AgTech - So What?

27/01/2022

Farmers and livestock managers need genetically strong and diverse herds if they’re going to produce long into the future.

That’s what we learned in this week’s episode of the AgTech - So What? podcast with dairy goat farmer and geneticist Dr Belinda Cardinal.

So why was it in the news when Belinda and her company Caprotek successfully bred Australia’s first ever Valais Blacknose sheep from embryos imported from overseas?

We heard about Belinda’s journey from researcher to full time farmer, and then into the complicated and fraught business of importing genetic material for Australian sheep and goat farmers.

In this episode Belinda also shared her insights into:

* Why it is so difficult for livestock managers in Australia to produce long-term, genetically-strong herds,

* What it’s like for a farmer to balance the stakes of sales and marketing on top of growing a great product,

* How the experience of startup founders and farmers are more similar than you might think when it comes to product differentiation.

Listen in: http://ow.ly/LbaE50HEW3u

12/01/2022

**SOIL** - The science and tech is exciting, but why is translating it into a scalable business that can offer viable products to farmers... such a tricky proposition?

In our latest episode, Sarah Nolet speaks to Adam Litle, CEO of Sound Agriculture.

Adam has devoted much of his career to trying to solve the tricky business problems that exist when it comes to soil.

He was part of the executive team at Granular the farm management software company acquired by Dupont (now Corteva Agriscience) for $300M. Now, at Sound Ag, he’s leading a company that’s raised more than $95M to develop a product which activates microbes in soil to increase the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus, thereby enabling farmers to use less fertilizer.

In this episode Adam shares his insights on:

*Striking a balance between scientific rigor, technological innovation, and investor returns.

*Why the SaaS business model is challenging in agriculture.

*How to build trust in a startup team of scientists and industry people, while bringing in commercial experience.

*Why soil innovations are receiving an increase in attention as farmers continue to grapple with the rising costs of fertilizer.

LISTEN:

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2022/1/11/the-tricky-business-of-scaling-soil-tech-adam-litle-ceo-sound-agriculture

16/12/2021

What regulations need to change as we move to more high-tech farming?

It’s fair to say most entrepreneurs (and farmers!) aren’t big fans of government rules and regulations for fear of being slowed down by red tape and bureaucracy. However, the political environment in which a startup develops can have a big impact on its ability to find investment and support, especially in agtech, where ecosystems are still very new for most countries.

The UAE is investing heavily in agtech, seeking to make Abu Dhabi the global center for innovation in agriculture. Their focus is on vertical farming, aquaculture, and hydroponics.

Salvatore Lavallo is the Head of Foreign Direct Investment at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. He joins Sarah Nolet to discuss the UAE's bold plans for agtech in its desert climate and the challenges of economic development.

Salvatore has one of the most interesting bios you'll ever come across. Growing up in Indiana, his interest in economic development led him to become, at the age of 27, one of the youngest people to travel to every country in the world. Along the way, he became a farm owner in Tanzania, and later, a consultant with McKinsey & Company in Africa and the Middle East.

Don't miss this episode:
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/12/14/-government-in-agtech-ecosystems

09/12/2021

As an agtech startup, what does an acquisition really feel like, and when does it make sense?

That's just one of the questions we tackle in this bonus episode as we wrap up our latest series: “Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons.”

This episode features:

*Anastasia Volkova, PhD 🌱 🛰️ - co-founder and CEO of Regrow, an independent measurement reporting and verification platform. Regrow, (formerly Flurosat), recently acquired US agtech company, Dagan, and raised $17 million in Series A funding.

*Matthew Pryor - co-founder of Tenacious Ventures, and partner at AgThentic. He previously co-founded Observant, a precision ag water management company, which was acquired by Jain Irrigation.

Our guests also examine some of the key lessons from the entrepreneurs featured in this series: Michael Gilbert of Semios BIO Technologies, Paul Lightfoot of BrightFarms and Charles Baron of Farmers Business Network, Inc.

LISTEN: https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/12/8/-agtech-startup-wrap-anastasia-volkova-regrow

01/12/2021

Does "founder obsession" actually hinder startup success in agtech?

Charles Baron, the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Farmers Business Network, Inc. says when growing a company in agriculture, the focus needs to be on your farmer customers and solving their problems, rather than glamorizing the founders.

We loved having Charles on our podcast as part of our "Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons" series. Given the company has just raised a further $300M in a Series G funding round, Charles has some very useful tips on startup growth as the company moves to each new phase.

Listen to his conversation with Sarah Nolet here:

https://lnkd.in/gvCTaGWg

18/11/2021

Just because you founded the company, doesn't mean you should continuing leading it as CEO.

Paul Lightfoot, is a serial entrepreneur and in 2011, he founded BrightFarms, which uses hydroponic greenhouses to produce locally sourced packaged salads in the US.

Along the way, he has made several critical decisions for his startup’s success. This includes an incredibly rare and difficult decision for any founder to make- Paul voluntarily stepped back from the role of CEO and hired someone he believed could do a better job.

Hear how Paul left his ego at the the door, for the benefit of the company:

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/11/15/later-stage-agtech-startup-lessons-2-brightfarms

04/11/2021

Don't just chase the hobby farmer, go for the bigger customers.

This solid agtech startup advice is from Michael Gilbert, the founder and CEO of Semios BIO Technologies , a crop management platform that has raised $225M and now has 300 employees.

But when Michael started, with little more than an idea, he sought feedback from the biggest farming operators, because they understand the business, the market and the labor costs.

Hear more agtech startup advice on the latest AgTech...So What? podcast, in the first of a 3-part series: "Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons."

LISTEN:
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/later-stage-agtech-startup-founders

28/10/2021

VC investment into the tech companies that have the potential to scale regenerative agriculture, is accelerating. It's also a very new domain, with some unique challenges.

So what role can VCs play in the regen ag landscape? And what technologies and trends are VCs looking at to guide their investments?

This bonus episode features a discussion from a live panel conversation at forum hosted by Raising Regenerative, in California, with:

*Renée Vassilos - Director of Agriculture Innovation at The Nature Conservancy.

*Mark Lewis - Managing Partner at Trailhead Capital, and owner at Lewis Family Farm.

*Sarah Nolet - co-founder of Tenacious Ventures and the AgThentic Group.

*Paul Lightfoot (moderator), President of BrightFarms and author, Negative Foods Newsletter

Thank you to RFSI for the recording!

Listen here:
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/10/27/investing-in-tech-to-enable-regen-ag

24/10/2021

Are we seeing the emergence of "food tribes"?

says people are identifying with what they eat, in the same way people use clothes or music for identity.

But does this interest in food, mean the average person knows how it's produced?

🎧https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/agtech-so-what/id1287042803?mt=2

21/10/2021

Gone are the days of as a top GDP player (at least in Western countries)

So should farming matter to the everyday person?

says ag's problems are the world's problems: food security, climate and even how society is organized.

🎧https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/10/19/why-you-should-give-a-fck-about-farming

20/10/2021

Are we breaking up into "food tribes?"

In her latest book, "Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming, Gabrielle Chan dives into food and ag policy and the way farming is viewed within broader society.

Something strange seems to be going on, where people are increasingly using food as identity markers, but often know very little about how food is produced.

Gabi tells Sarah Nolet in the new AgTech...So What? episode, that agriculture is critical to almost every aspect of our lives, especially as we face climate change and issues over food security.

So, why don't many countries have a 'backyard' plan or value natural capital? Why does farming policy get locked in binary debates? And how do we make the average citizen CARE about farming... beyond food tribes?

LISTEN:

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/10/19/why-you-should-give-a-fck-about-farming

Does the average citizen actually need to care about how their food is produced? This is the central question Australian author and journalist, Gabrielle Chan , set out to answer. Her latest book, “Why you should give a f*ck about farming” details her firm conclusion, that yes, if you eat food, ...

17/10/2021

🖐️Is this you? An 'crazy' farmer?

That's great! But, says if you're the early adopter farmer, you need to be pickier and get more out of your interaction with startups.

Here's how:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/agtech-so-what/id1287042803

06/10/2021

Startups who want to work with farmers... and vice versa, need to think about COLLABORATION rather than customer relations.

The best farmer/startup relationships involve partnerships. Some practical tips from our latest AgTech...So What? episode:

For startups:

* Partner with a farmer - farmers might be investors, an advisors or even a co-founder.

*Understand grower economics (time to value is so important)

* Learn the language of agriculture and drop the 'tech speak'.

For farmers:

* Say "no" faster. If the tech doesn't fit, move on.

* Ask more of startup - you have an opportunity to shape the technology.

* Understand you approach to tech - are you an early adopter, early majority, later majority or a laggard?

For more, listen to our farming and agtech experts:

Walt Duflock - Vice President of Innovation, Western Growers

Emma Weston - CEO & Co-Founder, AgriDigital

Pete Nelson - President & Executive Director, AgLaunch

This episode is an edited version of an AusAgritech Meetup, sponsored by FoodBytes! by Rabobank. Hosted by Sarah Nolet.

With support from SproutX, Platfarm and AgThentic.

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/10/5/farmers-and-startups-tips-for-collaboration

The divide between farmers and startups can seem like a chasm. Tech culture and agriculture have evolved from completely different backgrounds, and even seem to have their own languages. So how can agtech bring together two very different groups? Hear from Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation at Wester

29/09/2021

Dr. Ken Henry, Australia's most well-known economist join us on our latest podcast... to talk about valuing natural capital.

His known for his for his bold economic reforms as the nation's Treasury Secretary throughout the 2000s.

But his approach to conservation and agriculture is equally as bold, advocating for the natural environment to be valued, and even predicting “an explosion” in financial instruments to measure soil carbon, vegetation, biodiversity and other aspects of nature.

As an economist, former Chair of the National Australia Bank, and current board director of Accounting for Nature he shares his deep and unique perspective:

LISTEN: https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/9/28/the-economics-of-valuing-natural-capital-ken-henry

27/09/2021

There have been some BIG developments since was last on the podcast.

Wilmot Cattle Co signed a deal to sell $500k worth of carbon credits to .

So what's the strategy behind the deal? Can other farmers do it too?

🎧http://ow.ly/k64K50GeWkx

27/09/2021

There have been some BIG developments since was last on the podcast.

Wilmot Cattle Co signed a deal to sell $500k worth of carbon credits to .

So what's the strategy behind the deal? Can other farmers do it too?

🎧http://ow.ly/2GY650GeWky

22/09/2021

AgTech...So What? is 100! Yes, 100 episodes since we began the podcast. It started small, but now we've built what we genuinely believe is a fantastic agtech community.

And to mark the occasion, we have brought back some of our most popular guests to check in on what’s changed since we first spoke, and the new technologies and opportunities we can all be looking out for.

These guests were popular for a reason:

*Mark Wootton - dubbed the ‘carbon neutral farmer,’ Mark is a pioneer in measuring natural capital… yet, he’s also highly skeptical of the regenerative agriculture movement.
*Stuart Austin - manager of Wilmot Cattle Co, which recently secured a landmark deal to sell $500,000 worth of soil carbon credits to Microsoft.
*Sarah Mock - sometimes controversial, but always well-researched in her views, Sarah is an agricultural journalist and author, who just released a book examining what makes a ‘good farm’
*Derek Norman - VP of venture investment at Leaps by Bayer, Derek shares the latest on emerging technologies in agtech, including in fertilizer and soil carbon.

Thank you to everyone who has appeared on the podcast over the years and to the listeners!

We couldn't have done it without you.

In fact, some of our listeners sent us voice messages too - thanks Nick Seymour, Jonathan Zettler CCA-ON and others!

Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gAR8grFp

For our 100th episode (hooray!), we’ve brought back some of our most popular guests to check in on what’s changed in their businesses and in agtech since we spoke, and the new technologies and opportunities we can all be looking out for. Guests: Mark Wootton, Derek Norman, Sarah Mock and Stu Aus...

09/09/2021

Is it possible to get off the commodities treadmill and still make a profit?

Loran Steinlage, owner of FLOLO Farm transitioned from corn-on-corn in Iowa to now farming how he wants, rather than how he's expected to. This is includes:

*Cover cropping
*Relay cropping
*Lower inputs
*Crop diversity

He tells Sarah Nolet on the AgTech...So What? podcast, that to achieve this, he's had to modify equipment and farm machinery specifically for the job.

His story of innovation however, also comes through some very difficult personal circumstances.

Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gFJtnetK

30/08/2021

What's your experience of agtech? We're putting the call out for our 100th episode of AgTech...So What? ... and want to hear from you.

You might like to briefly answer some of the following:

*Have you been inspired to try new agtech or a different business model? Did it work or fail?
*What changes have you seen in the agtech ecosystem over the past few years?
*Where do you see technology in agriculture heading in the next five years?

We've created a button on our website where you can easily record a short 2-3 minute message from your desktop or phone.

If you're a farmer, work in agribusiness, or an agtech startup, we'd love to hear from you (and your message might just end up on the special 100th episode podcast, coming out in September).

Just head to our website and click on the orange button to record:
https://lnkd.in/geXp2nGM

25/08/2021

“This seemed like the most aggressively accelerating category to begin placing a bet on."

That's how Matt Crisp, CEO and co-founder of Benson Hill feels towards the plant-based protein industry. It's an an agtech company which has a strategy, not to be the brand, but more of the "picks and shovels" or "backend", designing and growing the ingredients.

So is he right?

Listen: https://lnkd.in/gg-xVb4C

Benson Hill is designing crops and ingredients for some of the world’s most popular plant-based food brands. But the company has no intention of becoming a brand itself. Instead, founder and CEO, Matt Crisp says it’s focused on revolutionizing the entire food system, from how plants are grown, t...

18/08/2021

"The innovation cycle is slower in agriculture. You get something wrong with a social media app...you just do a software upgrade. You get something wrong in food, you can kill people, right? "
- Rob Trice, Better Food Ventures

That's right, the stakes are a lot higher in food and agriculture. And that's the downside of the Silicon Valley innovation model.

In fact, there are fundamental differences between agriculture and other industries, but time and time again, we see agtech startups being given advice that isn’t tailored to their industry. Making it hard for them to implement, and investors assuming they are not worth their time.

Does this mean that agtech startups and venture capital just aren't a good fit?

Listen to Rob Trice along with Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor from AgThentic and Tenacious Ventures discuss the Silicon Valley template for startups... what works, what doesn't:

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/8/17/did-silicon-valley-kill-agtech

18/08/2021

‘The most common thing that gets asked as a leader in the [red meat] industry is what is somebody else doing about this?, rather than what can I actually do about it?’ Jason Strong, Managing Director at Meat & Livestock Australia

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/8/10/misinformation-carbon-neutrality-red-meat

Jason Strong & Sarah Nolet | Meat and Livestock Australia | MLA | Misinformation Red Meat Industry | Carbon Neutrality | Regulations | Podcast | Agriculture | Climate Change

11/08/2021

‘There's no point having a neutral goal, if we aren't still productive, profitable & have intergenerational because we've got to feed the world.’ Jason Srong, Managing Director of Meat & Livestock Australia discusses red meat’s place in the future

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/8/10/misinformation-carbon-neutrality-red-meat

Jason Strong & Sarah Nolet | Meat and Livestock Australia | MLA | Misinformation Red Meat Industry | Carbon Neutrality | Regulations | Podcast | Agriculture | Climate Change

02/08/2021

On our latest episode, shares his observation of the evolution of with more than incumbents, given that autonomy tends to cannibalize the dealership-heavy business model of existing agricultural companies.

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/27/is-the-future-of-farming-hands-free

29/07/2021

Kit Franklin at Hands Free Farm produced what is believed to be the first crop to be planted, cultivated, and harvested - completely autonomously.

Our latest podcast explores the past, present & future of autonomous farming

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/27/is-the-future-of-farming-hands-free

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25/07/2021

Pests don’t magically segment themselves into the paddocks and farm boundaries that we set. So, why should we manage them in this way?

Nancy Schellhorn, founder & CEO of RapidAIM, shares her conviction that biologicals need to be used early and at scale. For this to happen, data collection on pests should take place at landscape scale. Otherwise, we’ll always be chasing our tails.

More insights on how digital pest management can underpin the transition to more sustainable, cost effective inputs in our latest episode:
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/14/biologicals-finding-ways-to-commercialize-the-science

19/07/2021

‘It’s a great system for to start little companies with their ideas, seed the technology, de-risk it, then bring it internally to big companies’

Jacqueline, founder of Enko Chem, gives us an insight into the role of big companies in innovation

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/14/biologicals-finding-ways-to-commercialize-the-science

14/07/2021

No matter how cutting edge the science or technology, functionality and novelty are simply not enough when it comes to commercialization of ag inputs.

Join the CEO's of Enko Chem & RapidAIM to learn more about bringing new inputs to market

https://www.agtechsowhat.com/agtechsowhatepisodes/2021/7/14/biologicals-finding-ways-to-commercialize-the-science

In biologicals, cutting edge science and flashy technologies are just not enough to solve problems on farm and realize impact and returns for investors. In this episode (part 2 in our series on biologicals) we chat with two scientists who, instead of viewing the publication of their research as an e