Future Of Agriculture

    Welcome back to another episode of the Future of Agriculture’s Follow Up Friday series - the segment when we follow up with listener-submitted questions and comments related to their favorite previous episodes of the show.   TERRA’s Regional Manager Anil Suren answers some of my questions regarding the company’s ideas and services, including what it’s like being part of the TERRA organization, the company’s partners an this week, I highlight the TERRA Accelerator, a business that seeks to bring together the ag industry’s most disruptive startups and progressive corporations to boost innovation and set new standards for food and agriculture. d achievements, and the benefits startups can expect by becoming part of their accelerator program.     Resources & Related Content:   https://www.terraaccelerator.com/ (TERRA Accelerator) 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 podca

  Abi Ramanan is the CEO of Impact Vision, a company that seeks to build a more secure and transparent food system with the use of hyperspectral technology. The company envisions to reduce the cost of food waste and food fraud through software that provides users with information on food quality, rapidly and non-invasively. Abi is also the founder of http://papispickles.com/ (Papi’s Pickles) and Co-founder of DayOld, food enterprises that tackles food waste and unemployment in migrant communities and promotes gender equality.   Abi joins me today to discuss her company’s fantastic innovation for the food and ag industry. She describes what hyperspectral imaging technology is and how space technology can fuse with the food supply chain to solve food waste and food fraud problems. She also describes how their software works in detecting food fraud, how it provides users with information, and shares some of their current and future projects.     “We need to decrease food production and produce more food fo

Sarah Nolet is the Founder and CEO of AgThentic, a company that helps ag businesses and their entrepreneurs and innovators build the food systems of the future. She is a renowned food systems innovation expert and is the reason behind Australia’s early stage agtech ecosystem. Sarah holds a degree in System Design and Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Computer Science and Human Factors Engineering.   Sarah joins me today to share her insight regarding the future of ag businesses and how she seeks to help expand them faster. She shares the story behind AgThentic, how it started, and how it helps farmers and agbusinesses bridge the gap between agtech and traditional agriculture techniques to create innovative solutions for various problems throughout the industry. She also defines the concept of business accelerators and incubators and how they help agtech startups gain the traction they need to succeed in the agtech industry.   “If connecting to a big company is of stra

Dr. Jeremy Williams is the Vice President of Biotechnology and Agricultural Productivity Innovations at Monsanto, one of the largest modern agricultural companies in the world that develops products and tools to help farmers grow more crops and make use of resources more efficiently. His responsibilities include leading the chemistry and trait research teams that assist farmers to succeed through innovative means such as artificial intelligence. His ultimate goal is to create a discovery pipeline that streamlines projects that affect agricultural development into commercialization.   Jeremy joins me today to discuss the future of agriculture and how artificial intelligence and machine learning can impact the agriculture industry. He describes the concept of artificial intelligence, its current applications, and why he believes these technologies can create new job opportunities throughout the agriculture industry. He also explains the difference between machine learning and deep learning, how artificial int

  Aldyen Donnelly is the Director of Carbon Economic at Nori, a startup company dedicated to creating trust and transparency while lowering transaction costs throughout the carbon trading industry. Her mission is to reward carbon sequestering farmers with blockchain-backed carbon credit certificates. Nori is a blockchain-enabled platform allowing users to trace where carbon dioxide is sequestered and is currently the world’s only carbon dioxide sequestration marketplace.   Aldyen joins me to share the mission behind Nori and how it can help both the environment and farmers. She shares how she became inspired to help the world reduce its carbon emissions, where carbon emissions are primarily derived, and the company’s business strategy to help reverse this problem. She also explains the role of blockchain with regards to transparency in their platform and how farmers can benefit from regenerative and carbon sequestering practices.   “When we create a market that is transparent, a whole bunch of ideas abou

Del Ficke and Graham Christensen own farms that advocate a practice called Regenerative Agriculture. This practice sequesters a massive portion of CO2 in the soil and even in forests. Del is the owner of http://www.fickecattle.com (Ficke Cattle Company), a family run farm and livestock operation with a history dating back to 1860. Graham is the Founder of GC Resolve, an environmental consulting company based in Nebraska that specializes in grassroots community development, education, and mobilization.   Del and Graham join me today to discuss the practice of Regenerative Agriculture and what they have done to implement it in their farms. They share how they learned about regenerative practices and their success stories and explain why this type of practice is based on what’s already been done before, but long forgotten due to mass production. They also share examples of how regenerative ag can benefit farmers financially.   “We don't need to get bigger; we just need to get smarter on this and work with na

Michael Gilbert is the Founder and CEO of Semios, a Canadian company that helps farmers manage their pest problems using onsite sensing, big data, and predictive analytics solutions. He has over twenty years of experience in the field of biotech research and development. Before founding Semios, Michael held positions with federal research institutions, large multinationals, medium-sized public companies, and startups.   Today, Michael joins me to share the goal of Semios and how they plan to contribute to sustainability. He explains the driving idea behind Semios, the technologies they apply in their business, and the many problems they help farmers solve. He also explains why pesticides can eventually stop working and the different applications farmers can use based on the data gathered from sensors.   “You need to have more data to understand why things are occurring and how to best manage it.” - Michael Gilbert       This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:    How Semios helps farmers find

John McKeon is the Senior Manager of Organic Compliance, Commission, and Consolidation at Tanimura and Antle. Founded in 1982, Tanimura and Antle is a farm company that grows and sells both conventional and organic produce. John has almost two decades of experience working in the agricultural industry with skills in operations, management, quality assurance, and compliance.   Today, John joins me to share how he and his company are working to fulfill the world’s surging preference for organic produce. He shares the difference between managing a conventional farm and an organic farm, as well as what it’s like to have both. He also describes the business benefits of growing organic produce as well as the challenges many farmers face when transitioning to organic farming.     “There's a lot more going into organic farming than just the health claim.” - John McKeon       This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:    What is Tanimura and Antle and how it started? How many acres are organic and how

Rachel Laudan is a food historian and award-winning author of Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History, a book about the rise and fall of various culinary traditions and philosophies. She has over twenty years of dedicated research to the evolution of our food systems. She’s also an engaging speaker who helps industry professionals, students and professors, and public groups see food from a long-term and global perspective. Today, Rachel joins me to share a brief overview of what food history is all about. She shares her thoughts on various food movements and diets, how traditional foods came to be considered traditional, and why people today have better food than most kings and queens in the past. She also explains the importance of separating processed food from what is “bad food” and what she believes we should consider to be “good food.”   “One should tell food history as a series of expansions, migrations, cuisines, or systems of eating.” - Rachel Laudan       This Week on The Future of Agricu

Olympia Yarger is the Founder and CEO of GOTERRA, an Australian-based waste management company that redefines the idea of food waste through decentralized waste management. Their company’s primary goal is to manage food and animal waste using insects of which the byproduct could be used as a feed additive. This approach is an alternative and sustainable way of feeding livestock that also reduces global waste.   Today, Olympia shares how maggots can help solve global food waste. She describes what it was like to start a maggot farm, how to manage one, and what makes it unique compared to typical farms. She also explains how maggots convert food waste to animal feed and how this could be the future of sustainable agriculture.   “It's one thing to get the flies to do the act and get viable eggs, but it's another to manage consistency of production at any scale.” - Olympia Yarger       This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:    The problems they initially encountered with their maggots when they

Dr. Pamela Marrone is the founder and CEO of Marrone Bio Innovations, a company dedicated to finding practical, sustainable pest management solutions that are safe for people as well as the environment. She is also the founding Chair and former board member of the Biopesticides Industry Alliance, a cluster of over a hundred biopesticide and related companies. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for Cornell University.   Today, Dr. Pamela shares the mission behind Marrone Bio Innovations and how their products help farmers through environmentally-safe pest management solutions. She describes what drew her to founding the company and explains why biopesticides are critical for tomorrow’s world. She also enlighten us on the technical aspect of their products and provides examples of how their products can help farmers.   “There's a lot more science and technology behind today's biological p

Michael Doane is the Managing Director of the Agriculture and Food Systems at https://www.nature.org/ (The Nature Conservancy), a nonprofit organization and the world’s leader in providing nature conservation efforts. Their mission is to conserve Mother Nature for future generations by buying lands to prevent plant and animal extinction and restoring otherwise ruined parts of nature back to its former glory. Michael’s responsible for ensuring industries that rely heavily on nature are managed and controlled. He primarily concentrates on projects involving soil health, sustainable forestry and ranching, and nutrient loss reductions.   Today, Michael Doane shares his company’s advocacies and their many projects. He discusses the company’s history and what made them become the leading conservation organization. He also explains some of their company’s many successful projects as well as their prospects, and how they prioritize which ones to fund first.   “As food demand grows, there will be some expansion. B

Jim Loar is the President & CEO of Cool Planet, a company founded to provide innovative agricultural technologies that increase crop production at a low cost while reducing greenhouse gas throughout the atmosphere. The company’s current research focus is on their Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon technology, a type of soil enhancer that improves soil health, reduces water consumption, and supports optimal fertilizer performance. Prior to joining Cool Planet in 2015, Jim was the VP of Operations at Wilbur-Ellis Company, the fourth largest agricultural retailer in the USA.   Today, Jim shares their company’s latest findings on Cool Terra and how it can help optimize crop output. He describes the science behind Cool Terra, the many benefits it imparts to both soil and farmer, and how it can help fight global warming. He also explains some of its most outstanding research findings, particularly when it comes to soil microbe health.   “We're providing the habitat for the soil biology to colonize and grow and pro

Ryan Sirolli is the Senior Director at Danone North America, a food company that focuses on dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and plant-based foods. Ryan is responsible for leading a team that serves to develop and execute agricultural sourcing and improve supply chain sustainability. He and his team emphasizes on soil health as well as creating alternative economic models that advocate both customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability.   Today, Ryan shares how Danone North America is part of a global sustainability project. He discusses many of the company’s current environmental advocacies and how the company has aligned its goals to meet the needs of both health and environmentally conscious consumers. He also provides insight with regards to the GMO and Non-GMO debate and shares his thoughts on the future of organic and sustainable agriculture.   “It’s our responsibility to make sure that whatever we source, whatever system the farmer chooses to use or whatever the consumer wants - it’s o

David Perry is the President, CEO, and Director of Indigo Ag, a company that seeks to harness the power of plant microbes to improve yield and lessen (and potentially eliminate) the use of harmful pesticides and insecticides. David is a well-known entrepreneur, having founded and built three outstanding companies within the last two decades. He has lead the last two companies through successful IPOs while providing significant returns for their investors. Prior to becoming a businessman, David attended the US Air Force Academy and was a National Merit Scholar.   In this episode, David explains how plant-microbe research can benefit the farmer as well as the environment. He describes the thought processes involved in founding Indigo Ag, the benefits of their research as well as its plausible risks towards the environment. He also shares their current research progress and their future projects.     “To improve economic prosperity for farmers, we should move farming from being a completely commoditized busi

Jason Mauck is a farmer in Gaston, Indiana and the CEO of Constant Canopy, an operation dedicated to closing the gap between livestock and grain production. He is passionate about demystifying misconceptions and bringing public awareness to how the farming and agriculture industry truly works from a large-scale farming perspective. Jason joins me today to share how his large-scale nutrient management system works, discuss the imbalance between supply and demand, and why he believes a sharing economy is a perfect solution to addressing these issues. He shares the intercropping strategy he uses to create higher crop yields, effective strategies for using manure as a soil nutrient management technique, and how he describes “true soil wealth” for large-scale farmers. He also explains the concept of wheat spreading and how it impacts production costs and the benefits of planting soybeans early in the growing season.   “I don’t think there’s one subject that is more compatible with the sharing economy than manur

Marc Brazeau is the Chief Organizer and Editor at Food and Farm Discussion Lab, a food system think tank and online magazine for people within the agriculture industry to share evidence-based solutions, ideas, and concepts related to sustainable agriculture, hunger and food security, and public health and nutrition concerns. With previous experience as a chef and restaurant owner as well as organizing unions within the agriculture space, he brings a unique perspective to the food-to-table movement. He is passionate about helping others form their opinions regarding agricultural issues based on evidence, science, and facts. Marc joins me today to share how he became interested in evidence-based agriculture concerns, what inspired him to create the Food and Farm Discussion Lab, and how his views of food sustainability have evolved. He explains the variables that affect the global sustainability of food, why he believes scalability is a critical factor to consider when addressing food sustainability matters, an

Richard Lackey is the Chairman and CEO of the World Food Bank, an organization founded in 2015 to provide sustainable solutions to the food security and hunger issues around the world. He is a highly-regarded expert in the trading and securities industry and is passionate about finding solutions that will help end world hunger. Richard joins me today to share the driving force behind World Food Bank, their mission, and how their unique program is designed to significantly impact the food security and hunger issues we currently face worldwide. He explains how his systematized approach helps impact the world from an economic standpoint and why systematic approaches are more sustainable solutions to combating world hunger and poverty. He explains how they use model farms to help farmers in third-world countries gain access to the tools, techniques, and strategies that can improve their crop grades, quality, and profits. He also shares his prediction for investors considering food as a future asset commodity and

Tom Bottoms earned his bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and in 2013, he received his Ph.D. in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California. He currently works as an employee of a large farming operation based in Northern California with the intention of eventually accumulating his own farm land and building his own operation. Tom joins me today to share what inspired him to work in the agriculture industry and what motivated him to continue his education in agriculture. He shares why he decided to pivot his career from agriculture academia to work in the private sector, his experience while working with the African Leadership Partners in Swaziland, Africa and the challenges he has faced and overcome while helping a small farm operation significantly grow during his missionary operation in Africa. He also explains the importance of networking and building relationships within the farming industry to help you achieve your goa

Rob Saik is the founder of the Agri-Trend® group of companies whose primary goal is to help farmers grow food through agriculture consulting services in areas such as agronomic production, carbon-offset trading, grain marketing strategies, and data management systems for producers around the world. He is the creator of The Agri-Prize contest series, a TEDx and keynote speaker, and the author of the book The Agriculture Manifesto - 10 Key Drivers That Will Shape Agriculture in the Next Decade which has earned an Amazon 2014 Best of Books award. Additionally, he is the Executive Producer of the movie KNOW GMO as well as the webisode series LEARN GMO.   Rob joins me today to discuss the mission behind The Agri-Trend and the connection between the organic movement and the non-GMO movement. He explains how he believes GMOs can impact the future of agriculture, sustainability, and the food supply around the world as well as the impact they can have on the health of consumers. He also shares why he believes many