Future of Agriculture

Latest Episodes:

FOA 194: Accelerating AgTech Adoption Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

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:

Connect with Randy Barker:

Connect with John Craft and Chad Rubbelke:

Compass Minerals

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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.

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FOA 193: Indoor Agriculture Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

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

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FOA 192: Farmers Becoming Food Companies Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

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.

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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!

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FOA 191: Investing in AgTech Startups Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

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:

Connect with Micki Seibel

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!

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

FOA 190: The World's First Open Source Winery Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

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:

Connect with Mike Barrow

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!

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

FOA 189: Farmers Solve Their Own Problems Through Open Source Technology Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

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:

Connect with Reinier van der 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!

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

FOA 188: FinTech Meets AgTech to Invest in Farmland Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

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: david@farmtogether.com

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!

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

FOA 187: Peace Through Agriculture Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

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:

Connect with Kenneth Quinn

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!

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

FOA 186: 5 Trends for the Future of Agriculture Jan 01, 2020

Show notes

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:

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!

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

FOA 185: Commercial Greenhouses on Conventional Farms with Joe Swartz Dec 25, 2019

Show notes

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

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!

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

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