In the ag business sector, the retail channel is sacred. Ag retailers are home to the people who actually shake hands with farmers, know their kids by name, and drive by their fields regularly. So if you’re someone looking to sell a product or service to a producer, it can be almost impossible to go around these heavily-influential, and often highly localized, organizations. And yet, the ag retail world is changing. Shifts in the way producers learn about, try, and buy the things they need to run their businesses is putting pressure even on ag retail– relationships or no.

This week, we're diving deep into how ag retail is changing, and what it might look like in the future. You’ll hear from Shane Thomas, Author of Upstream Ag Insights.

In this episode, Shane speaks about:

• The biggest factors driving change in the ag retail sector, and how retailers are succeeding (and failing to) manage them
• How to influence decision-making on farms, and what role ag retailers will play in that work going forward
• Why some retailers are planning to pursue opportunities, even when they might not be the core of their business for decades to come

Useful Links:

• Shane has written too many great pieces about the future of ag retail to recommend them all, but a good place to start is Upstream Ag Insights 1/23 - Future of Ag Retailers and Upstream Ag Insights 1/15 - Future of Ag Retail
• Some additional reading on the subject of ag retail’s future that we found helpful: 6 Skills Required for Ag Retailers of the Future and CropLife: Looking ahead to the future of ag retail
• We’re fundraising for Tenacious Ventures Fund II, out loud To learn more about investing in Fund II, click here

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