Podcast Show Notes

Challenges with Investing in Food Waste Tech with Closed Loop Partners and Olympia Yarger of Goterra

Waste in the food system is an incredibly big challenge. The good news is, there are plenty of startups, and many investors, that are tackling these thorny problems.

Collaborating at the Intersection of Dairy and Alt-Dairy, with Michael Hamspon from Norco Cooperative

We have a lot of conviction that the future of alt-proteins writ large offers a lot of opportunities for conventional protein producers as well.‍ Today's guest, Michael Hamspon, CEO of Norco Cooperative Ltd., agrees.

How to Invest in Deep Tech in Agri-food, Tenaciously

Deep tech companies are often a challenging sell for venture capitalists, but we believe they're also the future of the agri-food system. Today, Komal Patel and J. Matthew Pryor discuss how we think about deep tech investing at Tenacious Ventures.

Unlocking Phosphorus for the Future of Fertility with Hunter Swisher of Phospholutions

Today we're joined by Hunter Swisher, founder and CEO of Phospholutions, who's working on enhancing phosphorus use efficiency.

Can Molecular Farming Replace Cows with Crops? with Amos Palfreyman of Miruku

Today, we’re exploring molecular farming– which, in this case, involves the production of dairy proteins in a genetically modified plant. Growing protein this way offers a lot of potential benefits, from avoiding the environmental impact of animal production to enabling plant-based dairy products that are quite true to the original.‍

Transforming Animal Waste into Renewable Fertilizer with Jordan Phasey from Phinite

Natural deposits aren’t the only source of phosphorus on Earth: livestock manure also contains meaningful quantities of the valuable mineral. Today, how technologists are helping farmers access this important P.

Future of Fertilizer... So What? with Tim Hammerich from Future of Agriculture

Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast joins Sarah to dig into the “so what?” of the nitrogen tech we’ve discussed here on the podcast and the fertilizer innovations Tim has recently covered.

AgTech Headlines… So What? - Mineral Launch, Planet Labs Insurance, Deere Right-to-Repair

Breaking news in the agtech world abounds here at the beginning of 2023, and as we've tracked the latest announcements, we've been thinking a lot about a few tech updates, especially from major brands, and what they might mean for the agtech landscape in the near future.

Building a Food Business Ecosystem from the Farm Up, with Michael Bosworth of Next Generation Foods

Michael Bosworth is a farmer and founder of Next Generation Foods, a California-based food brand and distribution company that's reinventing how food moves from the fields to chefs and home kitchens alike, with a special interest in sustainability, science, and transparency.

2022: The Year of Risk at AgTech… So What?

2022 was a wild year– both in the world of agtech broadly, and for us here at Tenacious Ventures. We’ve covered a lot of ground, spanning everything from scaling soil tech, to the future of ag marketing, to alternative protein, novel investing tactics, and most recently, the next generation of farm inputs.

Shifting from Climate Measurement to Risk Mitigation, with Cullen Gunn from Kilter Rural

There is a lot of momentum in agtech right now around investing at the intersection of ag and climate– and inevitably, many conversations start with a focus on how to measure impact. The problem we’ve been thinking about lately-- this conversation often gets stuck on the measurement challenge.

Why is autonomy in ag so hard?

We’ve talked and thought a lot about autonomy this year, and despite what we think are some promising developments, overall, we continue to be struck by just how hard it is to bring solutions to market. From the technology to the use case, from the regulations to data, there are barriers and problems to solve in every direction. So today we’re covering a ton of ground to understand why bringing autonomous solutions to agriculture is so hard.

From Buyer Beware to Seller Beware in Agtech

We’ve been thinking a lot recently about how much the world of agtech has changed over the last two decades, and how companies, and more importantly, their customers, are adapting to an increasingly digitally native world. For years, the focus was on educating farmer-customers and post-sales training. But today, sophisticated growers tell their tech partners, and their peer networks, what they want, need, like, and dislike about their tools, often in real time. 

The Future of Fertilizer - Nitrogen: Part 2, with Jupiter Ionics and Kula Bio

We're tackling part two of our future of Nitrogen fertilizer discussion, focusing on the possibilities in the realm of business models and strategies.

The Future of Fertilizer - Nitrogen, with Jupiter Ionics and Kula Bio

This is the first episode in our series on the future of fertilizer, starting with Nitrogen - the N in NPK - and looking at two different visions for the future of nitrogen fertilizer.

On-Farm Climate Risks and the Future of Ag Finance with Clay Govier

Legacy Finance Eyes Agtech, with Romie Basra and Karol Aure-Flynn, Wells Fargo

While early-stage agtech tends to play in the venture world, it pays to check in with how folks sitting in banking think about their role as partners to startups. Traditional lenders can draw on the best part of a century of connection to agriculture, and potentially offer significant options for financing the growth of later-stage companies.

Systems Thinking and the Legacy of Big Food, with Dr Nigel Hughes, Kellogg

The decisions by major food companies impact consumers, farmers, and the environment at every stage of the agrifood value chain. But the status quo strategies of ‘Big Food’ don’t always acknowledge the complex, interconnected systems at play around the world.

Changing the Risk Profile of Agriculture: a farmer's perspective on parametric insurance

What Commodity Agriculture Can Learn from Organic Farming, with Amy Bruch, Cyclone Farms

While the term “organic” tends to be associated with small-scale production and a preference for manual tools over the latest technology, organic farming advocates claim their methods can reduce the need for expensive inputs like fertilizers and herbicides, improve soil health, and allow farmers to differentiate their product in otherwise global commodity markets. So, what can commodity agriculture learn from organic farming?

Defining the Future of Ag Policy, with Emma Germano, Victorian Farmers Federation

Agriculture is exposed to a complex tangle of laws, trade agreements, and competing visions of the future. For farmers, adjustments by legislators at any level of government can have an impact. So while policy is often an afterthought for operators in tech, the pressure for farmers to be engaged and represented in the formulation of new policy is real. It’s for this reason that ag has always invested deeply in advocacy groups.

Bonus Ep: Audience Responses to “The Three Fears of Farm Data”

Back in May, we published an experimental bonus episode called “The Three Fears of Farm Data”. The conversation centered around the legitimacy of fears held by farmers about sharing their farm data, and kicked off with a particularly hot take: “We in agtech have completely f*****d farmers by making them afraid of sharing their data.” The episode got a huge reaction from around the industry - both positive and critical. It’s clear that the conversation around farm data is one that everyone in agtech, from farmers and startups to analysts and operators in agribusinesses, seem interested in continuing.

The Incentives, Barriers, and Willingness to Pay for Carbon Programs in Agriculture

When it comes to designing carbon programs in agriculture, there is a very real tension between the science and the commercial realities of drawing down carbon at scale. Particularly, the question of how to incentivize on-farm practice changes is one that many companies in ag carbon have failed to answer.Working at the intersection of these tensions is our guest this week, Emma Fuller, Carbon and Ecosystem Services Portfolio Leader at Corteva Agriscience. An accomplished data scientist and ecologist, Emma began her career in agrifood systems publishing research on West Coast fisheries in the US, before jumping into the world of startups at Granular. After their $300M acquisition by what is now Corteva Agriscience, today Emma designs programs that credit farmers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or sequestering carbon in their soils.

The Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, with Andrew Bate, SwarmFarm Robotics

Autonomous farming equipment and robotics in ag is more crowded than ever. Every new acquisition from an incumbent or deployment of venture capital into the space creates more buzz to sort through in the inboxes of analysts, entrepreneurs, and farmers. With the industry growing so quickly, it’s helpful to have a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening, and what it means for the future of agriculture.

Ag Insurance…So What?

This week we're bringing you the final episode in our three-part series on the future of ag insurance. Sarah is joined by Matthew Pryor to talk through their learnings in a live attempt to develop an investment thesis for ag insurance.

Bonus Ep: The State of Fundraising in Agtech

Life is moving pretty fast for founders and investors working in agtech. Recent years have seen record flows of capital into agrifood, driven in part by agriculture potential to provide climate solutions. And the massive disruptions of COVID-19 meant developed markets received a historic taste of what changes will be needed in a world impacted by climate change and further uncertainty. So, how have the last few years impacted agtech founders looking to raise capital, and investors on the lookout for opportunities with impact? For this bonus episode, Tenacious Ventures’ Partners Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor asked a group of founders and investors to share what they’ve learned and observed about the state of agtech investing in 2022. As a dedicated agrifood venture fund “born in the teeth of COVID-19”, Sarah and Matthew also offer their take on what has changed and what has stayed the same as we look to the future.

The Future of Insurance in Agriculture, with Damon Johnson, Global Ag Risk Solutions

For a traditionally low innovation industry, things are starting to heat up in agricultural insurance. While it remains something of a black box for many people in agriculture, the forces of climate change and technological innovation are creating the right mix of incentives that could change how the whole industry manages risk. This second episode of our exploration of ag insurance considers a digitally-native product in the hands of farmers today. While still in their infancy, these digitally-native reimaginings of insurance as it exists will be the difference between farmers spending hours, days, and weeks dealing with brokers and getting payouts, compared to almost instant quotes, claims, and reimbursements.

Services and Software for On-Farm Autonomy, with Iftach Birger of FieldIn

There are many different views about the future of autonomous farming. One is that, out of the emerging autonomous equipment providers and established blue chip suppliers, there will be clear winners and losers in the battle for on-farm dominance. Another is that farming in the future will involve all kinds of autonomous solutions. This second possibility presents tons of opportunities to add value for farmers. Our guest on this week’s episode is Iftach Birger [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iftachbirger/], Co-Founder and COO at FieldIn [https://www.fieldin.com/], a farm data and autonomous equipment startup founded in Israel. Rather than wade into the fray playing out between new autonomous equipment players and established corporations, FieldIn is attempting to create a platform that allows a mixed fleet of equipment to interact seamlessly.

Investing Beyond the Farmgate with Ben Barlow, New Edge Microbials

Biologicals in agriculture have a wildly exciting future. It’s a segment responding to innovation in science, changes in markets, and the urgent pressures of adapting to climate change. And while the buzz from new entrants inspires thinking about the future, New Edge Microbials [https://microbials.com.au] (NEM) is an established player with products in the hands of farmers today. Managing Director and veteran agribusiness executive Ben Barlow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-barlow-08648330/?originalSubdomain=au]has spent years executing a growth strategy that has weathered all of these forces, plus the additional logistics chaos of COVID-19 in recent years.

Bonus Ep: Ag Insurance 101

Climate change will mean more frequent, extreme weather and more risk exposure for farmers around the world. This increased risk should be a driver for the business of agricultural insurers. But, it’s not easy to predict how climate change and digital-disruption might transform one of the world’s oldest industries. Actually, we’ve come to realize it isn’t easy to understand how agricultural insurance works at all. So, in the spirit of learning out loud, we’re releasing TWO episodes this week. This first one dives into the mysterious world of ag insurance with a 101-style conversation with Matt Coutts [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-coutts-a4056578/], Chief Investment Officer of Coutts Capital, and Tenacious Ventures General Partner Matthew Pryor [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmatthewpryor/].

From the Vault: Mark Wootton on Carbon-Neutral Farming at Jigsaw Farms

Recently the whole team here at Tenacious Ventures had the chance to get out of town and on to the farm. And not just any farm – we visited Jigsaw Farms, home to sheep farmer and long-time friend of the show Mark Wooton and his wife Eve. While out at Jigsaw, Mark and Eve gave us an update on their vision for “sustainable intensification” and their ethos for farm management.

Bonus Ep: The Three Fears of Farm Data

Have we in agtech completely f*****d farmers by making them afraid of sharing their data? Listen in to Matthew Pryor and Sarah Nolet from Tenacious Ventures, and Shane Thomas, agronomist and author at Upstream Ag Insights, work through an emerging theory that uncertainty and fear about farm data is a largely unfounded barrier to adoption.

Navigating Economic Development and the Social Fabric of Agriculture, with Elizabeth Brennan, Wide Open Agriculture

Every decision made by founders, farmers, and leaders in agriculture shapes the future of our food system. Whether it’s the cost per hectare of a biological or the value of a ton of carbon sequestered, the different goals and outcomes that end up in business plans inevitably define how time, energy, and capital are spent. But there are many outcomes of a healthy food system that don’t fit in a business plan. How do leaders today account for the broad connections between people, ideas, and identities? It’s this fabric that reflects who we are, what we value as a society, and how we interact as humans along the agricultural value chain.

Unscrambling Go-to-Market and Brand in Alternative Protein, with Tanja Bogumil, Perfeggt

Let’s talk about eggs. Hardly anything can match the egg for complete versatility. Eggs are a critical ingredient to unlock the tastes, textures, and experiences we take for granted in everything from a simple home omelette to food manufactured on an industrial scale. So, how would you approach replacing the egg with a plant-based alternative? This week on EggTech…So What?, we spoke with alternative-protein entrepreneur Tanja Bogumil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanja-bogumil/]. Tanja is the Co-Founder and CEO of Berlin-based Perfeggt [https://www.perfeggt.co/], a company working to bring plant-based egg alternatives to market, starting with a liquid substitute for scrambled eggs and baking.

Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty, with Hallie Shoffner

It isn’t surprising that most farmers have to be expert planners and investors. But getting an inside view into how a farmer plans for the future of their business is a rare opportunity. In this episode, you’ll hear firsthand how Hallie Shoffner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallieshoffner], a sixth-generation row crop farmer in the Mississippi Delta, makes decisions for her farm and company, SFR Seed [https://www.sfrseed.com/]. While Hallie is an enthusiastic adopter of new farming innovations, this conversation shows that every decision must be well supported by reliable data and the right incentives.

Episode 23 - Allison Kopf on redefining what it means to farm

Allison Kopf is the CEO and Founder of Agrylst [https://www.agrilyst.com/], a software company providing indoor farmers with a virtual agronomist. Allison is a veteran in this industry, and an advocate for more women in agtech.

Episode 24: Brooke Sauer on closing the gap between growers, agronomists, and technology

Brooke is a digital agriculture manager for McGregor Gourlay. On this episode, she discusses drones, working with startups, and personal relationships in AgTech.

Episode 25: Dr Jaci Brown on the weather and researchers working with agtech startups

Dr. Jaci Brown [https://people.csiro.au/B/J/Jaclyn-Brown] is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO, and an expert in weather and climate science. In this episode, we discuss how researchers are working to better understand end users and agtech startups.

Episode 30: Rob Sharkey, Shark Farmer

Rob Sharkey, better known as the Shark Farmer, is the co-host of What the Farm Podcast [https://sharkfarmer.com/podcast]and co-founder of the Farm and Rural Ag network.

Episode 32: Jen Medway

Episode 7 guest is Jen Medway, a sheep farmer and R&D manager at AgriFutures Australia.

Episode 34 Live from evokeAG: Alternative Farming with James Pateras, Dror Tamir, Olympia Yarger and Emma Parsons

This episode on Alternative Farming was recorded live at evokeAG 2019, with Sarah facilitating a panel discussion between James Pateras, Dror Tamir, Olympia Yarger and Emma Parsons.

Episode 35 Live from evokeAG: Smarter Faster Farms with Flurosat, Fleetspace, Hummingbird, Airbus and Syngenta

This episode on Smarter Faster Farms was recorded live at evokeAG 2019, with Sarah facilitating a panel discussion between Anastasia Volkova, Flavia Tata Nardini, Jonah Williams, Will Wells and Martin Clough.

Episode 37: Anthony Rudd, I-AG

Anthony began as John Deere Australia’s first integrated solutions manager. John Deere’s precision ag technology was tested in the USA and then brought to Australia. Anthony was integral in joining the technology to the dealership, and then helping connect the value to the grower. After leaving John Deere, Anthony, not wanting to abandon the relationships he had fostered but also recognizing the gaps in the market around managing on-farm data, founded I-AG. I-AG aims to bridge the gap between, “I’ve bought this piece of equipment and we can’t get it to work” and “I can now use and harvest the data to benefit my production”.

Episode 40: Tim Rethus (Getting AgTech Ready #1)

Tim Rethus and his family are cropping farmers near Horsham in Victoria, Australia. They are early adopters and innovators who are leveraging best practices achieve their commitment to “sustainable, low cost farming”. Tim has some valuable insights to share about adopting (and building) new technology, where to look for inspiration, deciding to shift to a whole new farming system, and more. This episode is the first of four that we will be releasing on the theme of “getting agtech ready.” This theme is brought to you in partnership with Decipher [https://decipher.com.au/], an easy-to-use precision agriculture solution helping growers and agronomists in 60 countries make data driven decisions. To learn more about Decipher, visit their website [http://www.decipher.com.au/] or follow them on twitter [https://twitter.com/decipheragtech]. Want more on getting agtech ready? Check out our eBook! [https://www.agtechsowhat.com/getting-agtech-ready-ebook]

Episode 22: Kevin Heikes with perspectives on agtech from over 20 years in the space 

Kevin Heikes is an agtech veteran with a new idea for how to improve agriculture and the farmer’s bottom line using technology.

Episode 27: Carl Lippert

Carl Lippert is an American dairy farmer and co-founder of FeedX [https://www.linkedin.com/company/feedx/about/], an agtech company building an app for US dairy farmers.

Episode 43: Jess and Matt Fealy (getting agtech ready #3)

In this episode we hear from a farming couple, Jess and Matt, about social media, robotics, and picking low hanging fruit when it comes to innovation. Jess and Matt Fealy returned to farm life after a long stint in the corporate world to grow avocados, mangoes, and limes in Far North Queensland. For them, being agtech ready is about having an open mind, trying new things, and thinking beyond business-as-usual. Their advice is lean in and take control of what you can. But when it comes to implementing technology, to remember that innovation is not a band-aid for sound business practices- it’s a natural progression of good decision making. Matt also shares insights from his recently completed Nuffield scholarship on robotics and automation in horticulture. This episode is the third in the theme, Getting AgTech Ready, brought to you in partnership with Decipher [https://www.decipher.com.au/], a precision agriculture solution that helps growers and agronomists make data driven decisions. Find them on social media @DecipherAgTech [https://twitter.com/decipheragtech?lang=en] Want more on getting agtech ready? Check out our eBook [https://www.agtechsowhat.com/getting-agtech-ready-ebook]!

Regen Ag Series #4: 'Greenwashing' ...or good business?

Our panel of farming experts debate whether regenerative agriculture can help farmers be more sustainable and profitable, or if it’s all hype. Richard Leask, a South Australian wine grower, and Toby Grogan, a natural capital specialist from Impact Ag [https://www.impactag.com.au/], share their insights on how regen ag is improving soil health and profitability. While Tasmanian mixed farmer, Will Bignell explains why he remains sceptical of regenerative agriculture, despite measuring soil carbon himself.

Ep 69: Renée Anderson "Cotton Farm Girl" on social media and social license

Renée Anderson is a farmer in Emerald, Queensland, Nuffield Scholar, agronomist, and overall champion for the cotton industry. In this episode, she shares her insights from Australia and around the world on social license, science communications, and the role that tech can play in helping farmers both improve production and change the narrative about agriculture.

Regen Ag Series #2: Sam Trethewey on applying startup business model insights to produce carbon positive beef

Sam Trethewey believes ‘regenerative agriculture’ is not a dirty word - but simply the future of farming. Astonishingly, he produces wagyu beef in Tasmania without actually owning any cows. He does this by combining insights about business models from startups such as Uber and Airbnb with the farming practices of regenerative agriculture.

Episode 29: Will MacSmith

Will MacSmith is a farmer from Manildra in Central West New South Wales, developing a system to calculate feed efficiency for individual sheep.

Episode 8: Nick Addison on the building blocks of Blockchain and Ag

Nick Addison, CTO of AgriDigital [http://www.agridigital.io/], gives us a lesson in blockchain 101 and the "so what" for agriculture.  

Episode 16: Doug Fitch on whether VC is a good fit for agtech

Doug Fitch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-fitch/] is the CEO of AgWorld [https://agworld.com.au/], a global farm management platform that provides an integrated and centralized software solution for data collection and decision-making. We talk about data standardisation, global expansion, and investing in your team. 

Episode 18: Tony Holt on differences and similarities between agtech and other sectors

Tony Holt, Partner at Square Peg Capital, is now an agtech investor after announcing that Sydney-based agtech startup AgriDigital joined their portfolio in early 2018. In this episode, recorded at the Sydney AgTech Meetup, Tony discusses this investment and their views on agtech in general.

Episode 19: Nathan Dorn on labor challenges in specialty crops

Nathan Dorn is an agtech entrepreneur with a long career in the agriculture industry. In this episode, we discuss the future of robotics, how ag has changed in the last 100 years, and just how important it is to know the problem you’re solving.

Episode 21: Seana Day on what's hot in livestock and dairy tech

Seana Day brings experience in technology, finance, and agriculture to the agtech space where she is raising a fund, exploring the livestock space, and more.

Episode 1: agtech....so what?

So, we're going to start an agtech podcast, hey?

Episode 7: Sam Trethewey on SproutX, Australia's first agtech accelerator

In this episode, Sam Trethewey, General Manager of SproutX, digs in to the agtech landscape in Australia, how farmers can get involved, and low hanging fruit of innovation for Agriculture.

Episode 42: Anika Molesworth (responding to climate risk #1)

Anika Molesworth is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming and climate change action. She can be heard across Australia and abroad discussing the balance of rural landscapes and managing climate risk in agricultural systems. In this episode we talk about managing climate risk and how Anika’s family experience taking on a property in far west NSW sparked her interest in this style of agricultural study. We also look at the differences she sees between the Riverina and South East Asia, and what we can learn from each. We also touch on technology of course, and its role in managing climate risk and telling the stories of the land. This is the first of four episodes in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute [http://www.farminstitute.org.au/] on the theme "responding to climate risk".

Episode 41: Lachlan Sutton (getting agtech ready #2)

Lachlan Sutton, Agribusiness Manager for Southern Cross Farms [http://www.scfarms.com.au/home], has been involved with agriculture for his whole life. He was born and bred on his family’s sheep and wheat farm, worked in various rural services roles for over a decade with Elders, and now looks after agtech for the Corporate farming outfit Southern Cross Farms. Because of his experiences working in both corporate and family farming businesses, Lachlan is in the unique position of being able to shed light on his experience incorporating agtech into each of these different farming models. Lachie discusses 5 key insights that we hope will help farmers of all types make their businesses agtech ready. This episode is the second of four that we will be releasing on the theme of “getting agtech ready.” This theme is brought to you in partnership with Decipher [https://decipher.com.au/], an easy-to-use precision agriculture solution helping growers and agronomists in 60 countries make data driven decisions. To learn more about Decipher, visit their website [http://www.decipher.com.au/] or follow them on twitter [https://twitter.com/decipheragtech]. Want more on getting agtech ready? Check out our eBook [https://www.agtechsowhat.com/getting-agtech-ready-ebook]!

Episode 44: Jon Elder and Karin Stark (Responding to Climate Risk #2)

Cotton farmers Jon Elder and Karin Stark have looked to technology (and their neighbors) for innovation that can help them respond to climate risk. The 500 kW hybrid solar-diesel pumping system they’ve installed- Australia’s largest- is helping them combat rising energy costs. As farmers who are passionate about the environment, Karin and Jon say it’s a win-win. The system is reducing their carbon footprint and building financial resilience. On top of that, Karin has been organizing field days and conferences to share her message that communication and trust are key to building knowledge and confidence when it comes to adopting new technologies that can help farmers respond to climate risk. This episode is the second in the Responding to Climate Risk theme, brought to you in partnership with Australian Farm Institute [http://www.farminstitute.org.au/], an independent organisation conducting research into the strategic issues facing Australian farmers and the agriculture sector. Find them on social media @AustFarmInstitu [https://twitter.com/AustFarmInstitu] 

Episode 45: Andrew Whitlock (Getting Agtech Ready #4)

Andrew Whitlock is a farmer who’s spent his career helping farmers to adopt science-based, practical, precision agriculture solutions. With a deep seeded love of farming, Andrew has many insights into how farmers make decisions about technology adoption and getting agtech ready.  In this episode, Andrew shares these insights as well as lessons from his journey from agronomist to farmer and finally to founder of a precision agriculture business. This episode is the fourth and final in our theme: Getting Agtech Ready. This theme is brought to you in partnership with Decipher [https://decipher.com.au/], an easy-to-use precision agriculture solution helping growers and agronomists in 60 countries make data driven decisions. To learn more about Decipher, visit their website [http://www.decipher.com.au/] or follow them on twitter [https://twitter.com/decipheragtech]. Want more on getting agtech ready? Check out our eBook [https://www.agtechsowhat.com/getting-agtech-ready-ebook]!

Episode 50: Tim Hammerich on careers in agtech

Tim Hammerich, who grew up on a hobby farm in Northern California selling pigs, goats and ducks, is the Founder of AgGrad and the host of the Future of Agriculture podcast. In this episode, Tim chats about careers in agriculture, including what companies are looking for, tips for getting a job, and what’s different about jobs in agtech.  For more on Tim, check out AgGrad (https://aggrad.com/ [https://aggrad.com/]) or find him on Twitter @TimHammerich and #FutureOfAgriculture [https://twitter.com/search?q=#FutureOfAgriculture&src=hashtag_click] Podcast

Episode 20: Dr Rosie Bosworth on the rise of alternative protein

Dr Rosie Bosworth is an investor, storyteller and food futurist from New Zealand. In this episode, we discuss the rise of alternative protein and the industry’s response.

Episode 46: Ben Krasnostein (Responding to climate risk)

Ben Krasnostein, co-founder and managing director of Kilara Capital, a company that helps facilitate investment opportunities that provide both commercial returns and environmental impacts.  Ben believes that we as consumers, primary producers, and global economies need to shift away from a mindset of extraction to one of regeneration. And he believes that business and technology are tools to enable this transition.  When it comes to agriculture, Ben sees great opportunities for farmers to benefit during this transition.  This episode is the 3rd the theme, responding to climate risk, brought to you in partnership with Australian Farm Institute [http://www.farminstitute.org.au/], an independent organisation conducting research into the strategic issues facing Australian farmers and the agriculture sector. Find them on social media @AustFarmInstitu [https://twitter.com/AustFarmInstitu]

Episode 47: Live Q&A with Dan Harburg of IndigoAg

Today’s episode is a live recording from the Sydney AgTech meetup, where we hosted Dan Harburg, senior director at IndigoAg. IndigoAg is one of agtech’s biggest startups. They’ve raised over $650M, have over 1k staff, and are working to expand in the US and internationally.

Episode 48: Peter Thompson (Responding to climate risk)

Today’s episode is the 4th in the theme Responding to Climate Risk, brought to you in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute [http://www.farminstitute.org.au/]. Check out episodes 42, 44 and 46 to hear more on this theme.  Today’s guest is Peter Thompson, a farmer based in rural Queensland, Australia that has been farming regeneratively before the word existed. He and his wife Nicki run grassfed beef cattle, do broadacre cropping, and have about 6000 acres of wilderness conservation country.

Episode 49: Rachel Hay on the role of women in agtech adoption

This week, Dr. Rachel Hay, social scientist at James Cook University and boutique pig farmer, shares insights from her PhD on the role of women in agtech adoption. Published in 2014, Rachel’s findings still hold true and could be helpful for agtech companies looking to understand the industry and develop marketing strategies that can cut through the noise.

Episode 4: Olympia Yarger on Building an Insect Farming Industry

Olympia Yarger farms maggots. And crickets. And mealworms. Her company, Goterra [https://goterra.com.au/], is using technology to create a new and protein-focused farming industry...based on insects!

Episode 6: Kevin Baum on Sales, Marketing, and Building a Team in AgTech

In this episode, Kevin Baum, CEO of AgriWebb, shares his hard-earned lessons for creating and selling an agtech product, and building an agtech company. 

Episode 9: Airlie Trescowthick on how tech can make a vision become a reality

Airlie Trescowthick, Founder of Farm Table [https://farmtable.com.au/], shares her journey into agtech, her passion for helping farmers, and what it's like to launch a product before it's ready. 

Episode 10: Matthew Pryor on startup acquisitions and building an Australian agtech ecosystem

Welcome to season two of the Bushtech Podcast! We kick off this season with a serial entrepreneur, Matthew Pryor [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmatthewpryor/], who is one of very few agtech founders with a successful exit.

Episode 11: Zack Armen on agtech commercialization and the intersection of food and tech

Zack Armen, formerly a senior associate at venture development firm Flagship Pioneering, is currently Director of Business Development at Incredible Foods. In this episode Zack talks about Flagship's unique model for commercialization, the intersection of foodtech an agriculture, and how VCs look at agtech. 

Episode 15: Renee Vassilos on lessons from the midwest

Renée Vassilos [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rvassilos/] is an Ag Economist, who's started her own consultancy to help growth-stage agribusinesses. Last month, Renee and I set out on a ten day, whirlwind trip through the midwest of the U.S. to explore the intersection of ag and agtech. Here's a bit on what we learned.

Episode 2: Richard Heath on the current and future status of agtech in Australia

Richard Heath on data standards, new research models, and who's solving Australia's connectivity challenges.

Episode 3: Phil Morle on Venture Capital and Innovation in Australia

Phil Morle on the Deep Tech opportunities for agtech, and how Main Sequence Ventures is looking to spend $200M.  

Episode 5: Salah Sukkarieh on robots and the future of education and labor in ag

Professor Salah Sukkarieh, or Dr. Robot, on robots in agriculture and what it means for the future of education, food, regional communities, and the environment.

Episode 12: Sam Marwood on farmer and investor matchmaking

Sam Marwood is a social entrepreneur committed to rebuilding regional communities and helping more people realize their dream of becoming a farmer. 

Episode 13: Trent Loos on bridging the rural-urban divide

Trent Loos is a 6th generation rancher from Nebraska and the host of two radio programs where he helps people understand where their food comes from, and the stories of the people who produce it.

Episode 14: Chris Sounness on the digitization of Australian agriculture

Chris Sounness is the CEO of Birchip Cropping Group, where he's working to ensure the future productivity and competitiveness of Australian agriculture through digitization and improved ag + agtech engagement. 

Episode 28: Mark Mortimer

On this episode we spoke to sheep genetics expert Mark Mortimer (@SheepGeekCP [https://twitter.com/sheepgeekcp?lang=en]) about his journey from technophobe to hacker.

Regen Ag Series #3: Why the major food companies are supporting regen ag with Jay Watson of General Mills

When a company signs on to regenerative agriculture, it can be accused of ‘greenwashing’- making people believe it’s doing more to help the environment than it really is. General Mills [https://www.generalmills.com/], the company behind iconic brands such as Yoplait, Betty Crocker and Cheerios, made a commitment to bring regenerative agriculture practices to one million acres of farmland by 2030. Jay Watson is responsible for this task. In this episode Jay shares his views on the criticisms against regenerative agriculture and why- and how- General Mills has decided to invest in it.

Regen Ag Series #1: Mark Wootton on carbon-neutral farming at Jigsaw Farms

Mark Wootton is well-known in the Australian agriculture industry as a pioneer in carbon-neutral farming. In 2011, Jigsaw Farms, his family property in south-west Victoria, achieved carbon neutrality - undergoing a process he openly admits was at the time, both “arduous and not necessarily commercially rewarding”. But his passion for sustainable farming and lowering carbon emissions continues. His latest venture is a “Super Ewe” - where he aims to genetically create a dual purpose sheep.

Can big brands like McDonald’s be global leaders in sustainability?

Is it possible for large food corporations like McDonald’s to “scale for good?” Nicole Johnson-Hoffman is in charge of supplying beef to McDonalds through the OSI Group [https://www.osigroup.com/], and doing so sustainably. She believes it’s only the big companies that have the power to change entire supply chains. This view comes from years as an industry insider, having even defended the beef industry during the infamous feud between Oprah and the American Cattleman’s Association in the 1990s.

Episode 31: Viv McCollum and Margaret Ayre

Viv McCollum is the founder of AGKServices, a precision ag consulting firm, and Margaret Ayre is a senior research fellow in the Rural Innovation research group at University of Melbourne.

Episode 33: Matt Roesner

Matt Roesner is the technical director of Roesner Pty Ltd. based in Harvey, Western Australia, developers of the Marshall Multi Spread.

Episode 51: Victor Friedberg on the transition from commodity to identity

Today’s guest, Victor Friedberg is the co-founder of S2G ventures [https://s2gventures.com/portfolio/], a Chicago-based firm that has backed companies across the ag and food industries such as Beyond Meat, Maple Hill Creamery, Benson Hill Biosystems, and Mercaris. Victor is also the founder of Foodshot Global [http://www.foodshot.org/team.html#], a non-profit consortium of companies focused on creating a food system that's more healthy, sustainable, and equitable.

Meet two of the farmer-led startups in the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp

Ash Miles and David Ricardo are Australian farmers and founders of agtech startups Training Paddock and Farm Service Manager. They, along with six other farmer-led businesses, have been selected into the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp program, an intensive 3 month accelerator that helping them take their business to the next level.

Stuart Austin on the tools for regenerative agriculture

Stuart Austin is a regenerative farmer and self-proclaimed early adopter of technology. In this episode we cover everything from how Stuart got involved in regenerative ag, to the tools he's using (and helping build) to make 6 and 7 figure decisions at Wilmot Cattle Company. Stuart also shares his views on alternative proteins, transparency in agriculture, and the books and movies that he's found inspirational.

Ep 57 Fee Turner and Lee Coleman on being farmers and agtech founders

Fee Turner (Bitwise Agronomy) and Lee Coleman (FarmSimple) are both farmers as well as founders of agtech startups. They, along with six other farmer-led businesses, have been selected into the Farmers2Founders Bootcamp program, an intensive 3 month accelerator that is helping them take their business to the next level. In this episode, Fee and Lee tell us about their farms, startups, and the challenges they're facing being farmers and founders. This episode is produced in partnership with Farmers2Founders. To learn more, check out https://www.farmers2founders.com/ or follow @farmers2founder on Twitter.

Ep 58: Fiona Aveyard on drought, dust storms, and value-adding

Agtech is about more than the technologies. It's about new business models in agriculture, and of course the innovators driving changes along the value chain. Today’s guest, Fiona Aveyard, a 5th generation mixed farmer, is definitely an innovator and an entrepreneur. We talk about how she’s working on a new supply chain and new value add products that can bring more profits to the farm and create jobs in her local community. And she’s doing all of this while facing dust storms and the worst drought in history. This episode is again part of our series in partnership with Farmers2Founders [https://www.farmers2founders.com/].

Episode 65: The Alternative Protein Debate: live from Australia's first virtual, national agtech meetup

Coming to you live from Australia's first national, virtual AgTech Meetup, this panel explores what alternative proteins are, how big they'll become, and what this means for agriculture. The panelists at the meetup were: * Catherine Tubb, Research Fellow at RethinkX * Paul Wood, Chairman at AusBiotech * George Peppou, CEO/Co-founder at VOW The meetup was co-hosted by us (AgThentic) alongside SproutX [https://www.sproutx.com.au/] and Platfarm [https://www.platfarm.com/].

Ep 59: Mic Fels on startup buzzwords and where the real value is in agtech

Mic Fels and his wife Marnie crop about 11,000 hectares in Esperance, Western Australia. But Mic is not your average farmer. He's an early adopter of technologies and farming systems (e.g., Controlled Traffic), and an innovator, building and commercializing a range of software products and machinery through his company, iPaddock. On this episode, Mic shares where he is- and isn't- getting value in agtech, and what he's learned about both startups and farming from his journey as an entrepreneur.

Ep 64 Pete Nelson on partnering with growers to build better agtech

This week Sarah is joined by a guest host, Cass Mao, Principal Advisor at AgThentic, to chat with Pete Nelson of AgLaunch about how growers and agtech companies can work together in a model that they call "farmer-centric innovation" Pete Nelson, originally a farmer and an English major at University, has been actively involved in building the support ecosystem for new agricultural enterprises for over 15 years. He has worked with a variety of public and private sector partners and helped to launch multiple startup companies. More recently, as President of AgLaunch [http://aglaunch.com/], Pete has been working on sector-specific initiatives to fund, incubate, and accelerate agricultural companies with high growth potential by working with farmers. In this episode, Pete explains what “farmer-centric innovation” means, how AgLaunch is driving it, and how having growers at the table fundamentally changes outcomes for startups and regional communities.

Ep 67: tips from three leading farmers using tech everyday (live from evokeAG)

These three Aussie farmers are much more than customers of agtech. On this episode, recorded live at evokeAG, they shares tips, insights, and where to look for the best agtech.

Ep 68: David Carter on becoming the world's only carbon neutral fishing company

David Carter is the CEO of Austral Fisheries [https://www.australfisheries.com.au/], one of Australia’s largest integrated commercial fishing companies. Austral Fisheries has a reputation as a market leader: they are the only commercial fishing company in the world to be certified as Carbon Neutral, and have been offsetting their emissions to zero since 2016. In this episode we talk about: * David's path from deckhand to CEO * Austral's journey from commodity to branded, premium product * The bold goals that Austral have set on issues like bycatch and carbon emissions * How technology is helping Austral respond to consumer demands and address social license issues * The 'unlikely alliances' powering Austral Fisheries’ market leading position

100th Episode Special: soil carbon & the future of agtech

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. This episode features Mark Wootton, Stu Austin, Sarah Mock, and Derek Norman.

Later-Stage Agtech Startup Lessons #2 - BrightFarms

Paul Lightfoot [https://www.linkedin.com/in/plightfoot/] is a serial entrepreneur who has learned several lessons the hard way, from raising money to communicating purpose to hiring (and firing). After spending much of his career as a software CEO, Paul wanted to follow his “calling” to enter the world of sustainability and foodtech. But this meant moving from a familiar career trajectory to an industry that, 10 years ago when Paul was entering it, barely even existed. In 2011, Paul founded BrightFarms [https://www.brightfarms.com/], 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, including voluntarily stepping back from the role of CEO.

“Not a cheerleader, not the enemy”, journalist Sarah Mock on making windows in the walls around agriculture

Sarah Mock is a US reporter who isn’t afraid of calling out the agriculture industry. While sometimes portrayed as being anti-farming, Sarah describes herself as “not a cheerleader; not the enemy”. She grew up on a farm in Wyoming and has also worked with agtech startups and in farm data analysis. Sarah Mock wants a more truthful agriculture industry and is on a mission to “make windows in the walls around farming”.

From defense to disruption - Mary Shelman

Mary Shelman is an internationally recognized agribusiness consultant and speaker, and the former Director of Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness program. Mary grew up in Kentucky, watching her father sell farm equipment; now, based in Boston, she helps corporations and governments tackle agriculture’s biggest problems.