Armando Suarez is one of the first graduates of the University of Arizona's CEA program. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Armando on a wealth of subjects within CEA and the lessons he's learned along the way. Topics include strawberry and cannabis production, tissue culture, the similarities between high-tech greenhouses and vertical farming, along with what the CEA industry may look like in the future.

Rebekah Moses is their VP of Impact Strategy at Iron Ox. With a background of over 5 years at Impossible Foods, Rebekah is helping define what impact looks like within the controlled environment agriculture industry and beyond. Topics on this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include advice on your grow operations energy usage, potential strategies to reduce impact in the future, and how the vast number of ways to grow continually expands.

David Farquhar is the CEO at Intelligent Growth Solutions Limited (IGS). With a mission to engineer sustainable solutions to enhance indoor environments across agricultural and commercial spaces, David is driven to not only assist CEA but growers from all arenas. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech David and I discuss hands-free growing, vertical farms assisting deglobalized supply chains and the potential future separation of tech vendors vs. Growers.

Cristián Sjögren & Pablo Bunster are the founders of Agrourbana, the very FIRST vertical farm in Latin America. With backgrounds in renewable energy, these two pioneers are building the foundation of an entire LA industry beginning in Chile. Topics include understanding the Latin American marketplace, creating a highly effective business model with a focus on unit economics, key challenges experienced starting their farm, and how vertical farming is not only about fresh local produce, but creating food security for countries around the world.

Timo Bongartz is the General Manager for the EMEA markets for Fluence. In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech we discuss some of the differences when comparing the European and US cannabis market, how working together is the winning strategy, some of the other main differences seen between markets separated by the ocean, and of course, Timo's predictions for the future of controlled ag.

Recorded June 2022, This #KyleTalksAgtech roundtable talks about the current pain points the CEA industry is currently facing, potential solutions to these issues, and predictions of what to expect next. Topics include:

• State of the industry & future predictions

• What are the biggest pain points

• Prices & Profitability

• The Power of Trust

• Supply Chain Issues

• Best ways to stay profitable during a turbulent time

• New cultivars

• New crops

• New tech/automation

• The labor market

• New distribution

• Consolidation in the industry

What grow system is best for you? The answer is not easy and is not the same for everyone. In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech, I speak with Art Van Rijn we discuss steps to answering this question, what it means to grow in a vertical farm successfully and the potential of floriculture growers & conventional growers to embrace vertical farming to improve their means of production.

How can I ensure my electrical installation is done properly for my grow? How can I maximize the rebates I receive for lighting and beyond?

On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Christopher Hinshaw, Director of Horticulture at Facility Solutions Group (FSG) all about the questions above. Topics include the importance of finding the RIGHT contractor (and listening to them), DLC standards, and preparing for failure properly when it comes to your electrical and lighting needs.

"How often do you get the chance to be a part of a multi-generational shift in the way in which we feed the planet?" - Arama Kukutai

In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Arama Kukutai, CEO of Plenty about the power of CEA on a global level, the financial landscape of vertical farms, the challenges we must continue to overcome, and what he believes the future of our industry may look like.