Agbioscience

Latest Episodes:

454. Faegre Drinker’s Rachael Spiegel on food, agriculture, the law + why recalls continue to climb Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Rachael Spiegel, Partner at Faegre Drinker, sits at the intersection of food, agriculture and law — a place where regulatory complexity, supply chain risk and the realities of feeding people all collide. She joins Agbioscience to unpack how companies are navigating an era of rising recalls, what drives the decisions made in the first hours of a crisis and how leaders can build resilience across the value chain.

Highlights include:

The path into food and ag law — how Rachael's background shaped her read on the food system and the challenges it faces
The view from Faegre Drinker — the hurdles food and ag companies are hitting right now, and how those issues have evolved
Prevention, crisis and regulation — how her time actually splits between helping companies head off problems, responding when they hit, and steering through a complex regulatory system, plus what that work reveals about where the food system is strongest and most vulnerable
How risk moves through the value chain — what she sees from working across the chain that others may miss
The recall trend — whether the upward swing reflects growing risk, better detection, stronger oversight, or all of the above
What's actually driving recalls — supply chain complexity, improved testing, traceability, regulatory pressure, litigation risk, consumer expectations, or something else entirely
Inside the decision-making — what companies and the public often misunderstand about how recall calls get made in the moment
The real cost of a recall — beyond the immediate financial hit, where companies feel it most, and how short-term damage differs from long-term fallout • Partners across the value chain — how recalls are changing the way companies engage with suppliers, customers and everyone in between
Looking ahead — how food and ag leaders should be working now to reduce risk and build resilience

453. Recapping September with Christy Wright, Corteva begins new chapter, IBI Ag and Givaudan choose Indiana + more Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

September marked the end of a new era and the beginning of new chapters for Indiana's agbioscience ecosystem. Christy Wright, president and CEO of AgriNovus, joins VP Libby Fritz in studio to highlight the big news of the month:

Corteva launches new era of innovation as standalone company -- alongside Vylor
IBI Ag chooses Indiana for its North American HQ
Givaudan adds Indiana facility that will generate 250 new jobs
Fallow Ag launches out of The Pantheon in Vincennes -- a big win for AgriNovus' Velocity
The Pantheon gets a new leader
AgriNovus announces its 2026-27 class of Field Atlas Ambassadors
Applications are open for mentors and mentees to participate in Field Atlas AMP (Agbioscience Mentorship Program)

452. BONUS: Ecoatex's Raha Saremi on bio-based materials innovation + growing and scaling as a Velocity startup company Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Directionally Speaking, a narrative series that highlights the innovators bringing solutions to market through AgriNovus' Velocity accelerator. This week, AgriNovus Senior Director of Innovation Tim Dixon sits down with Raha Saremi, founder and CEO of Ecoatex, and gets into how her company transforms agriculture byproducts into sustainable, bio-based materials for packaging, fibers and more. She discusses the innovative process, her journey from scientist to entrepreneur and her experience in the Velocity bioinnovation cohort.

Learn more about Raha and Ecoatex at agrinovusindiana.com/velocity

451. Halderman Farm Management’s Howard Halderman on how AI is transforming farm management Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Farm management today looks very different than it did a decade ago, with rising complexity, shifting client expectations and new technology reshaping how decisions get made. In this episode, Howard Halderman, president of Halderman Farm Management, shares how his team is thinking about AI, where it is already improving operations and why human judgment still matters in managing one of agriculture's most important assets.

How farm management is evolving: Howard explains the scope of Halderman Farm Management's work and how the role of a modern farm management company has changed over time.
Why the job is getting more complex: The conversation explores where expectations have increased most in recent years, from operations and data to client service and strategic decision-making.
How AI entered the business: Howard shares some of the earliest ways his team began using AI and AI-enabled tools to support operations and improve decision-making.
Where AI adds real value: He discusses where these tools can genuinely improve outcomes and where experience, judgment and relationships remain irreplaceable.
Why trust and governance matter: The episode examines the importance of data quality, accuracy and protecting client relationships as AI becomes more common in the business.
How talent needs are shifting: Howard reflects on how technology is changing the skills farm management teams need and what that means for the future workforce.
Where the biggest opportunity lies: He looks ahead to the most promising applications for AI in farm management, from agronomic insight to financial performance and long-term planning.
What agriculture gets wrong about AI: Howard offers a grounded perspective on the difference between hype and practical value as the industry navigates rapid change.
What the next five years could look like: The conversation closes with Howard's view on how the best farm management companies may operate differently as AI continues to mature.

450. BONUS: Agbioscience from the WHIN Summit on ag innovation, connecting startups to farmers Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Hoosier Ag Today's Eric Pfeiffer took the podcast on the road to the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network's (WHIN) Ag Summit to discuss farmer-led innovation, technology adoption and models for success with Jason Tennehouse and Josh Karshen.

449. BONUS: Fallow Ag's Naveed Iqbal on being a founder, creating a farm-level data standard + participating in AgriNovus' Velocity Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Directionally Speaking, a narrative series that highlights the innovators bringing solutions to market through AgriNovus' Velocity accelerator. This week, AgriNovus Senior Director of Innovation Tim Dixon sits down with Naveed Iqbal, CEO of Fallow Ag, to talk fintech, creating a data standard at the farm-level and what it's like to be a startup founder.

Learn more about Naveed and Fallow Ag at agrinovusindiana.com/velocity

448. Etlas’ Nacho Conti on Corteva and bp’s joint venture, market forces increasing biofuel demand + solving bottlenecks across the value chain Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Earlier this year, Etlas launched as a joint venture betrween Corteva and bp with the goal of helping strengthen the biofuels value chain. This week, CEO Nacho Conti shares how the company is working to connect growers, processors and biofuels producers around low-carbon feedstocks while creating new value opportunities across agbisocience and energy. Highlights include:

Defining Etlas' mission: Nacho explains how Etlas is positioning itself as a new bioenergy company focused on solving bottlenecks across the biofuels value chain.
Why the Corteva-bp partnership matters: He discusses why this was the right moment for a joint venture and what each partner brings to scaling the opportunity faster than either could alone.
What is driving biofuels growth: The conversation looks at the market forces increasing demand for biofuels and why the timing is especially important right now.
Where the bottlenecks remain: Nacho unpacks the biggest barriers to scaling biofuels production, from feedstock supply and logistics to processing and market alignment.
What it means for farmers: He outlines the farm-level value proposition and why stronger, more connected demand could matter for growers over the long term.
Aligning the full ecosystem: The episode explores how producers, crushers and processors can benefit from a more coordinated low-carbon feedstock system.
Balancing sustainability and economics: Nacho shares his perspective on building an ecosystem that meets sustainability goals while still working in the real economics of agriculture and energy markets.
What success looks like next: Looking ahead, he paints a picture of what success could mean for Etlas, its partners and the broader biofuels market over the next three to five years.

447. SEPRO Scientific’s Dr. Tyler Koschnick on acquisitions, AI adoption + creating scientific solutions for environmental stewardship Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

What does the future of water and land restoration look like? Dr. Tyler Koschnick, CEO of SEPRO Scientific, joins us this week to share how the company is evolving through growth, innovation and a sharper scientific focus. The conversation highlights:

SEPRO's mission to create long-term solutions for environmental stewardship
The market needs emerging around water quality, restoration and infrastructure
The company's integrated model of science, diagnostics and field execution
The strategic value of recent acquisitions, including Earth Science Laboratories, GreenEYES, Arrieta.ai and Resolve Hydro
The growing role of AI and remote sensing in restoration
Lessons from rapid growth and leading through transformation
The thinking behind the SEPRO Scientific rebrand
The customer experience behind a more unified platform
Indiana's role in the company's continued momentum
Talent, culture and building a differentiated science-led team
The untapped opportunities still ahead
What the next chapter looks like for SEPRO Scientific

446. Ag Alumni Seed’s Craig Anderson on AI, phenotyping + advancing seed innovation through research and technology Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

What does the future of seed innovation look like - and how is Indiana helping shape it?

On this episode of the Agbioscience Podcast, host Eric Pfeiffer sits down with Craig Anderson, CEO of Ag Alumni Seed, for a conversation on seed development, Purdue-connected research, emerging technologies, and the global opportunities rooted right here in Indiana.

Episode highlights:

Craig’s path to CEO and what drew him to lead Ag Alumni Seed after a long career in the seed industry
The Ag Alumni Seed and Purdue connection - and how that relationship supports research, agriculture, and broader industry impact
Balancing business and mission as Ag Alumni Seed grows its commercial work while supporting Purdue’s College of Agriculture
How customer expectations are changing in popcorn and specialty seed markets
The future of seed innovation and which traits will matter most in the years ahead
How imaging and 3D plant modeling are accelerating research through the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility
Where data, automation, and AI can create the biggest real-world gains in seed development
Untapped opportunities in seed development and where the industry is only beginning to scratch the surface
Indiana’s competitive advantage in supporting innovation that can scale to global markets
What’s ahead for Ag Alumni Seed and the partnerships that could shape the next chapter

445. An August recap with AgriNovus' Christy Wright + Libby Fritz on heavy rain, Velocity startups, Elevate Ventures' Agbioscience Workshop, Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

August was a wet one! We kick this episode off by recapping Indiana's heavy rains and its impact on the state's agbioscience ecosystem. Highlights include:

Velocity's 12 startups, an accelerator update and AgriNovus' Senior Director of Innovation Tim Dixon's required reading list for innovators (plus one band recommendation). Books include:
Watch Tim's episode of Agbioscience and his preview of Velocity here: https://youtu.be/loP_NAz6X7I
Keystone Cooperative joining as a collaborator on Alloy Partners' One Health Studio (check out Ben Lewis, One Health Studio Director at Alloy Ventures', episode of Agbioscience here: https://youtu.be/JQxFCkmEB1E)
Anu + Hancock Health working together to bring precision nutrition to their healthcare system (check out Scott Massey, CEO of Anu, on Agbioscience here: https://youtu.be/B6eAcp7E4c4)
Purdue DIAL Ventures' announcement of their four innovation fellows (check out DIAL's Allan Gray on Agbioscience here: https://youtu.be/SO4oHbJBOuo)
All of this news as proof points for BioHeartland and the region's momentum (check out BioHeartland here: https://inbioheartland.com/)
AgriNovus' Field Atlas program, its 13 student Ambassadors, where we'll be on campus this fall and how employers can connect to agbioscience talent through this platform and its programs (visit https://myfieldatlas.com/)
MOST IMPORTANT: we discuss food is health and State Fair food -- yes, in one sentence.

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