Agtech - So What?

Murray Scholz farms with his wife Emma in Southern NSW and the Eastern Riverina on the foothills of the snowy mountains. They grow wheat, canola, lupins, and barley, and run beef cattle and prime lambs.

Murray's family is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, after his great-grandfather came to the area in 1919. They've always been an innovative family, adopting new practices and striving to run a profitable

and sustainable business. In this episode, Murray shares several stories of how his thinking has changed through overseas travel and exposure to new perspectives, and the business decisions he's made as a result.

Tune in to learn about:

•What it's like to be in the middle of the GMO controversy, where no one seems to listen to what you're really saying

•Why Murray decided to run sheep, after publicly criticizing them for years

•How a hiking trip in Switzerland challenged his views on ag policies

•The decisions you can make when you've been collecting data for over 30 years

•Tips for agtech startups to better engage with farmers

To hear more from Murray or follow what Scholz farming is up to, check out:

•Practical tips from Murray on integrated weed management and water use efficiency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b4QRvoma1o

•Murray on why they integrated sheep and how they're benefiting from a mixed farming operation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KjUfhCDzkU and https://www.theland.com.au/story/6272468/lifting-profit-to-cut-risk/

•Find Murray on twitter and Facebook @ScholzFarming

Today's guest, Victor Friedberg is the co-founder of S2G ventures, 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, a non-profit consortium of companies focused on creating a food system that's more healthy, sustainable, and equitable.

In this episode, Victor and I chat about:

· How Victor went from tech entrepreneur to food and ag investor

· How a systems approach to investing can decrease risk

· Opportunities for farmers to benefit from consumer trends

· Victor's reflections on the agrifood tech opportunities down under

Additional resources:

•S2G Ventures

•FoodShot Global

•Maple Hill Creamery

•Beyond Meat

•Umami

•Organic Fraud Imports in the news

Check out our "getting agtech ready" eBook here: https://www.agtechsowhat.com/getting-agtech-ready-ebook

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 and I chat 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/) or find him on Twitter @TimHammerich and #FutureOfAgriculture Podcast

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.

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.

Find out more about Peter and his project's here:

•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/

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.

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

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

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 show

NSW Rural Assistance Authority government incentives - www.raa.nsw.gov.au

AgriFutures Rural Women's Award - www.agrifutures.com.au/people-leadership/rural-womens-award/

Reaqua Solar Pumping - www.reaqua.com.au

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.au

Keeping in simple on social media - instagram.com/p/ByD-mFep8SS

Matt's Nuffield report and video presentation - https://nuffield.com.au/matthew-fealy/

Future Agro Challenge - fac.startuptablelands.org

Insights from the episode on our blog here