Agtech - So What?

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.

Companies: James Cook University • Topics: women-agtech, ag-tech-adoption, people-culture, research

Today’s episode is the 4th in the theme Responding to Climate Risk, brought to you in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute. 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 broad-acre cropping, and have about 6000 acres of wilderness conservation country.
His farming philosophy has developed over a lifetime on the land, and in this episode he shares his insights about:

• Finding compromises that are truly win-win;
• Avoiding the temptation of silver bullet solutions;
• The long list of technologies they’ve adopted; and
• The importance of balance.

• EchoCattle: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Agricultural-Cooperative/Echo-Cattle-228388813850666/
• PeterPointT, his invention that’s now sold globally: https://www.facebook.com/433620400044090/videos/1219724138184212/
• Soil2Soul: www.soil2soul.com.au
• Walk over weighing project: https://futurebeef.com.au/projects/walk-over-weighing/

Topics: regen-ag, livestock-dairy, climate-risk, soil-health

Today’s episode is a live recording from the Sydney AgTech meetup. Our guest is Dan Harburg, senior director at Indigo Ag. 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. Dan was visiting Australia to learn more about carbon farming, and the work happening here that might be helpful to Indigo and farmers around the world.
Indigo Ag - https://www.indigoag.com/
Episode produced by Grow Love Project.

Companies: Indigo Ag • Topics: venture-startups, carbon-markets, soil-health, agtech-ecosystem

In this episode we hear from 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, an independent organization conducting research into the strategic issues facing Australian farmers and the agriculture sector. Find them on social media @AustFarmInstitu
Other links from the show

• Kilara Capital
• Climate Solutions Fund
• Climate Friendly
• Tasman Environmental Markets

Companies: Kilara Capital • Topics: finance-investing, regen-ag, natural-capital, climate-risk

In this episode we hear from Andrew Whitlock, a farmer and precision agriculture consultant. Andrew has worked with many farmers over the years, both as a government extension officer and as a private consultant. Andrew believes in keeping it simple, sticking to the science, and being really clear about the problem you are trying to solve before implementing any innovation.
For Andrew, big is not necessarily better when it comes to data, and agtech is no substitute for sound soil science. But he is excited to see where new innovative technologies can complement agronomy to inform good decision making.
Finally, Andrew says that farmers young and old need to be brave and take a leap of faith when it comes to trying new things to improve their farming systems.
This episode is the 4th and final in the theme, Getting AgTech Ready, brought to you in partnership with Decipher, a precision agriculture solution that helps growers and agronomists make data driven decisions. Find them on social media @DecipherAgTech

Topics: ag-tech-adoption, ag-data, people-culture

Cotton farmers Jon Elder and Karin Stark have looked to technology (and their neighbors) for innovation to 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 and improve the bottom line.
As farmers who are passionate about the environment, Karin and Jon say it’s a win-win for the business and the environment. 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, an independent organisation conducting research into the strategic issues facing Australian farmers and the agriculture sector. Find them on social media @AustFarmInstitu
Other links from the showNSW Rural Assistance Authority government incentives - www.raa.nsw.gov.auAgriFutures Rural Women’s Award - www.agrifutures.com.au/people-leadership/rural-womens-award/Reaqua Solar Pumping - www.reaqua.com.au

Topics: climate-risk, energy-electrification, irrigation-water

Which countries are best prepared for agtech? And what can farmers do to get started today?
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, a precision agriculture solution that helps growers and agronomists make data driven decisions. Find them on social media @DecipherAgTech
Jess and Matt’s farm - blueskyproduce.com.auKeeping in simple on social media - instagram.com/p/ByD-mFep8SSMatt’s Nuffield report and video presentation - https://nuffield.com.au/matthew-fealy/Future Agro Challenge - fac.startuptablelands.orgInsights from the episode on our blog here

Topics: ag-tech-adoption, crops-horticulture, autonomy-robotics

Anika Molesworth is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming and climate change action. She can be heard on stage and in classrooms in Australia and abroad on the balance of rural landscapes and includes managing climate risk in agricultural systems.Anika’s PHd work takes here between cropping systems in the Riverina in NSW to the rice paddies of SouthEast Asia looking as aspects of sustainable agricultural development.
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 other. We also touch on technology of course and its role in managing climate risk and its barriers to adoption.
This is our first of four episodes in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute on the theme, "responding to climate risk".
You can read more about Anika here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anika-molesworth-93519187/?originalSubdomain=auAnd watch her TEDX Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8R3Al3fgNEFollow Anika on Twitter

Topics: climate-risk, regen-ag, people-culture, research

Lachlan Sutton, Agribusiness Manager for Southern Cross Farms, 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. Southern Cross Farms is an agricultural management business, over 2000 ha in size, with a particular focus on citrus and wine grape production, as well as almonds and avocados. In this episode, Lachie shares his views on the differences (and similarities) between family farms and corporate farms in terms of how they think about adopting new tech. He also has tips for farmers of all types that are thinking about agtech: build relationships, simple is best, and don’t forget about support! Lachie on LinkedInLachie’s Southern Cross Farms profileLachie on Twitter
This episode is part of the “getting agtech ready” theme, brought to you in partnership with Decipher (www.decipher.com.au).
Find more episodes at https://www.agtechsowhat.com/ or @agtechsowhat on Twitter.

Companies: Southern Cross Farms, Elders • Topics: ag-tech-adoption, crops-horticulture, farm-economics

Tim Rethus and his family are cropping farmers near Horsham in Victoria who have made a commitment to “sustainable, low cost farming”. As early adopters and innovators, the family has always been on the cutting edge of building and buying agricultural technology.
Now, as the skills and experience of two generations combine, Tim has some valuable insights to share about adopting (and building) new technology, where to look for inspiration, and how to make the decision to shift to a whole new farming system.
To see a picture of the incredible planter Tim mentions plus a summary of Tim’s insights with additional links and resources, visit
https://www.agtechsowhat.com/bushtechpodcast/2019/4/30/episode-38-tim-rethus-getting-agtech-ready-1
You can follow Tim at @TRethus on Twitter.
This episode is part of the “getting agtech ready” theme, brought to you in partnership with Decipher (www.decipher.com.au).
Find more episodes at https://www.agtechsowhat.com/ or @agtechsowhat on Twitter.

Topics: ag-tech-adoption, crops-horticulture, farm-economics