Climate change, a growing global population, and land degradation are depleting the natural resources we rely on to grow our food -- causing massive volatility and instability in our food supply chain. But it’s not all agricultural doom and gloom. In the heart of Appalachia, in Kentucky, is an agtech company called AppHarvest that operates acres upon acres of glass-encased, high-tech greenhouses. Inside these controlled environments grow hundreds of thousands of tomato plants that soon will be followed by berries and salad greens. The crops thrive on precise amounts of light and rainwater and get picked at the peak of ripeness by AI-powered robots and their human coworkers. From Central Appalachia, the fruits and veggies can reach nearly 70% of the U.S. population, delivered to a grocery store or restaurant within a single day’s drive. Josh Lessing, Chief Technology Officer at AppHarvest, joins us to share how the company is developing sustainable agricultural practices, helping to reduce food insecurity, and collecting vast amounts of data to predict and perfect the way we grow our food.

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