with John Grandin, who is the National Agronomy Coordinator for Compass Minerals, which is an industry-leading plant nutrient company. "Adoption is important to everyone. It's the transactional endgame." - Randy Barker This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: What IN10T looks for in farmer collaborators. The ideas and questions discussed when engaging with farmers. Problems farmers bring up that the company often addresses. The difference between new and old ways of connecting with farmers. How Randy got started with doing technology trials with tech companies. The negative outcomes that can happen if they get the trials wrong. Why Chad chose to work with John and his company. The results of the project and what they learned from the trials. The benefits of using his farm as a testbed for new technologies. What Compass will do with the data they gathered from Chad's farm. The skills Chad has learned since working with Compass. The different challenges and crops Compass encounters. Resources Mentioned: Climate FieldView World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Connect with Randy Barker: IN10T Farmer Trials Connect with John Craft and Chad Rubbelke: Compass Minerals 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Jim Pantaleo is a renowned expert and consultant for Indoor Vertical Farming and offers ag companies sound and technical advice on best practices. Some of his services include performing market research and business development work. Other than companies, Jim also works with different universities such as the University of Arizona, UC Davis, and the University of Santa Barbara. He also enjoys writing about indoor vertical farming and regularly speaks at ag-related conventions. Jim joins me today to describe how indoor vertical farming will change the way we look at sustainable food sources. He shares the current technology available for indoor vertical farming and what we can expect in the next few years. He discusses the myths about soil nutrition and crops regarding indoor environments. Jim also explains why the ag industry is experiencing its own version of the Dot Com era. "There's no degradation of nutrients when growing indoors because you’re controlling that environment." - Jim Pantaleo This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The different kinds of skills modern agriculture needs. Why fruiting plants are the goal of indoor agriculture. The current challenges of indoor vertical farming. The debate around nutrients, soil, and natural sunlight. How they control the crops' nutrient inputs. What The AgTech scene in Los Angeles is like. The major costs of having an indoor farm. Startups that have made great strides in indoor farming. Comparing the Dot Com era and the rise of indoor farming. Resources Mentioned: Gotham Greens Connect with Jim Pantaleo: Jim Pantaleo on 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Michael Bosworth is the President & CEO of Next Generation Foods, a food business that markets and distributes locally produced foods in the Northern California area. Brent Lafollette, Martin Miller, and Robert James Woodry are 5th generation farmers and the founders of Premium Growers, a company that produces and sells a variety of flavored, premium roasted Oregon Hazelnuts. They are some of the many farmers who transitioned from being producers to direct-to-consumer retailers. Michael joins me today to share his company’s humble beginnings. He explains how he puts a price tag on his products and how much of his farm is dedicated to retail. He also describes the benefits of going to food shows. Brent, Martin, and Robert discuss why they decided to start a hazelnut company. They share the effort it took to get their company up and running. They also describe the marketing process involved with their hazelnuts. “It's incredible what you can learn about how people are using your products.” - Michael Bosworth This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The origins of Michael Bosworth’s company and how they transitioned from a farm to a food business. The first client who asked them to supply organic ingredients. Adding their margin and how the ingredient price and competition factor in. The percentage of farm production that goes to the food business aspect. Attending food shows and scouting for new food products to offer clients. The type of clients they like to work with. Brent's farming background and how he, Bob, and Marty founded Premium Growers Their hazelnut product and the processing involved before clients receive them. How they set up their business to be a direct-to-consumer type of company. How long it took for their business to become stable. The customer feedback they've received since they started. Connect with Michael Bosworth: Next Generation Foods Connect with Brent, Martin, and Robert: Premium Growers We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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 Apple Podcasts and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! And be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of ag. Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Micki Seibel is an investor, advisor, and tech builder who was part of the team behind internet products such as Netscape and eBay. She is currently an Operating Partner for Radicle Growth, an acceleration fund that partners with entrepreneurs who have ideas that can innovate the future of food. She has over 20 years of experience in building companies and has made much of it at Silicon Valley. Micki also serves on the advisory board of multiple food system startup companies such as Swarm Technologies. Micki joins me today to share how Radicle Growth is helping startups in the AgTech industry. She discusses the goals of Radicle Growth, their criteria when selecting companies to fund, and the ideas that they want to promote. She describes her career in Silicon Valley and how it led her to be part of the food industry. Micki also explains the effects of climate change on the ag economy and ag innovations. “Selling to a corn grower in Iowa is not at all the same as selling to a strawberry farmer in California or Chile.” - Micki Seibel This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Solving the problem of rural connectivity in AgTech. Where her interest in food and agriculture stems from. The different companies she has worked for previously. The technical experience she gathered before becoming part of the AgTech industry. How she developed an interest in the connectivity problem in agriculture. Her thoughts on AgTech and IoT companies and what they should focus on. The people behind Radical Growth and the aim of the company. What it takes to sell the same product to a variety of ag markets. The difference between AgTech and a typical tech investing business. Will the ag industry favor indoor farms or regenerative agriculture? The effects of climate change on agriculture innovations. Resource: SWARM TECHNOLOGIES Episode 87: BLOCKCHAIN AND THE INTERNET OF FOOD WITH RAJA RAMACHANDRAN OF RIPE.IO Connect with Micki Seibel Radicle Growth LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Mike Barrow is the Project Lead at OpenVino, a company that aims to create the first-ever open-source, transparent winery, and wine-based cryptocurrency under the Costaflores label. Costaflores is a boutique organic winery based in Argentina. As suggested, OpenVino will rely on blockchain technology to engage in a new and innovative way of selling wine products. With over 30 years of experience in IT, data science, and cloud services, Mike aims to disrupt the wine world with a business that converts consumers into shareholders. Mike joins me today to share how OpenVino will innovate the way we consume wine through blockchain tech. He shares his passion for wine, what inspired him to start OpenVino, and why he chose to make the company open-source. He explains their data collecting strategies and how consumers can benefit from buying their cryptocurrency. Mike also describes how wine is priced and why quality is second to story. “The quality of the wine is not dictated by the quality parameter as much as the story behind it.” - Mike Barrow This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How an open-source winery works and how you can profit from it. Why it's difficult to sell wine regardless of price. The questions that led him to start an open-source winery. The data he needs to collect and how he makes sure his customers understand it. How blockchain fits into their business strategy. A quick recap of what blockchain is and how it works. Determining the best price for their wine products. Why they chose to tokenize their wine production. Resource: Episode 110: How Carbon Trading Can Benefit Farmers with Aldyen Donnelly of Nori Episode 189 - Farmers Building Their Own Open Source Technology Connect with Mike Barrow Costaflores OpenVino LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Reinier van der Lee is the CEO & Founder of Vinduino, an AgTech company that supports farmers and other producers in the ag industry with products that improve profits and fruit quality as well as increase yield. One of the company’s latest products is the Vinduino R4 Sensor station, an open-source sensor that gives farmers data on water usage and efficiency. Reinier also owns a 4-acre vineyard and credits his need for better irrigation management as the reason why he founded Vinduino. Reinier joins me today to share how Vinduino is helping farmers gather the kind of data they need and understand when it comes to water management. He explains how their products work, what separates them from other AgTech companies, and why knowing how much water you’re using is critical to your business. He also discusses why he chose to keep their products open source and shares some of the upcoming events and projects they have lined up this year. “Water use is important because it impacts the quality and yield of your crop.” - Reinier van der Lee This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The contributing factors of understanding their need for water. The methods they used to determine how much water they should use. How Vinduino’s software provides water data for farmers. What inspired them to name their product "Vinduino." Where Reinier’s interest in growing grapes rose from. Why they chose to keep their program open-source. Encouraging others who are not tech savvy to innovate existing solutions. When he decided to scale this his business. What it means to sort good solutions from bad solutions. Why simply more data from sensors is not good enough. What's next for the Vinduino company? Resource: Citizen Science Hackaday Connect with Reinier van der Lee Vinduino Reiner van de Lee We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

David Chan is the COO and Founding Team Member at Farm Together, a company that offers a simplified approach to US farmland investment. The company not only serves Americans, but also welcomes foreign investors who are interested in growing their assets or simply having a continuous source of income in their retirement. David has over five years of Fin-Tech experience in the ag industry. He describes himself as a meteorologist by background, but a financier and technologist by training. David earned his MBA at Harvard Business School and is also part of the Board of Directors at the Harvard Alumni for Agriculture. David joins me today to share how their company, Farm Together, will make it easier for local and foreign investors to invest in US farmlands. He explains how their platform works, when their investors get paid, and the due diligence they conduct prior to putting a property for sale. He discusses several risks involved in investing in different states. David also describes how they plan to put regenerative agriculture in the limelight. “You must consider what the environment may look like in the future when you are purchasing these properties today.” - David Chan This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Connecting insurance, farmlands, and current trends in institutional investments. The characteristics of the typical user and investor on their platform. How foreign investors can own farm lands in different locations. How their due diligence process works. Knowing the risks of investing in farmlands and how they calculate for them. Why water is always a risk in any irrigated agriculture. How they inform investors of earnings and how investors make money. The feedback they receive from their clients. The SIGMA legislation in California and what it is about. The steps they have taken to make regenerative agriculture mainstream. Connect with David Chan Farm Together Email: [email protected] We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Kenneth Quinn is the former President of the World Food Prize Foundation, an organization that seeks to give individuals recognition for achievements that directly improve the quality, quantity, and availability of food in the world. Kenneth is often referred to as “the Ambassador” because he was the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia. During his time as President, he received various high-level honors and awards from different organizations, including The American Farm Bureau and The Crop Science Society of America. Kenneth joins me today to describe what the World Food Prize Foundation stands for, how it got started, and what makes it similar and different to the Nobel Peace Prize. He shares his journey, his time as Ambassador, and how he began to follow in the footsteps of Norman Borlaug. He explains the current state of agriculture across various countries and the agricultural hindrances that America needs to fix. Kenneth also discusses what he wants his legacy to be and the dangers that Americans face in regards to agricultural research. “That's what I look for in the world: building peace through agriculture.” - Kenneth Quinn This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Kenneth's life before agriculture and how he started to work in the industry. The countries he’s worked with and the projects he has spearheaded. The laureates who stood out to him over the years and their accomplishments. Their international reach and the different nationalities in their group. Notable agricultural milestones that ushered in an era of peace in American history. His thoughts on China's road and rural infrastructure over the last few decades. How roads are connected to hunger and suffering. The history of the World Food Prize Foundation. Addressing the challenge of feeding 10-billion people on the planet. What he wants his legacy to be for the organization and the world. The danger America faces when it comes to agricultural research. Resources Mentioned: Freedom From Famine The Wizard and the Prophet Norman Borlaug Connect with Kenneth Quinn World Food Prize Ambassador Kenneth Quinn Archive We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Happy New Year, and welcome to everyone listening to the very first episode of the year for the Future of Agriculture podcast. 2019 was such a good year for the show and was rife with amazing guests bearing their trade secrets and intelligent insights into the world of agriculture. To commemorate the year we had, I decided to categorize the overarching themes that summarize what 2019 was like for the Future of Agriculture podcast. In today’s episode, I discuss the five trends that governed much of the events in 2019. I share a few clips of the most well-received episodes that relate to the trends we had. I discuss some of the trends that we’ll be doing a deeper dive this year and some of the changes that will happen. I also share some of your wonderful ideas and suggestions. “Technology takes away gatekeepers in the food industry, just as it had done so in other industries.” This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The five themes we discussed in the show throughout 2019. What it means to quantitatively prove farm sustainability The importance of farmer profitability when it comes to innovation Why we should be worried about the future of water for the ag industry Changing Five Minute Farmer to Farmer's Spotlight What's coming for 2020 on the Future of Ag Podcast Ideas to improve the show and audience suggestions. Resources Mentioned: Managing the Modern Farm Business with Farmers Justin Dahlgren and Eric Thalken Tackling Tough Questions about AgTech with Renee Vassilos Water Economics with Dr David Zetland Real Meat Without the Animal with Mike Selden of Finless Foods Plant-Based and Cellular Agriculture Alternatives with Bruce Friedrich of GFI We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Joe Swartz is the Vice President and Lead Horticulturist at AmHydro, a company recognized as a top innovator in the ag industry and focused on developing products that promote efficient hydroponic growing systems. Joe is also widely recognized as one of the leading consultants when it comes to Controlled Environment Agricultural industries that include commercial greenhouse farms. He specializes in crop production improvements, pesticide-free insect and disease control, and professional grower training, among other skills. Joe joins me today to discuss the economic implications of fusing traditional farming with greenhouse technology. He shares why he is interested in greenhouse farming and how he initially tried it himself. He explains how controlled ag works and the factors required to make it work. He describes the benefits traditional farmers can reap from adapting greenhouse operations. Joe also shares some of the limitations of controlled environment agriculture. “Incorporation of greenhouse techniques into an existing traditional farm is really a very natural and very positive progression.” - Joe Swartz This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: What Joe's focus was before he became invested on greenhouse technology. Where his interest in controlled ag came from. The importance of the environment and location when it comes to controlled ag. The practicalities of controlled ag during the winter. Benefits of merging traditional farming and controlled environments. The return on investment when it comes to greenhouse farming. Encouraging the youth to join the ag industry. Limiting factors of setting up a controlled environment type of farm. Determining standards of practices for controlled environments. Resources Mentioned: Hydroponics and Controlled Environment Ag with Joe Swartz of American Hydroponics Connect with Joe Swartz AmHydro Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Richard Collins is the owner of California Endive Farms, a farming operation that specializes in growing endive, a vegetable of the chicory family that is so special, it’s grown twice. Due to the strict conditions and labor-intensive manner of growing it, the endive was deemed a rare crop to produce. However, Rich took advantage of this fact and decided to niche down and focus on building a farming business around it. Today, California Endive Farms is still the largest American endive grower. Rich joins us to share the story of how he learned about the endive plant and what made him decide to grow such a complicated crop. He explains what endives are, why they’re difficult to grow, and the market potential it has. He describes the various factors they have to consider and how they manage to control them on their farm. Rich also shares why there’s hardly any competition for them when it comes to growing endive. “There's a huge window of opportunity for us to grow crops in a much more rational manner with respect to soil and water resources.” - Rich Collins This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Rich’s journey in the ag industry and the people who influenced his business decisions. What endive is, why it needs to grow in the absence of light, and the difficulty in farming it. What the market is like for endive, its uses, and its health benefits. How marketable is it growing endive as a primary source of income? The factors that influence endive growth and the conditions they control. Finding a niche like endive farming today compared to what it was like decades ago. The competition for endive growing and why they hardly have competition. The costs of growing endive and why it's not easy to automate. Connect with Rich Collins California Endive Farms We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Bruce Friedrich is Co-Founder and Executive Director at The Good Food Institute (GFI), a company that promotes plant-based and cultivated meat food products by making them just as good, just as convenient, and just as affordable as real meat. Their company has several branches in over six countries, all working towards the goal of making the alternative meat industry more attractive to consumers. Bruce oversees the business’ global strategy and programs. He also works with its directors, staff, and international representatives to guarantee the effectiveness of their programs. Bruce joins me today to discuss how GFI is making plant-based and cultivated meat products more consumer-friendly and just as competitive as traditional meat. He shares where he drew inspiration to innovate food, how the idea of starting GFI began and the company’s current progress. Bruce also explains why they’re not here to disrupt the meat industry and shares his thoughts on animal agriculture. “Animal-based meat is made up of fats, proteins, minerals, and water. All of that exists in the plant kingdom.” - Bruce Friedrich This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How Bruce became passionate about improving the world through food innovation. Replacing meat with foods that cost the same or less with their product. Appealing to palatability and cost over environmental impact. What if plant-based meats and traditional meat product consumption rose together? The time needed for consumers to adapt to cultivated meat. How far along they are with regards to scaling their cultivated and plant-based meat products. His thoughts on animal agriculture and their business focus as a company. The difference between disrupting and transforming the meat industry. The big milestones he is excited about in the near future. Resources Mentioned Quorn Connect with Bruce Friedrich The Good Food Institute Essential Reading and Research This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Russ Conser is the CEO of Blue Nest Beef, a regenerative agriculture and food startup. What makes Blue Nest Beef special is how they raise cattle from bird-friendly land, citing that the presence of birds indicates a healthy agricultural ecosystem. Russ specializes in soil health and regenerative agriculture, business strategy development, and managing highly creative people. He was also featured on the podcast two years ago, where he talked about the benefits of multi-paddock grazing. Russ joins me today to discuss how Blue Nest Beef is promoting regenerative agriculture. He explains how birds indicate the health of the ecosystem and why it’s critical to farm on bird-friendly land. He shares data that indicates the benefits of raising cattle over not raising it from a greenhouse gas perspective. He shares the type of grazing system they want other farmers to adapt and why it benefits the soil. Russ also describes why regenerative agriculture is important to every person on Earth, regardless of your political affiliation. “The birds are the treasure - and the measure.” - Russ Conser This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Defining Regenerative Agriculture and what it's supposed to do. The importance of bird presence in agriculture. Informing consumers on how the food system works and how Blue Nest Beef plans to do it. How Blue Nest Beef works and what sets them apart from other farms. The grazing system they promote and how rotational grazing benefits the soil. Why Regenerative Agriculture is an apolitical issue. Resources and tools Russ is interested in using and working with. Data that says producing beef through regenerative agriculture is better than not producing beef at all. Resources Mentioned Episode 044: Grassfed Beef Through Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing Eddy Covariance Flux Towers Connect with Russ Conser Blue Nest Beef Facebook Twitter This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. Ray Goldberg holds the title of George M. Moffett Professor of Agriculture and Business, Emeritus at Harvard Business School. He’s among the pioneers of modern agribusiness, coining the term himself. He is the author of Food Citizenship, a book that talks about the global food system and the many faces that are leading the charge in changing the way we look at food and agriculture forever. Ray has decades of experience in the industry, from authoring journal articles and teaching materials to holding seminars about climate and its effect on food systems. Ray joins me today to share the progress the ag industry has made over the many years he has watched over it. He describes the need to form a group of individuals that represent different parts of the industry, the reason why he authored his latest book, and what readers can expect. He explains the relationship between capitalism and agriculture, and why the government needs to help small farmers more. Ray also shares his thoughts on millennials and why he looks forward to what they can bring for the next generation. “Unless we get the food system done correctly, we won’t have the kind of productivity or the kind of lifestyle we want for future generations.” - Dr. Ray Goldberg This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Why his first meeting with those in the food and ag business was a disaster. How they came to the decision to constantly renew ag information and relationships annually. The need to limit the number of people in his group. His criteria in choosing the people to be included in his book. The relationship between capitalism in agriculture and the public good. When he coined the term ‘agribusiness’. Why he was adamant at bringing important people in agriculture together. Living in an era of distrust in the food system. His thoughts on millennials and their acceptance of change. The big questions he's always asking himself throughout his career. Why small scale farmers should have more support from the government. Connect with Dr. Ray Goldberg Harvard Business School Book: Food Citizenship We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Colin Hurd is an entrepreneur and the Business Development Manager at Raven Industries, a highly diversified technology company that provides innovative products and solutions to help feed, connect, and protect the world. Raven Industries recently acquired Smart Ag, a company founded by Colin. Smart Ag is a tech company that develops autonomous farming solutions, selling products that allow farming equipment and machinery to be operated remotely, similar to drones. Colin founded Smart Ag to address the growing labor crisis in production agriculture. Colin joins me today to discuss why he formed Smart Ag and the kind of technology and solutions they offer to farmers. He describes how he was driven to start Smart Ag, the problems he wants to address, and the people who helped him put the company in the market. He explains the need for Smart Ag to be acquired by Raven Industries and the benefits it has received. Colin also discusses some of the challenges their company faced as a startup, and how he and his team solved them. “What’s different about a startup versus a large company is everything is just hyper-compressed; things happen at light speed.” - Colin Hurd This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The journey that led him to start Smart Ag. Labor scarcity and how it became a large problem in the industry. The people who inspired him to focus on autonomous ag technology. Determining whether someone can be a co-founder or the first employee. The challenges of starting a company that promotes autonomous tech. The technical problems they focused on and solved for their company to become successful. Differences between pre and post-acquisition of Smart Ag. Comparing and contrasting a startup and a large corporation. What it means to have an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. Connect with Colin Hurd Smart Ag Raven Industries LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Mariana Vasconcelos is the Founder of Agrosmart, a platform that brings digital agriculture to countries with low internet infrastructures under tropical agronomic conditions. The MIT Technology Review selected her as one of the Most Brilliant Innovators Under 35 and a Global Ambassador for Thought of Food. Being a farmer’s daughter, Mariana was aware of the problems that plague small farmers, especially when it comes to decisions about crops. To solve this gap, she proposed the idea to use AI and IoT to acquire more productive, sustainable, and economic agriculture which is what Agrosmart represents. Mariana joins me today to discuss how Agrosmart works and the problems it seeks to solve for farmers in developing countries. She shares where her drive to start her company came from and the challenges of finding capital and investors. She describes how the data they collect can impact farming practices, especially in countries where farmers rely on instinct to make crop decisions. Mariana also explains why Brazil holds a lot of potential in terms of agriculture and the rising startup economy. “We wanted to shift intuition-based decisions to fact-based decisions.” - Mariana Vasconcelos This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Where Mariana saw the problem that needed to be addressed in the ag industry. The changes their data can impact on the current farm systems. Why they shifted from irrigation to a digital ag platform. The farmers that can benefit the most from their platform. How farmers can adapt their practices to climate change. The countries they're currently working in and some of their future projects. The crops they focus on and how their platform is universal. Dealing with rural connectivity problems in Latin America. The ag startup ecosystem in Brazil and the kind of companies that are rising. The most challenging aspects of scaling a Brazilian startup. Resources Mentioned: Innovators Under 35 Connect with Mariana Vasconcelos Agrosmart LinkedIn This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Shay Myers is an onion expert and the owner of Owyhee Produce. Owyhee Produce is a 3rd generation family farm and one of the biggest vertically-integrated onion farms in the United States. Their farm grows enough onions to provide adequate supplies that reach about 6 million Americans annually. Other than managing an onion farm, Shay is also a produce industry influence and agriculture keynote speaker. He is currently working to provide asparagus, hemp, and sweet potatoes to American families on top of their onions. Shay joins me today to describe how their farm differs from most growers when it comes to vertical integration. He shares how his dream to fly was granted when he returned to manage the farm. He discusses some of the early mistakes he’s made as the lead farmer and what he learned from them. Shay also explains some of the challenges in the ag industry, particularly when it comes to working with companies and people, and why the US safe practices system is broken and easily exploitable. “You can't expect the consumer to be willing to pay you a fair price for something if they don't know what it takes.” - Shay Myers This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Pursuing his passion for flying by having a career in agriculture. How his family responded to his desire to return to farming. What vertical integration is in agriculture and some examples. Some of the mistakes he's made in the industry and what he learned from them. The difference between a yam and sweet potato and why the US doesn't grow yams. What he believes is the most challenging hurdle in today's ag industry. Processing differences between mint oil and CBD oil. His thoughts on growing our own food and importing them and why the US is at a disadvantage. Eliminating labor and overhead costs with innovative technology. Why the system surrounding safety practices is broken. Connect with Shay Myers Owyhee Produce LinkedIn This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. Fatma Kaplan and Cameron Schiller founded Pheronym, an agricultural biotech company that provides safe, non-toxic, and innovative solutions to solve numerous agricultural problems. They also recently become involved in the development of space nematodes under the company AstroNematode. AstroNematode seeks to establish interstellar agriculture for Earth. The first launching experiment will happen this December and provide data to pave the way for sustainable agriculture outside of Earth. Dr. Fatma and Cameron join me today to share their latest project, AstroNematode, and how it can help provide sustainable solutions for future generations. They describe the origins of this idea and the companies that helped fund the project. They discuss their tie-ins with private companies like Space-X and explain the experiments that will happen in space. They also share what it’s like to work on this project while running Pheronym at the same time. “If you're going to colonize the moon and Mars, we need to have agriculture.” - Dr. Fatma Kaplan This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How the project got started and where they found funding. The best qualities of the project and what it can provide data scientists. Their contingencies when the project doesn't work as planned. The kind of animals NASA plans to take to Mars. Why they think nematodes can survive and reproduce in space. The upcoming launch and how the nematodes will be packaged. Making sure the experiments are running smoothly while they remain on Earth. How they manage to run a startup and the nematode project at the same time. Resources Mentioned Microscopic Biological Pest Wars with Fatma Kaplan and Cameron Schiller of Pheronym Connect with Dr. Fatma Kaplan and Cameron Schiller Pheronym AstroNematode Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Bill York is the Founding Partner, CEO, and Chief Credit Officer at FarmOp Capital, a lending company that provides funding primarily to farm operators. Their independent business model allows farmers to decide which suppliers to buy from. Bill has over 40 years of experience in the ag lending space and has held senior positions in various major ag lending companies. He specializes in business development, particularly increasing profits and assets of the businesses he works with. Bill York joins me to describe what FarmOp Capital is and its efforts to provide farmers with a helping hand in receiving capital loans. He explains the trends that make their company ripe for the ag industry and the benefits of doing business with them from a farmer’s perspective. He also shares the criteria and requirements they have for their customers and explains what sets their company apart from traditional lending companies. “If you’re able to get a loan that is timely and adequate to meet all of your operating needs, you’re better able to purchase inputs efficiently to buy the optimum level of inputs and actually reduce your costs.” - Bill York This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Converging trends that make the industry perfect for FarmOp Capital. How FarmOp works and the services they offer. How soon farmers should seek a loan to benefit the most from them. The customers they are targeting for the loan services they offer. The kind of crop materials they help farmers finance. Working directly with the customer and the team they assembled for the job. Transitioning from big agricultural lending companies to working with a startup. Why it will be difficult to have competition in what they do. The difference between the typical loan application and what they offer. Assessing the current farm-risk situation and his outlook. Connect with Bill York: FarmOp Capital We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Anastasia Volkova is the CEO and Founder of FluroSat, a company that provides scientifically-proven solutions to common agricultural problems through advanced remote sensing technologies and data from both airborne and satellite platforms. She is also an aeronautical engineer and obtained her Ph.D. in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Sydney. Anastasia uses her vast academic knowledge as well as experience in project management in various organizations to make FluroSat the next big thing in AgTech. Anastasia joins me today to discuss how FluroSat works to provide artificial intelligence (AI) for Precision Agriculture Decision Support. She shares why she decided to work in agriculture and what drove her to start FluroSat. She explains how their approach can help farmers and agronomists improve their data collection process and gather more accurate data from their farms. She also explains the limitations of their product and why they decided to expand their service to the US instead of focusing exclusively on Australian agricultural markets. “The barriers to adoption of precision agriculture are, first and foremost, the fact that data is siloed.” - Anastasia Volkova This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: When she decided to stop being an aeronautical engineer and focus on agriculture. Barriers that are preventing farmers from making AI part of precision agriculture. How FluroSat's approach can help agronomists and farmers gather data for their farms. How their product works and the important data it provides to farmers. Success stories where their product improved a farmer's business. Where her experience in aeronautical engineering comes into play. The limitations of their product in the context of crop types. The reasons they decided to expand in the US instead of focusing on Australia. How FluroSat makes money and makes their investors happy. Resources Mentioned: Zapier Connect with Anastasia Volkova: FluroSat This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

FOA174 Bringing People to the Table to Innovate in Animal Agriculture with Kerryann Kocher Kerryann Cocher is a Principal at Rock Road Consulting, a practice that focuses on improving the translation of science and technology into something that will give value to farmers, ranchers, and other producers. Kerryann specializes in helping struggling ag businesses to be competitive again by providing re-engineering solutions. She is also an expert on animal health, feed ingredients, and protein production. Kerryann joins me today to share the various opportunities and untapped potential in animal agriculture. She describes the challenges that the animal agriculture industry currently faces and the solutions she proposes to resolve these issues. She also explains how she brings people to the table to innovate in animal agriculture and why she remains motivated about the success of the animal agriculture industry. “It’s more than a choice to play in ag; it’s a lifelong commitment.” - Kerryann Kocher This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The jump she made from working in the corporate environment to starting a company of her own. Practical problems she helps her clients address. The reason behind the lack of innovation regarding animal health. How to make the animal agriculture industry more innovative to catch up with the competition. Areas of agriculture that are more at risk than others. How dietary changes can affect the meat and dairy industry. The conversations she's had with industry professionals about the future of protein. Why she remains motivated in the success of the animal ag industry. Resources Mentioned: Future of Agriculture 023: JJ Jones of the Center for Food Integrity Cultivated Conversations Connect with Kerryann Kocher: Rock Road Consulting Roots and Legacies LinkedIn This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Mike Selden is the Co-Founder and CEO of Finless Foods, a startup that aims for a more sustainable future through advanced cellular agriculture technologies. Their projects revolve around growing fish meat and other seafood products from cells. Mike is a trained biochemist and has experience working as a researcher and educator. He also has researched numerous ways to solve food crises in Africa as well as marine conservation in South East Asia. Mike joins us to explain the many benefits of growing meat from cells and the ways it can improve life, not just on Earth but also in outer space. He shares how their company can produce real meat without the animal and the big scale effect it will have on the economy. Mike also discusses some of the reasons why this project isn’t against fishermen, how it can solve overfishing problems, and how it can help otherwise expensive fish products become more affordable. “We're growing it directly from the cells, so no whole animals are needed after that first initial sample.” - Mike Selden This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Explaining the case for cell-grown meat and why it's exciting. The benefits of cell-grown meat for people and the environment. How they plan to sell their products to the average consumer. The inspiration behind starting Finless Foods. Why they chose to start experimenting with fish cells. How space agriculture factors in with the products they want to produce. The variables involved in mass-producing cell-grown meats. Solving the waste problems they may produce in the future. The financial side of scaling this type of product. The kind of progress we can look forward to if their product becomes successful. Connect with Mike Selden: Finless Foods Twitter Facebook Instagram Mike Selden Twitter We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Shonda Warner is the Owner of Chess Ag Full Harvest Partners, an asset management business that specializes in investing in the agricultural industry. She has over 25 years of experience in financial asset management and once held the position of Executive Director at Goldman Sachs. Shonda gained experience in trading grains from her career at Cargill in Kansas City and Minneapolis. Shonda joins me today to discuss how Chess Ag Full Harvest works and how it makes investing in agriculture easier. She shares her inspiration for starting the company, the systems they have in place, and their commitment to having a good impact on the environment. Shonda also shares her advice to those who want to start a business in the ag industry. “We need to be good stewards of the earth and the communities in which we’re active.” - Shonda Warner This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How she formed the idea of starting Chess Ag Full Harvest Partners The company's first investments and their returns. The problems they want to solve involving ancillary services to make farming a successful venture. Her sales pitch to investors and the projects she proposed. Their commitment to the environment and the community. The scale of their operations and their plans for further expansion. The products they produce in their facilities. Her advice to the young generation who are interested in starting their own ag business. Resources mentioned: Farmacopia Farms Connect with Shonda Warner: Chess Ag Full Harvest Partners We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. John Cumbers is the founder of SynBioBeta. SynBioBeta prides itself as the premier innovation network for innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and biological engineers. Their focus is introducing synthetic biology innovations to improve the human condition and make life more sustainable. John is a recipient of multiple grants and awards from NASA and the National Academy of Sciences for his work in the industry. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry from Brown University, his MSc in Bioinformatics from Edinburgh University, and a degree in Computer Science with Information Engineering from the University of Hull. John joins me today to discuss the potential of synthetic biology if applied to today’s agriculture sector. He explains what SynBioBeta stands for, what they want to accomplish, and the innovations we can look forward to as consumers. He shares his thoughts on lab-grown meat, the Anti-GMO crowds, and the future of Mars exploration. John also discusses what we can look forward to from their Beta Space Event. “Synthetic biology is not actually what you do - it’s the way you do it.” - Dr. John Cumbers This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: What SynBioBeta is and what they aim to achieve with synthetic biology. The innovations synthetic biology has made possible. His thoughts on plant-based meats and cell-based meats. How Rural America can benefit from what he calls the "Bio Belt." What needs to happen to pursue a "Bio Belt" hub program. How the Anti-GMO community reacts to their technological innovations. Why everybody should have a bio strategy. What extremophiles are and how they can help produce food in space. His opinion on the future of Mars exploration. What people can look forward to the Beta Space event. Resources mentioned: BetaSpace Connect with Dr. John Cumbers: SynBioBeta Book: What's Your Bio Strategy? Podcast The Mycelium Revolution: How a mushroom can make food, plastic, and more This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. Poornima Parameswaran is the President and Co-Founder of Trace Genomics. Trace Genomics is a company that based its business around mapping living soil, analyzing its microbial content, and helping growers maximize yield potential without sacrificing sustainability. Poornima’s goal is to build the world’s most massive actionable body of soil intelligence, allowing even ordinary farmers to have access to expert information on what’s underground. Poornima earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, her entrepreneurial skills at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and her Bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. Poornima joins me today to discuss how Trace Genomics seeks to improve farm yield and sustainability through genetic testing for soil. She shares the benefits of knowing which microbes are dominant in a particular farmland. She also explains how their analytics engine works, their process, and what a typical scenario using their technology would be like. “There are two sides of the coin when you’re looking at what is causing production losses above ground.” - Dr. Poornima Parameswaran This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The questions farmers have before submitting soil samples. Diseases that can be prevented by genetic testing for soil Knowing when it is a soil health issue instead of a disease problem. Developing food in the perspective of sustainability and not just increased yields. How they know which microbes are important for the soil. The challenges that are top of mind to growers regarding soil health. The action steps they can take based on the data they gathered from growers. Variability of microbe samples in similar soil samples. How they reconcile the difference between gene presence and gene expression. Why they don't have that many companies as competition. Connect with Dr. Poornima Parameswaran: Trace Genomics This episode is sponsored by Indigo Ag What if surviving a drought began with just a microbe? What could accessing 10,000 buyers do for your agriculture business? Indigo Ag helps farmers improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health by working with growers to reimagine every aspect of the agriculture industry - from soil to sale. To learn more about Indigo Ag and their mission to improve the environment and agriculture industry, visit IndigoAg.com/Questions Indigo. From questions… we grow. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Carter Malloy is the Founder and CEO of AcreTrader, an online platform that seeks to provide a bridge that connects investors and farm sellers. Before starting his company, Carter was a successful Managing Director at Stephens Inc., a large private investment bank. His passion for conservation and agriculture was drawn from his experience growing up in an Arkansas farming family. This passion eventually led to founding AcreTrader. Carter joins me to share what AcreTrader can do for farm owners and people seeking a long-term investment. He explains how the platform works, what a typical transaction would look like, and some of the fees involved. Carter discusses the total amount of investments in farmland and why it’s still insignificant from the perspective of the entire ag industry. He also describes some of the reasons why farm sellers should use their platform over traditional methods. “There's a lot of ways we can work with people who want to sell farmland. For us, it's exciting to bring new solutions to the market.” - Carter Malloy This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Why he left a successful career in investments to start AcreTrader. The amount of private equity money invested in farmland. The requirements needed to bring the right deals out to the public. Motivations for sellers to use AcreTrader as a platform. How their platform works to provide information in a digestible format. The deal flow and access to market barriers and how they break them. How he describes the ideal seller on AcreTrader. What they do when a partner exits the platform and their contract. Resources Mentioned: CrowdFARMING with Chris Rawley of Harvest Returns Connect with Carter Malloy: AcreTrader We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

A brief summary of this episode

Dr. Ray Wheeler is NASA’s Plant Physiologist and the lead for Advanced Life Support Research activities in the Exploration Research and Technology Program at Kennedy Space Center. He began his career at NASA in 1988 and the bulk of his research revolved around the use of hydroponic techniques for space farming experiments. One of Ray’s goals is to allow humanity to grow safe and nutritious crops off the Earth. Ray joins me today to discuss some of NASA’s recent developments regarding planting crops in space. He shares some of the systems and tech that have been made commercial in the ag industry and explains why it’s difficult to experiment with plants in space. Ray also describes some of the benefits of being able to grow plants on other planets. “We've been trying to manipulate the environment to accommodate plants. Now we have the tools to manipulate plants to fit into the environment.” - Dr. Ray Wheeler This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The research he's conducted that has made it in today's agriculture industry. How NASA helped in terrestrial applications of space farming. His recent projects that could be applied commercially in the future. Solving the ever-increasing CO2 emissions with space farming tech. Recent progress on the experimental planting chambers in space. Deciding which crops show promise for space production. The water content of Mars and the prospect of someday growing food there. The critical benefits of being able to grow plants in space. Recovering as much water as possible in space. The effects of low gravity environments on plant growth. His advice for people interested in space farming technology. Resources Mentioned: Agriculture for Space: People and Places Paving the Way Connect with Dr. Ray Wheeler: NASA LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Robert Saik is a professional agriculture consultant, author, distinguished agrologist, and thought leader. He is a serial entrepreneur who has founded over 15 companies in the agriculture sector. His latest project, AGvisorPRO, is an app that seeks to instantly connect farmers with experts to help them with their queries and problems. Robert is also the CEO of DOT Farm Solutions, a company that specializes in the development of autonomous robotic farming equipment. Robert joins me today to discuss AGvisorPRO and how it works to support farmers. He shares his reason why he is continually starting new companies, his inspiration to write books, and his personal take on the current state of the ag industry. He describes the importance of sustainability in supporting a growing population as well as provide ideas on how to improve farm efficiency. Robert also explains how the DOT system works and the biggest contribution it can provide the industry. “If the farm isn't economically viable, there is no sustainability. So long as we have people, agriculture needs to be sustainable.” - Robert Saik This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The inspiration that led Robert to write his latest book. Describing the importance of agricultural sustainability. Recent observations in agriculture and how they compare from five years ago. The demand for transparency from the ag sector. His conversation with Bill Gates. AGvisorPRO and how it helps farmers with quick advice. Traditional farm systems vs a DOT system and how DOT products work. The future of DOT technology and implements. Resources Mentioned: Will Agriculture Be Allowed To Feed 9 Billion People? Abundance 360 Future of Agriculture 095: Could Organic and GMO be on the Same Team with Rob Saik Connect with Robert Saik: AGvisorPro DOT Book: Food 5.0 We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Lee Addams is the CEO of CropMetrics, a company that pursues innovation in US irrigation services and provide smart irrigation solutions to growers. Lee has experience in business model innovation, business unit growth strategizing, enterprise-level sustainability strategizing, and public sector water resources. He obtained his Ph.D. in Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University and is also a Post-Doc Fellow for Water Resources/International Development at Columbia University in the City of New York. Lee joins me today to share his passion for improving water irrigation efficiency as well as water sustainability. He describes how he became interested in water irrigation and what led him to work with CropMetrics. He explains how their system works and how it can benefit growers. Lee also discusses what a transaction would look like with a farmer and how they convince them to join. “It's what's happening to 12, 18, to 24 inches under the ground that you don't see. That's what's affecting what water your crop is needing right then, at the moment.” - Lee Addams This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How Lee found interest in working with CropMetrics. The story behind CropMetrics and their vision. The special technology used by CropMetrics that separates them from other startups. The type of data they plan to utilize to make irrigation more efficient. His thoughts on long term water viability. How they transact their business with growers and what convinces them to join. What they do for farmers who are hesitant in trying something new. Connect with Lee Addams: CropMetrics Twitter This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law. Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Chris Damico is the CEO and Founder at Farm’d. Farm’d is described as an online platform that enables farmers to connect to local buyers directly. The idea was born from annual price hikes, long transits, and expensive middlemen. Chris’ company benefit farmers through their transparency in market prices and profitability, as well as offer convenient ways to confirm and adjust orders in real time. Chris joins me today to describe how Farm’d works and how farmers can join the platforms. He shares what it was like to source for capital and the company’s humble beginnings. He explains how their platform works, the services they offer, and the benefits to both consumer and seller. Chris also discusses what they’re looking for in future users. “If the technology's not right at the right time, it's not going to work.” - Chris Damico This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How he stumbled on the issues regarding food sourcing. Putting farmers first and how their programs work. Handling food demand and how their farmers are prepared to sell direct. Why the online marketplace is everything in this type of business. The profitability of being part of their system. Sourcing funds from angel investors when they were starting out. Their criteria for farmers wanting to join their platform. Connect with Chris Damico: Farm’d Instagram Facebook We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Leif Chastaine is the Co-founder and COO of WaterBit. WaterBit is a precision ag irrigation company that wants to solve farming problems through its Automated Irrigation Solution technology. Before Leif cofounded WaterBit, he founded and helped grow other companies in the IoT and photography industry. He obtained his BBA in Production and Operations Management from Boise State University. Leif joins me today to explain how WaterBit can help farmers gather water data through their sensor technology. He shares the humble beginnings of WaterBit and the difficulty in raising funds for this kind of startup. He discusses the pain points farmers have and how they built a solution around those issues. Leif also describes how WaterBit is unique in a type of market that is always full of standout startups. “Someday we'll get to the point where you just walk out into the field, stick a device anywhere, and it just simply works.” - Leif Chastaine This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How WaterBit got started and the problems they want to address. Their sensor technology and how it works for farmers and irrigation needs. Why water cost isn't the pain point their market is concerned with. Staying close to home in terms of company expansion. How WaterBit stands out in the type of industry they're in. Placing sensors in the field and how it gathers data. Their company's plans for the future and the tech they plan to develop. Connect with Leif Chastaine: WaterBit This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law. Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. Colin Bell is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Growcentia, a company that specializes in microbial plant bio-stimulants and the developers of Mammoth Microbes. Mammoth Microbes is a product designed to help cultivators find solutions for problems ranging from soil health to crop profitability. He left his position as Research Scientist I at Colorado State University to run a startup that is set to revolutionize the way the ag world looks at microbes. Colin obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology, Soil Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Ecology as well as his Ph.D. in Biology and Soil Microbial Ecology from Texas Tech University. Colin joins me today to share how Mammoth Microbes can help the cannabis industry reach its full agricultural potential. He describes his life as a researcher and why he wanted to start Mammoth Microbes. He explains how their product works and it's potential for cannabis cultivators. Colin also discusses some of the company’s plans for the future. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Lanie White, the fourth generation owner of the McFarland White Ranch. “Water is the unwritten constitution of California.” - Adam Borchard This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Colin's career background and his work at Mammoth Microbes. The origins of Mammoth Microbes and how they came with the base tech they have in the market today. His transition from academia into the startup world. Their identity as a company and how they differentiate themselves in the industry. The data point on cannabis production and how they use them. The persona of the average cannabis grower today. Differences between outdoor grown cannabis and indoor grown varieties. Plans for the future and projects to look forward to. Connect with Dr. Colin Bell: Mammoth Microbes Mammoth Microbes Instagram Mammoth Microbes LinkedIn Colin Bell Instagram This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law. Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Adam Borchard is a Regulatory Advocate for the Association of California Water Agencies or ACWA. ACWA is an organization that seeks to inform Californians regarding their water supply and its policies. He has been actively representing California’s best interests in water policies for over five years and experienced drafting memoranda on various water-related acts in their state. Adam obtained his Juris Doctor in Environmental, Water, Public Agency Law from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law and his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis. Adam joins me today to discuss California’s water problems and enlighten us on what its future looks like from a sustainable and political viewpoint. He shares California’s water problem history and explains why it’s difficult to tackle the idea of entities owning water. He discusses some of the projects he believes will greatly help the state if fully implemented. Adam also describes the next big problem that will need to be solved in the future. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Lanie White, the fourth generation owner of the McFarland White Ranch. “Water is the unwritten constitution of California.” - Adam Borchard This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: California's water issues and a little history. Who currently owns water and how it affects the farming industry. The state's geographical imbalance and how it affects the population. His most difficult project to date and regulating water. How water rights can be revoked and seniority factors. The event that became a major water wake up call for Californians. The next problem that California and the rest of the world will have to tackle. Connect with Adam Borchard: ACWA LinkedIn This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law. Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. Michael Miille is the CEO of Joyn Bio. Joyn Bio is a startup joint venture of Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks. The goal of Joyn Bio is to answer the challenges of agricultural sustainability with synthetic biology. Michael has extensive experience when it comes to leading companies, having served at top level positions ranging from COO and CFO to Director and General Manager since 1995. He obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from UC Davis and a BS in Biological Sciences from Stanford. Michael joins me today to discuss how Joyn Bio will utilize microbe technology to provide sustainable ag solutions. He shares how Joyn Bio was started and describes the benefits of being a company under Bayer and Ginkgo. He explains how their microbe tech could be applied in various forms as well as how it would positively impact both the environment and farmers. Michael also discusses the various challenges in growing this kind of company as well as some of its future projects. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Amy Solsma, owner of Solsma’s Punkin Patch and Fireworks. “You need that freedom, flexibility, and creativity that comes with being a small group that's focused on a moonshot.” - Mike Miille This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: The story of how the joint venture came about. Mike's academic background and why he chose the agriculture industry. Why it's called a "Moonshot" for Bayer. The problem they want to address and their proposed solutions. Microbes vs chemicals and when he thinks this type of tech will become available. Why Joyn Bio is not what you would call a normal startup. The challenges of running this type of startup in the ag industry. Resources Mentioned: Bayer Ginkgo Bioworks Connect with Mike Miille: Joyn Bio We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dr. David Zetland is a university lecturer, blogger, and economy researcher. He currently teaches at Leiden University College - The Hague as a lecturer in political-economy. He is the creator of the Aguanomics blog, a site that focuses on topics on the different ways people manage, use, and abuse water. David obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Davis and has earned extensive experience regarding water economy and water policy. David joins me today to discuss the water economy and where we are right now as a civilization. He shares why we should be in a global state of panic and why we’re no longer in a world where water is sustainable. He explains the need for water to be priced and how it can positively affect the ag industry. David also discusses water rights, “free water,” the water market, and possible solutions to water scarcity. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Will Scholze, owner of Scholze Family Beef. “If there is a price on water, supply and demand will balance.” - Dr. David Zetland This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Why we should be panicking about climate change and its effects on water scarcity. Water shortages and the problems it would impose on the ag industry. The two major sources of water for agriculture and the water market. Why water is essentially not free in agriculture. The logic applied on who really consumes the most water. Buying and selling water rights and how farmers conduct their water business. The political struggles involving water and how it is in other countries. Why desalination plants aren't the solution to water scarcity. Connect with Dr. David Zetland: Aguanomics KYSQ LinkedIn Free ebook: Living with Water Scarcity This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law. Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today. We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Stu Bradbury is a Strategy Adviser at Sprout Agritech Accelerator, New Zealand’s top-rated ag startup accelerator. They back startups that offer bold and innovative solutions to some of agriculture’s biggest problems. Stu’s role is to identify their country’s most promising startup companies as well as mentor and help them grow to success. He has extensive experience in product commercialization and services in the agricultural sector. Stu joins me today to discuss the ag startup economy in New Zealand as well as how their company’s accelerator programs work. He shares his career background, his experience starting an irrigation company, and his experience working with Sprout. He describes what they look for in a startup as well as what those startups can expect from their programs. Stu also shares how Sprout initially conducted their marketing strategies. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Jana Hocken, author of The Lean Dairy Farm. You need to understand how your product or service affects your customer's life; how they're going to live with it.” - Stu Bradbury This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Stu's academic and career background and his entrepreneurial journey. Why agriculture is the backbone of New Zealand. New Zealand's drive for the numerous agricultural inventions and innovations. Why he focused on irrigation tech more than other systems. What he would have done differently if he knew the resources available when he was starting out. What it's like to work with Sprout AgriTech and what they look for in startups. Resources Mentioned: Episode 63 - Travel The World Learning About Agriculture with Nuffield Scholar Matt Hocken Connect with Stu Bradbury: Sprout Agritech Accelerator LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Renee Vassilos is an Agricultural Economist and Regenerative Catalyst. She is the Founder of Banyan Innovation Group, an agribusiness consulting company that support startups in the agriculture sector through market sizing, business model and development, and strategy. Renee has over 15 years of experience working with multinational and government companies such as John Deere and the USDA. Renee joins me to discuss the current startup climate in the agricultural industry. She shares her story and experience while working with big companies like John Deere and where she got her passion for helping startups. She explains why the ag industry hasn’t had any real disruptions in the last few decades and discuss the kind of innovations the industry should look forward to. Renee also describes how the current trade wars are affecting emerging startups. Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Hannah Esch of Oak Barn Beef. “I don't think we've been seeing enough technologies that have been hitting the mark.” - Renee Vassilos This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Renee’s career with John Deere and the US Government abroad. John Deere's technology pricing and how smallholder farmers can avail them. Her thoughts on the need for traction for widespread customer adoption. The notable disruptions in the industry within the last decade. How the trade war is affecting innovations and technologies in agriculture. Examples of markets that are spearheading innovation and unique products. Why the ag sector hasn't really been innovative in the past few decades. What nutrient-dense foods are and some examples. Disruptions we can expect to see in agriculture. Connect with Renee Vassilos: LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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. Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message! 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Dan Cosgrove is the Chief Strategy Officer at Growers Edge. Growers Edge is a FinTech company that provides financial programs and solutions for the service of the agricultural sector. He is also a Venture Partner at Radicle Growth, an acceleration fund financed by top agtech investors. Dan has extensive experience in business development in the ag industry and is skilled in negotiation, entrepreneurship, international business licensing as well as Mergers, Acquisitions, and Venture Capital. Dan joins me today to discuss the details involved in deciding what startup to accelerate and what company qualifies for an acquisition. He shares the story of how he got started in the industry and shares the highlights of his extensive career. He explains how he became an entrepreneur while working within another company, describes some of the challenges farmers face today, and the kind of technology startups need to focus on for the future. Dan also shares his best tips for startups looking for investment. Stay tuned for our first segment of Five-Minute Farmer with Gavin Spoor of Spoor Farms. “You should take feedback from everybody you talk to and learn a bit of something.” - Dan Cosgrove This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: How Dan got started in the agricultural industry. The opportunities and roles he had with Corteva. How he managed to become entrepreneurial while working within another company. His current role at Growers Edge and what Growers Edge is about. The two challenges that farmers have today that aren't being addressed properly. The role he played in the Granular acquisition. The difference between corporate venture capital than traditional venture capital. Quantifying the value of strategic benefits in the venture level. His advice to startups seeking investment. Resources Mentioned: FoA136 Scaling an AgTech Company with Sid Gorham of Granular Radicle Growth Corteva Connect with Dan Cosgrove: Growers Edge LinkedIn Email: [email protected] We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram

Richard Hoff is the Director of Viticulture of Mercer Ranches. Mercer Ranches is a grape farm that produces high-quality wine through strict quality control and precise technology. Richard is considered an expert in wine tasting, wine manufacturing, and general viticulture. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Viticulture from Washington State University and his Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Richard joins me today to discuss in great detail how the production of wine works - from the grape to the bottle. He describes the vineyards Mercer owns, the grapes they produce, their different yields, and their farming practices. He explains some of the details involved in processing such as pruning and de-leafing, as well as the technologies they use. Richard also shares some of the problems he looks forward to being solved by technology in the future. “There's just not much of an argument anymore whether mechanization is as good as hands.” - Richard Hoff This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Introducing the vineyards, the varieties of grapes they produce, and their wine production. The time it takes to go from planting grapes to extracting wine. The longevity of a vineyard before it has to be replaced. The value of specific varieties of grapes per ton. Various labor challenges they faced that mechanization and automation solved. Implementing new technology and machinery in the vineyards. The methods they apply when creating new vineyards. Determining the best combination that marries quantity with quality. The level of attention required to grow the best grapes possible. The effect of mechanization on data collection. Problems he hopes technology will solve in the future. Connect with Richard Hoff: Mercer Wine LinkedIn We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the 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: Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram