Agbioscience

Latest Episodes:

383. A look back at August with AgriNovus CEO Christy Wright, a potential merger + big news for Intelinair + FloVision Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

For the first time on Agbioscience (except that one time when she was a guest), we are joined by our new President and CEO, Christy Wright! She talks her first week on the job, connecting with industry leaders and stakeholders and hosting her first Quadrant on day three at AgriNovus. You can also read her feature with Elaine Watson in AgFunder News and on Hoosier Ag Today. Christy, Libby and Cayla get into:

The announcement of a potential merger between Premier Companies and Superior Ag
A recap of the Indiana Farm Bureau Critical Issues Summit -- including bonus audio from President Randy Kron and a look at the Future State of Ag Report of Idealyst Innovation
Intelinair's 2nd Consecutive Win at the AgTech Breakthrough Awards
FloVision Raising $8.7M to Expand AI Tools for Food Processing
Field Atlas Company Tours recap -- we are recruiting companies for 2026! If you're interested in hosting students, contact fieldatlas@agrinovusindiana.com.

382. Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Hannah Vorsilak on The Glass Barn, consumer education + connecting innovation to the farm Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Consumer education and connectivity to agbioscience innovation and their food’s origin story is a growing conversation. To see is to believe; but to experience the farm? That’s a whole different story. Purdue University’s Megan Kuhn guest hosts Hannah Vorsilak, Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Marketing and Communications Manager, this week to talk about the organization’s ultimate commitment to consumer experience in Indiana agriculture: The Glass Barn – located on the Indiana State Fairgrounds. We get into:

What The Glass Barn is and what it is designed to do for someone who has never visited
Why that name?
Over ten years in, how has The Glass Barn evolved to meet consumer questions and the evolution of innovation in agbioscience
The use of the facility well beyond the 15 days of the Indiana State Fair – The Glass Barn welcomes 10,000 students each year + the integration of their virtual learning programs
How the experiential is positively affecting the perception
Commonly asked questions by consumers
Features inside of the barn, including live farmer chats, games and more
The growing need for experiences like this in a time where consumers have pressing questions about their food
What’s ahead for The Glass Barn

381. Indiana State Fair’s Cindy Hoye on 15 days of agbioscience innovation + creating a meaningful consumer experience Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

For the first time in Agbioscience video history, we have taken the show on the road; and not to just any venue...but to the iconic Indiana State Fair. Spanning 15 days that welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors, those consumers and small businesses help to generate millions for the regional economy in its two weeks run. Today our guest host Kenda Resler Friend from KRF Public Relations is joined by Indiana State Fair Executive Director, Cindy Hoye, to talk the impact of consumer experience, agbioscience innovation and the fairgrounds beyond these two weeks. We get into:

Cindy’s perspective on the 2025 Indiana State Fair, its new attractions and consumer feedback
Marrying time-honored traditions with new themes
The underpinning of agbioscience innovation and education as the foundation for the Indiana State Fair and its 15 days
Bringing veterinary science to the fair via a partnership with Purdue University that allows Q&A opportunities between consumers and vet students on modern agriculture practices
How young leaders are developed through the spirit of 4-H, competition and hard work each year
Leveraging the other days of the year to invest in the Indiana State Fair property in order to give back to the state
What’s ahead for the Indiana State Fair

380. AgReliant Genetics’ Dave Pugh on GDM + uniting strengths to deliver innovation to the American farmer Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

According to Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer survey in July, high input costs and lower crop and livestock prices are the top two concerns on farmers mind at the moment. For agbioscience innovators, it’s a critical more than ever to consider moves that can deliver maximum value to the farmer. Dave Pugh, CFO of AgReliant Genetics, joins us as GDM recently announced its agreement to acquire the company. We get into:

Dave’s background in computer science and risk management + what drew him to agbioscience
Massive validation in the form of GDM’s agreement to acquire AgReliant Genetics and what that means for the farmer
How Dave thinks through the investment of innovation in agbioscience in a time of uncertainty for farmers and companies alike
The AgReliant Genetics portfolio heading into acquisition and its strengths in corn genetics
His perspective on the relationship between seed brands and customer
Dave’s finance background and role as CFO – in a time of uncertainty – planning for oversight of what’s ahead and how to stay innovative in the process
What has him most excited about what’s ahead with GDM

The following conversation discusses the recent announcement that GDM is seeking to acquire AgReliant Genetics. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in the United States and other customary closing conditions and approvals. Until the necessary approvals and closing conditions are obtained and satisfied and the transaction has closed, GDM and AgReliant Genetics will continue to operate as independent entities, maintaining their current business routines and commercial structures.

379. Cause Matters Corp.’s Michele Payn on consumer acceptance + making the agbioscience story personal Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

From the early days of biotechnology to the growing voice of today’s consumer, a desire exists for knowledge and understanding of the work being done by scientists, farmers and agbioscience innovators to bring food to our tables. Today we are joined by Michele Payn, author and founder of Cause Matters Corp., who has made it her mission to bridge this gap, to make agriculture less defensive and to put emotion and heart at the center of the work happening across the industry. We get into:

Michele’s boots on the ground perspective from scientists, farmers and industry professionals on what’s evolving in how they share their stories with consumers
How Cause Matters Corp. came to be and how new eras present a fresh set of challenges for her tackle and communicate in her business
The biggest gaps agbioscience has in bridging the technical to the practical
Helping others adapt and stay nimble in their communication and acceptance of new information in a fast-paced world
Artificial Intelligence, its role in how consumers learn about agbioscience, the pros and cons and how it can be leveraged as a trusted source in the future
Disinformation vs. Misinformation – the distinction and the dangers between the two
How she would compare agbioscience today to other decades of her time in the industry – from a communications and consumer acceptance perspective
Finding emotional center in your agbioscience story – and the importance of making it personal to seek understanding when you communicate
Her new book, Science Story Speak, and its opportunity for readers to connect with science understanding on a more meaningful level
What’s next for Cause Matters Corp.

378. Libby Fritz recaps July, big news for USDA in Indiana, AgReliant Genetics' acquisition, BiomEdit moves, a CEO update + more Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

This is perhaps the most epic news recap we have ever encountered on Agbioscience! So much so, we had to go back and record audio after we thought we were done. We get into the USDA's announcement on re-organization and Indiana's inclusion as a regional hub as part of that, AgReliant Genetics' acquisition by GDM, BiomEdit's product pipeline milestones, Series B funding and new leadership additions, and a big partnership announcement and honor for Corteva Agriscience. We also provide an update on the AgriNovus CEO search and when you can expect to learn more information.

Don't forget! AgriNovus Quadrant is August 20 -- Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/

377. Advancing science for better food + health, farmer wellness with Corteva Agriscience’s Dr. Claudia Coplein Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

The USDA estimates that each year in the U.S., poor nutrition causes roughly $1.1 trillion in preventable health care spending and lost productivity from diet-attributable diseases. As farmers continue their work of producing food for a growing population, agbioscience companies are also seeking new ways to innovate and optimize for human, animal and planetary health. This week, we are joined by Corteva Agriscience’s first Chief Health Officer, Dr. Claudia Coplein, to examine the breadth of her new role with the company and what they aim to achieve. We get into:

The macro gaps in the way we produce and consume food and its overall impact on our health
Corteva’s launch of the Chief Health Officer role and how they’re approaching new audiences to tell the story of farming around the world
Putting this platform into practice – Claudia talks about where you see and experience her team’s work
What reception has been like from different audiences thus far
Corteva’s focus on farmer health and how current headwinds facing the industry impacts their physical, mental and emotional well-being
Claudia’s vision for how Corteva’s health platform evolves
Her background and how this role – and agbioscience – feels custom-built for her
Where Claudia believes the food is health movement is headed and Corteva’s role in that movement
What’s ahead for her team – and what has her most excited

376. Vivayic’s Blaze Currie on agbioscience’s talent disparity, how we got here + preparing for next generation talent + leadership Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

The words talent and shortage come packaged together in nearly every sentence across almost every industry these days. It's a widespread challenge that raises a bigger question for agbioscience companies. Do our hurdles look like the same as other industries? If not, what do we do next? This week, we are joined by Vivayic’s Agriculture Practice Lead, Blaze Currie. We get into:

His high-level take on the current market overview for talent relative to the workforce needs of other industries
The headwinds facing the agbioscience industry that are uniquely their own when it comes to talent and leadership
A history lesson on how agbioscience got here – and the generational waves that have created the talent disparity we are facing today
How companies will need to adapt in the future to fill their talent needs
Executive and senior leadership positions aging out of the workforce, how those positions will need to be developed and what organizations need to do today to prepare for tomorrow
How Blaze sees the next 10-15 years of talent evolution shaking out in agbioscience – and it looks a lot different than is has in the past
What’s ahead for Vivayic

375. Bay State Milling’s Ed Fish on food is health, innovating “in the middle” + connecting food to agriculture Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

The food ingredients market is expected to grow to $97 billion by 2029. That's an annual growth rate of just over 6.5%. Central to that growth is the voice of the consumer seeking options to improve their health and ingredients that contribute to their overall wellness. One company has been innovating in this space for generations. Ed Fish, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Varietal Solutions at Bay State Milling, joins guest host Jarrod Sutton from Purdue DIAL Ventures to discuss the market's rapid change -- from consumer demands to regulatory pressures and beyond. We get into:

The overall ingredients market and the perspective on how consumer health is creating new opportunities
Who Bay State Milling aims to serve through innovation, the company’s 125-year family-owned legacy and its growing portfolio
Unique differentiation, being nimble and knowing how to connect food to agriculture
Leveraging their Rothwell Grain Essential Center to work with customers on refining and troubleshooting products – and how their customers participate in the process
New products being rolled out by Bay State Milling in the food is health space, including HealthSense™ (a high-fiber wheat flour) and SowNaked Oats™ (a higher-protein oat)
How the relationships work for Bay State Milling across the value chain – farmers to food companies
How Ed believes the winners of tomorrow are innovating today
What’s ahead for Bay State Milling

374. BW Fusion’s Dr. Tanya Soule on biological innovation + the importance of strategic partnerships to accelerate scientific discovery Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

The market for ag biologicals is projected to grow significantly according to Grandview Research – making the leap from $11B market in 2024 to a $16.8B in 2030. One Indiana company has recently created a strategic alliance to drive biological innovation at every stage of the crop nutrition cycle. Dr. Tanya Soule, Vice President of Microbiology at BW Fusion, joins us to talk science, producers and the farm. We get into:

What biologicals are and how they benefit farmers
How they work in tandem with other fertilizers and modes of crop protection to drive yield
BW Fusion’s approach to scientific discovery and innovation
How the company got into the agbioscience industry – it wasn’t its first vertical
Bain Capital Double Impact’s support that led to the strategic alliance between BW Fusion, Biodyne USA and Agronomy 365 and what that has allowed them to do from an innovation perspective
The farmers’ role in advancing innovation at BW Fusion
Why Tanya, a career academic, made the switch to working with the BW Fusion team and coming to the agbiosciences
Her advice for young scientists
What’s ahead for BW Fusion

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