Podcasts about croptalk

In this episode of CropTalk, we dive into the transformative role of AI and data in Controlled Environment Agriculture with Adam Greenberg, CEO of IUNU. Adam shares his expertise on how AI and machine vision are revolutionizing greenhouse operations, the importance of data integration, and why growers must prioritize data ownership to stay competitive. We explore the evolution of technology in CEA, the commoditization of AI, and what the future holds for innovation, from new data metrics to advances in crop registration. Plus, Adam shares his vision for 2025, including industry growth predictions, the rise of private equity, and the need for transparent, grower-first tech solutions.

Nadav Regev, Director of Business Operations at Eden Green Technology, joins us on this week's episode of CropTalk to explore the intricacies of supply chain management and operational excellence within Controlled Environment Agriculture. With his deep expertise, we dive into effective strategies for optimizing supply chains, the role of accurate forecasting in CEA operations, and how to streamline processes for peak efficiency. Nadav also shares his vision for the future of business operations in the industry and key insights on staying competitive in an evolving market.

Randall Sanderson, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Little Leaf Farms, joins us on this weeks episode of CropTalk to delve into all things related to food safety in Controlled Environment Agriculture. With a wealth of industry experience, we discuss key strategies for keeping your operation safe from pathogens and contaminants, best practices for ensuring high-quality produce, and Randall's insights on the future of the CEA industry.

CropTalk has made it to episode 250! In this week's special episode, guest host Adam Greenberg of IUNU navigates a compelling discussion with Charlie Hall, esteemed professor at Texas A&M in person at this year's Cultivate tradeshow. Topics include optimizing economic strategies, enhancing profitability, and the broader economics impacting CEA. Charlie shares his expert analysis, highlighting key factors that influence financial success in this growing industry and his forecasts for its future economic trends. Don't miss this deep dive into the financial landscape of CEA with two leading voices in the field!

Christopher Weis Thomasen is the CEO of Seasony. With an innovative use of the scissor lift, Christopher and his team are developing technology to help vertical farms adopt more mobile robotics. In this episode of CropTalk, Christopher and I discuss the potential benefits of utilizing mobile robotics for crop monitoring, the recent changes in the financial market for vertical farming, and his overall perspective on the vertical farming space.  

Paige Franks, a Senior Executive Search Advisor at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group, is an expert on the power of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Recently, she published an insightful article on the crucial role of EI in the horticulture industry. In this weeks episode of CropTalk, Paige and I delve into the current recruitment challenges faced by the horticulture sector, offering practical guidance on how to attract and retain top talent. Additionally, Paige highlights the unique perspectives and ways of thinking that each generation brings to the table, providing valuable insights for industry leaders looking to build diverse and dynamic teams. If you're looking to optimize your hiring strategy and improve employee engagement in the horticulture industry, this weeks episode is for you.

Carl Gupton, CEO of Greenswell Growers, a leafy greens producer nestled outside Richmond, Virginia, brings a refreshing blend of humility and transparency to the forefront of agricultural innovation. Join us on this episode of CropTalk as Carl shares invaluable lessons gleaned from his expanding operation, offering insightful strategies for success in Controlled Environment Agriculture. Together, Carl and I explore the pivotal importance of setting the right course, breaking down industry silos through genuine transparency, and fostering a culture of collaborative CEA teamwork. Tune in to gain actionable insights for navigating the path to excellence in modern farming.

Melanie Yelton, the founder of Grow Big CEA Consultants, brings a wealth of expertise cultivated through her impactful roles at Lumigrow and Plenty, with a strong emphasis on Research and Plant Science. In this episode of CropTalk, Melanie and I delve into our shared dedication to advancing local produce, explore the transformative journey to mastering Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) through focused cultivar concentration, and contemplate the exciting prospects shaping the future landscape of CEA.  

Chris Lange is the founder of Second Bloom Auctions, a platform that aims to provide used equipment from greenhouses and vertical farms to the CEA community. In this episode of CropTalk's #KyleTalksAgtech, we explore the inception of this platform and discuss how the sale of such equipment can contribute to the community's success and sustainability.

Get ready for an inspiring episode of CropTalk, where I continue my conversation with Chris Cerveny about the power of personal and professional resilience. In part two, we explore how a life-altering experience such as a house fire can change our perspectives and the importance of living a value-driven existence. Tune in to gain valuable insights and be motivated to overcome any obstacles in your path.

The better we understand our current food system and how we got here, the better we can improve upon it, according to Everett Hendrixon of Tergo Consultants & Eco Supply. On this episode of CropTalk, Everett and I discuss the power of disruption through a nuanced understanding of the horticulture industry at various levels, Stories of conventional agriculture mistakes and lessons learned, and what the future CEA idustry may look like. 

"Growing food hydroponically will save 99.999% water compared to conventional farming!" We've all heard this line, and while hydroponically growing greatly reduces water consumption compared to conventional farming, we must be on high alert to back up our claims with clear data. On this "water" episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Kyle Lisabeth, VP of Horticulture at Silver Bullet and I discuss, you guessed it- water, the importance of accurate data and predictions for the future of CEA. 

A few months ago Shenandoah Growers changed their name to Soli Organic. Why did this change happen? What is the leading provide of organic herbs doing to perfect their branding? What does it take to build a strong produce brand in CEA?  On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Don Helms, Vice President of Marketing at Soli Organic Inc. does a masterful job of answering these questions, explaining what it takes to build a strong brand and the story of how and why this recent name change occured. 

Buckle up. This #LeadersTalkCrops episode is packed with knowledge. The first time Scott Wall, President and Owner of New Age Laboratories, joined as a guest on CropTalk he blew our minds by sharing the nitty gritty on SAP analysis and its impact on the way Cannabis growers manage their plant nutrition.  This time he and I were lucky enough to be joined by none other than Jenny "Jenny-from-the-Crop" Garley, the Chief Science Officer at New Age Laboratories, and we dove deep into using SAP analysis to steer leafy green crop performance.  The discussion is full of the following golden nuggets:  - the details on dynamic nutrient steering using SAP analysis  - the impact that balanced nutrition has on a farmer's profit margin - how to take SAP samples for leafy greens, both mature and baby - how to package and ship SAP sets for optimal analysis

Know Better, Grow Better.  Erika Verrier is the newest member of the CropWalk and CropTalk team and #KnowBetterGrowBetter is her mantra.  Words can't describe how pumped up the entire team is to have her spunk, positive attitude, emotional intelligence and technical aptitude on the squad.  Outside of her unique tomato IPM and food safety experience, she brings a wealth of leadership and team development skills to our team.  Did I mention she loves sharing knowledge, as well as connecting people and ideas so much that she's starting her own CropTalk podcast series called.....drum roll please... #BetweenTheVines?!?! Check out this conversation to learn more about Erika and what she's got up her tyvek sleeves!!

Crops are not nearly as gluttonous as we have traditionally made them out to be.  It seems as if much of conventional agriculture shoves synthetic fertilizers down the soil's throat in an attempt to nourish plants with ever-diminishing returns on investment.  As an industry, we are discovering more about the symbiotic relationships between soil microbiology and the crops that call soil home.  With this knowledge, it feels barbaric to overlook some of our greatest plant health protagonists and the importance of their relationships with plants.  That's why we had Michael Key the CEO of Impello Biosciences onto CropTalk podcast to share more about why he thinks brute force fertilization is so 20th-century agriculture and how growers can take a more collaborative approach to plant nutrition and health.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean      

Ever wish you could listen in on industry leaders talkin' crops on a casual call? Pam gave Surendra a ring to talk about biologicals and they accidentally hit record! Lucky us! They define categories of biological agents before they discuss market adoption and the development of new products, best practices for farmers, and what benefits farmers can expect. This isn't a #CropTalk #podcast to miss. These are two of the world's best minds in agricultural pest management. And somehow we happened to get our hands on this recording of their phone call! ;) no FCC laws were violated. But lots of IPM advice is shared. Traditional chemical pesticides are being replaced by biologicals more each year, across ag sectors. Are you curious what two of the foremost authorities on the matter have to say when they connect to chat? #LetsTalkCrops on #CropCareConvos by #CropTalkMedia

Growing a quality, desirable crop with palatable input costs is an accomplishment.  But, growing a quality crop with palatable input costs that consumers demand and that sells consistently is a whole different beast.  As a fresh produce supplier, it seems developing quality relationships and rapport with produce buyers is the secret sauce to selling through and is something that more suppliers should lean into.  That's the reason we had James Williams, the Business Development Manager at Intergrow Greenhouses, Inc. onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share how, as a produce supplier, he develops and nurtures relationships with produce buyers.  The insights James shares are extremely valuable, but even more so because he has served as both the produce buyer and supplier during his career.   Until next time, #startcleanstayclean  

Let's talk research & development! #LetsTalkCrops. This episode features some incredible insights from the R&D Manager at Square Roots in Brooklyn NYC, Eli Zimmer. He's tasked with designing and executing growing trials to support new product development, recipe optimization, and plant treatments. In this #CropTalk podcast, Eli and Bobby aim to demystify the R&D process by simplifying what's often perceived to overly complex. How can an R&D program be developed in a way that doesn't strain the operation and that provides clear, significant ROI on a path of constant improvement? From setting up trials, to collecting data, to communication with stakeholders along the way, Eli shares some great tips that growers everywhere will be glad they considered.

Compared to other crops, there is far less peer-reviewed research and diagnostic resources available for Cannabis plant pathogens; especially the viruses and viroids that infect and impact Cannabis production.  When it comes to pathogens, Cannabis viruses and viroids are the typically the most misunderstood.  That's why we had Dr. Jack Munz of Genie Lab onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to discuss what we didn't know we didn't know about Cannabis viroids and viruses.  Jack shares quite a few golden nuggets including: 

“Rising consumer demand is accelerating the growth of the greenhouse industry, but the massive shortage of both growers and manual labor requires a scalable machine vision solution to further produce supply. Having a renowned agronomy team, like CropWalk, to assist in deploying state-of-the-art technology like LUNA will have a profound impact on our constantly improving capacity to help growers increase quality, yields, and profits. 65% of growers are above the age of 55, and the shortage of qualified people is hitting the fast growing industry hard. Something has to give, thus the future is centralized management of distributed facilities."  - Adam Greenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of iUNU The future of crop care in modern greenhouses that will feed families for generations involves both people's expertise and the best available technologies. The union of iUNU and CropWalk is great news for CEA crop producers seeking the advantage of cutting edge artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning coupled with industry-leading IPM & biological services. iUNU's acquisition of CropWalk helps both companies become more effective in their work towards an important common goal: reducing the cost of nutrient-rich food reaching urban centers while helping growers thrive.  In this episode of CropTalk, Charlie and Adam Greenberg discuss what all this means for growers we serve, the industry and the retail consumers that purchase the products our industry produces.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

Controlled environment growers have been inundated with advancements in light technology and new fixtures over the past decade. Many growers have since installed supplemental light or artificial light in their greenhouse or warehouse. Installing the fixtures and paying the energy bill is only a small piece of what a grower must do to get the most return on their lighting investment.  That's why we had Marc van Iersel, PhD onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast. Marc shares a whole mess of insights like.. - Plant physiologist should be the ones to define PAR and engineers should follow their lead when creating lighting fixtures. - Far red light does not get the credit it deserves - He is on a campaign to redefine Photosynthetic Active Radiation to 400nm to 750nm - Adding supplemental CO2 when running supplemental lights will be an enormous benefit for your crop and will give you faster ROI on the fixtures. - Dimming controllers for supplemental light are something you've got to consider And, much more.. P.S. Go DAWGS!! Until next time, #StartCleanStayClean

Brett Puffenbarger, the VP of Corporate Initiatives at Multichain Ventures, breaks down what the 'blockchain' is and what it means to be 'decentralized' while providing context on how it applies to agricultural sectors. Bobby and Brett and discuss the role that blockchain technology will have on the supply chain management of produce and plant medicines. And they dive into the broader implications of blockchain on ag and how/when we can expect to start seeing the wider implementation of technologies built on the blockchain. Not the typical #CropCareConvos episode. But this sure isn't a #CropTalk #podcast that executive decision-makers and supply chain managers want to skip! .#LetsTalkCrops on #CropTalkMedia

If you've hand-watered ornamental hanging baskets in a greenhouse the couple weeks before Mother's Day, you know that it is impossible to give each hanging basket the TLC and water it really needs to thrive.  Some are under-watered. Some are over-watered. Some are missed completely and go to the dump pile in the days following. Growing large amounts of ornamental hanging baskets to the quality specs that man retailers demand is a monumental feat in and of itself. To grow hanging baskets consistently, with increased quality, reduced labor and reduced shrink is what many growers would describe as one of their wildest dreams. Len Logsdon, Controls Engineer at Control Dekk, LLC has been working hard to help growers realize those wild dreams using OASIS, the automated hanging basket irrigation system that Control Dekk developed and markets to greenhouse growers. We had Len onto CropTalk to share what refusing to automate your hanging basket production is costing you. Until next time, #StartCleanStayClean

Do you like BBQ? Not all BBQ is made the same.  Do you want to eat BBQ that is just sufficient in taste or BBQ that is mouth-watering and award-winning?!  Most would say mouth-watering and award-winning.  As a grower, should you provide your plants with sufficient nutrients to survive or should you dial in the details that make your crop award-winning and profitable on a per-acre basis?  Kyle Lilly, a Plant Nutrition Product Developer, joined as a guest on the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk to share why he believes growers should ditch the sufficiency-based approach when managing crop nutrition.  Kyle drops a bunch of actionable knowledge bombs in this conversation including:  - What nutrients can be applied directly as seed treatments to get the crop off to a healthy start  - How growers can use nutrients as physiological tools to steer plant growth and performance  - What tools are available to manage ethylene levels in crop production  Until next time, #StartCleanStayClean

Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus is a mouthful. It's a mouthful of tough to pronounce words for growers trying to harness the novel tool and a mouthful of certain death for many Lepidopterans that consume it.  Nuclear Polyhedrosis Viruses aka NPVs are baculoviruses -- pathogens that attack insects and other arthropods. With ever-increasing resistance to conventional synthetic pesticides, growers are searching for alternatives to help them control the pests that cause economic damage to their crops. That's why we had Ben Arends, Market Development Specialist at AgBiTech, onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast. Just a taste of the knowledge that Ben drops: - How growers can change their behavior and mindset to see the maximum impact when using NPVs for worm control. - The cost of using NPVs vs. traditional synthetic pesticides - What using NPVs can do to slow down the evolution of pesticide resistance

If you've worked in agriculture for long enough, you've probably heard "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" or "that's the way we've always done it".  Chances are the individuals expressing those kinds of sentiments are probably not the most open-minded.  They probably don't collaborate or share information with other growers very much because they might think they "know-it-all".  Growers that succeed or are able to continue farming over the next couple of decades will be those of the "learn-it-all" mindset.  They will be radically open-minded and willing to collaborate with their peers.  Zac Riccardi of BioSafe Systems has spent much of the last decade collaborating with growers of many different crops and helping those he works with apply the knowledge he's gained through being open-minded about crop production.  Zac joined the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share his thoughts on the reasons why radical open-mindedness and collaboration in the agriculture industry is necessary.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

Commercial agriculture has evolved over the past few decades in a way that has left many farmers with few sales outlets.  A large majority of farmers work with distributors or marketing companies that contract with the farmer to take the farm's raw goods and process them and/or sell them.  The farmer grows it and delivers it.  Often the farmer has one or two, at the most, of these types of relationships.  It typically leaves the farmer exposed and susceptible to commodity market fluctuations and to whatever the marketer has up their sleeve that year.  How could a farmer diversify to protect their livlihood?  Explore value added products (VAP).  Value added products are raw agricultural goods that have been altered, enhanced or processed to have a higher market value and/or a longer shelf life. My friend, Brian Watkins, joined as a guest of the #LeadersTalkCrops series on CropTalk podcast to discuss his journey with creating value added products on his blueberry farm in Michigan.  This one gets way into the weeds.  But trust me, these are weeds you want to venture through if diversifying and leveling up your farm is something you are intersted in.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean   

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Niko-Matti Kivioja, CEO of Netled. Topics include starting a vertical farm successfully, the current status of the CEA industry and what the future landscape of this industry may look like.

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Chris Higgins, Founder of Urban Ag News and Co-Founder of Hort Americas. Topics include important tips for growing successfully, the current status of the CEA industry and what the future landscape of this industry may look like. 

The cost of IPM can be high in Cannabis production.  Especially if your wholesale or dispensary customers' favorite cultivar is also incredibly susceptible to pest & disease.  It is routinely observed by many different growers that certain Cannabis cultivars are more resilient and able to defend against certain pests or pathogens and prevent them from creating economic injury.  The selection of cultivars is usually an involved process that has far-reaching implications for many aspects of the business.  That's why we had Jeff Coco, an Applied Horticultural Entomologist, onto CropTalk podcast to share his insights surrounding cultivar selection through the lens of integrated pest management. Jeff is also really into entomophagy and shares how he is helping folks shift their perspective on using insects as ingredients in cuisine. And, how he loves creating darn good, bug-filled, food.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Roel Janssen of Planet Farms about his journey in Horticulture, vertical farming and the power of the industry to transform flavor and food across the planet. 

"If you grow it, they will come." "They" as in the buyer.  That was what many thought when it came to hemp.  Many farmers have a big appetite for scale.  They want to grow it all!  If they grew one acre last year, they want to try ten the next.  I can't blame them. I love growing too.  But...the tendency for farmers to bite off more than they can chew is why we had Emily Gogol, PhD, CEO & a Founder of Infinite Tree, onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk.  Emily drops some serious wisdom as she describes reasons why hemp farmers should think twice about doubling production before doubling down on quality.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

Cannabis is a short-day plant (with the exception of day-neutral cultivars).  However, as the commercial cultivation of Cannabis explodes, growers are manipulating photoperiods attempting to create outcomes different from what the plant would produce under a 12/12 light cycle.  That's why Rob Smallman joined the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk to share how he has been trialing different photoperiods with his Cannabis crops and what he is seeing from that production technique.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean  

It seems some folks in the hemp industry think that all of the value in a hemp cultivar is related to its' CBD potency.  What about its' feminization rate verified by a third-party?!

Would you let a pharmaceutical rep craft your preventative health plan? I sure hope not.  Similarly, you don’t have to settle for biased advice as you develop or improve your IPM program. Sam Konchan, the IPM Manager at Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc., joined as a guest on the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share how he uses his resources wisely and who he calls on for help when he continually improves his integrated pest management program. Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

Don't judge a book by its' cover.  It seems that everyone learns the above lesson at some point in their life.  Andrew Varela, Director of Cultivation at Rocky Mountain High, joined as a guest on the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share why Cannabis growers might be overspending on nutrients.  He shares insight on how he learned to lower his nutrition input cost dramatically. And finally, he helps us understand why you should judge your nutrients based on the science and the formulator's experience in crop production, not the hype at the grow store or the design of the label.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean 

On Part 2 of this two part episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Ian Kanski - Director for the Center for Advanced Agriculture and Sustainability at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Chairman of the Board for the FarmTech Society, and co-founder of INTAG Systems. We discuss his journey from tech to Controlled Environment Agriculture, the lessons he's learned along the way and thoughts on what the future may hold for the industry.  

Asking someone to go through the motions without expectations and purpose is enough to turn any passionate go-getter into an underproductive cog.  Radical transparency in an organization is often what separates mediocre and great businesses.  That's why we asked Matt Marshall, Owner of Qi Consulting Group, to join us for a #LeadersTalkCrops series CropTalk podcast.  In this conversation, Matt details how setting KPIs created through the lens of your company's vision, mission, and values drive radical transparency and a sense of purpose.  Ultimately it aligns each member of the team and what they are accountable for so that the team can achieve the common goal.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

As growers, we have the opportunity to grow more than plants.  We can foster the growth of people.  Growth in the people that we work with and especially those that work for us.  Providing something meaningful, other than a paycheck, is part of the formula to retain front line associates over time.  This is an important topic for the Cannabis industry. That's why we had Tim Nolan, a passionate leader and the Director of Operations at Atlanticann Medical, onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast.  We think you'll dig his leadership style and will want to hear his take on fostering front line associate growth and retaining their presence for the long term.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean    

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Ian Kanski - Director for the Center for Advanced Agriculture and Sustainability at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Chairman of the Board for the FarmTech Society, and co-founder of INTAG Systems. We discuss his journey from tech to Controlled Environment Agriculture, the lessons he's learned along the way and thoughts on what the future may hold for the industry.  

No, you don't have to let your land rest in between crops.  In fact, leaving land fallow can result in significant land erosion, especially in the Southwest United States.  That's just one example of the benefits found from ditching the fallow period.  Robert Masson, Agricultural Extension Agent for Yuma County and the University of Arizona, joined as a guest on the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk, to explain the benefits of minimizing fallow periods.  This was a special treat of a conversation, seeing as we covered the challenges with fallow periods, AND some fascinating topics I didn't expect would creep up.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean  

How did Indian farmers control pests and disease prior to traditional pesticides?  Using the control methods of, what we now consider, Integrated Pest Management.  They did it without pesticides because they had no other choice.  With what we now understand about pesticide dangers and their use in food production, it seems that Indian farmers will eventually face the same dilemma with no other choice than to adopt natural and sustainable farming methods.  Bharath Dayananda, the Founder & CEO of Eat Neat Project, came on as a guest of the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to describe why more Indian farmers desperately need to change production practices to save their environment, lower input costs, increase crop quality and turn the profit they deserve.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

As a grower of a crop that has strict food safety standards, it seems you have a couple of options:  You can look at food safety regulations with a fixed, the glass is half-empty, mindset while you just get by.  Or, you can look at the glass half-full of opportunity for your company to be different. You can see consistent compliance as a way to set yourself apart. To comply and thrive.  Gabe Jertberg, a soft fruit grower and Owner of JSI Consulting has had unique experiences in following food safety regulations in a way that strengthened his business both internally and externally.  He joined me for a conversation on the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share how growers of high-value crops can use compliance to thrive instead of just getting by.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

Do you enjoy air turbulence while riding on an airplane?  Your cannabis plants don't appreciate air turbulence either. What turbulence are we talking about here?!  The turbulence created from oscillating fans in a controlled environment cannabis crop.  It affects the crop microclimate and the photosynthetic activity of the plant much more than many understand.  But...what's an alternative?! Laminar airflow.  Stewart Maxwell, Crop Consultant at Xylem Horticulture, joined the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast, to give us the skinny on how and why you should employ laminar airflow in your cannabis growing environment. 

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Aaron Fields of Eden Greens Technology where he's growing with a unique vertical system in the greenhouse. We also discuss his journey in horticulture and the lessons he's learned along the way.

It seems there are two things that drive John Harrison.  Passion and determination.  John Harrison, the Founder of AGR1, was a guest on CropTalk under the series #MyFirstCrop. John was in the pre-production and capital raise stage of the AGR1 journey.  Since then, a lot has happened. Including growing quality produce and kicking single-use plastics on the AGR1 farm.  John is passionate about his reasoning for why single-use plastics have got to go.  Take a listen and consider the possibilities.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

In this episode, I got to talk with the host of CropTalk and Founder of Crop Walk, Charlie McKenzie! He has a lot of great insight regarding pest management, pathogen controls for commercial agriculture. Look for him on Linkedin, where he has videos online that unique, helpful and to the point. It was great to sit down and learn more about him and his company! Also check out his podcast, Crop talk for some more great conversations!

On the second of this two-part episode of the CropTalk series, #KyleTalksAgtech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Ricardo Hernandez (North Carolina State University) and John Jackson (The University of Arizona) about their new company SIGS (Sustainable Indoor Growing Systems). Learn how these two are helping growers create superior plants and maximize yields using vertical farming technology.

On the first of this two-part episode of the CropTalk series, #KyleTalksAgtech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Ricardo Hernandez (North Carolina State University) and John Jackson (The University of Arizona) about their new company SIGS (Sustainable Indoor Growing Systems). Learn how these two are helping growers create superior plants and maximize yields using vertical farming technology.