Steve Sarracino is the Founder of Activant Capital, a business that invests in growth-stage tech companies worldwide. They provide funding for businesses in commerce, Internet of Things, and data-driven companies. For agriculture, Steve prefers data-driven companies because they can act as a source of truth not just for farmers, but also for consumers. He obtained his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his BA in Finance and Economics at Southern Methodist University.

Steve joins me today to discuss how the farmers can benefit from data-driven startups and how it can have positive effects on the ag industry. He describes the current business models that govern the ag industry and the emerging trends in startups. He also shares the type of business models farmers need and describes the kind of companies they’re looking to invest in as well as what new ag startups should seek to address.

“Farming is basically a dirty data problem.” - Dr. David Williams

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• The current setup in the AgTech industry.
• The type of business model that can help today's farmers.
• Why there's a reluctance from farmers to change business models.
• Their criteria in looking for ag business investments.
• How their investment process works from start to finish.
• The types of business leaders they like working with.
• Problems in agriculture new startups should tackle.

Key Takeaways:

• If you can partner with the right technology firm and sell direct, that can change the economic model.
• The average farmer makes about 120 important decisions, all affected by data.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Merchants of Grain by Dan Morgan

Connect with Steve Sarracino:

• Activant Capital
• LinkedIn

We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! 

The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today. 

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Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! 

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: 

Future of Agriculture Website

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Dr. David Williams is a professor of agronomy and member of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences with the University of Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Program. He has been in the agronomic industry his entire career, wearing hats as a teacher, researcher, and practitioner. David has been a champion of industrial hemp agronomic science research since 2014.

David joins me today to discuss the various ways hemp can be utilized other than for its psychoactive properties. He explains what the industry currently looks like and how that will change in the coming years. He also shares some of the concerns farmers raise when it comes to growing hemp, farm data about the plant, and describes how hemp holds the potential to revolutionize the economy.

“Cannabinoids are evolutionarily thought of as a plant protection molecule. They certainly weren't put on this Earth to get humans high.” - Dr. David Williams

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• David's professional background and thoughts on Kentucky's advancements in the hemp space.
• What the hemp industry looks like right now and how it might look in the near future.
• Concerns on hemp sustainability and its effects on the economy.
• How the Farm Bill will change the way the industry views and uses hemp.
• The conditions necessary to grow hemp.
• What farmers can do if they find out their crops are above the THC limit.
• Common problems farmers encounter in growing hemp.
• Challenges the hemp industry faces when it comes to scaling.
• The selling points and applications of hemp.
• The yield and income farmers can expect from growing hemp.

Key Takeaways:

• The supply and demand for hemp are going to define the scope and scale of the industry.
• Hemp is more than just a psychoactive plant, with applications that can potentially disrupt the industry.

Resources Mentioned:

• Nicole Gauthier

Connect with Dr. David Williams:

• UK Industrial Hemp Agronomic Research
• Email: david.williams@uky.edu

We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! 

The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today. 

Share the Ag-Love! 

Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! 

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: 

Future of Agriculture Website

AgGrad Website

AgGrad on Twitter 
AgGrad on Facebook 
AgGrad on LinkedIn 
AgGrad on Instagram 

Zev Paiss is a Managing Partner at Farmers Support Group, a company dedicated to helping hemp farmers as well as laying down the foundations for a U.S. hemp supply chain. Their goal is to guarantee buyers for every hemp seed planted. Zev’s extensive business acumen allows him to provide the group with consultation, supply chain development, and investor relations services. He also manages the company’s sustainability development projects.

Zev joins me today to discuss the hemp industry, its current state, and what the future holds for it. He shares his background, why he became passionate about hemp farming, and his current projects. He explains the massive economic potential of the hemp industry and why companies in various sectors should take a look. He also describes some of the problems farmers encounter when growing hemp as well as some of his proposed solutions.

“As the market demands different products, processors are continuing what they can do and figuring out how to scale up.” - Zev Paiss

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• How Zev got started working in the hemp industry.
• The state of the hemp industry today and what the future may hold.
• Companies and businesses getting into the hemp industry.
• Storing hemp products before they are processed.
• The two emerging subsets on the CBD side of processing.
• The necessary conditions and considerations to grow hemp.
• Common problems farmers experience when growing hemp from the first time.

Key Takeaways:

• The challenge with industrial hemp is you don't want that THC of going above 0.3%

Connect with Zev Paiss:

• Farmers Support Group
• LinkedIn
• Email: info@farmerssupportgroup.com

We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! 

The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today. 

Share the Ag-Love! 

Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! 

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: 

Future of Agriculture Website

AgGrad Website

AgGrad on Twitter 
AgGrad on Facebook 
AgGrad on LinkedIn 
AgGrad on Instagram 

Ken McCarty manages McCarty Family Farms, a dairy farm that has been in operation since 1914, making it more than a hundred years old. On top of using state-of-the-art equipment, their farm is also Non-GMO Project Verified. Ken is part of the fourth generation of owners and makes sure their daily operations puts emphasis on environmental sustainability and animal welfare among other concerns.

Ken joins me today to describe how he and his family run and manages their farm. He shares some of its rich history, its humble beginnings, and why they decided to focus on dairy products. He explains why they went after a Non-GMO certification and how it has improved the quality of their operations. He also discusses how using data instead of instinct is the right way to manage a farm.

“Growth, to us, isn't milking more cows and getting bigger. Growth is getting better every day.” - Ken McCarty

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• Why you should operate in multiple, small locations instead of expanding from one big hub.
• What his life was like before they decided to move to Kansas.
• Focusing on exploring milk marketing opportunities and dairy farming.
• The reason why they are Non-GMO Project verified.
• The values and principles they want to instill in their company.
• What's in store for McCarty Family Farms?

Key Takeaways:

• Dairy from an economic development point of view is attractive to rural-American eco-devo groups.
• Manage by the data. Let data drive your decisions.
• Being biased will never let you manage your farms efficiently.

Connect with Ken McCarty:

• McCarty Family Farms
• Facebook

We Are a Part of a Bigger Family! 

The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today. 

Share the Ag-Love! 

Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots! 

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting: 

Future of Agriculture Website

AgGrad Website

AgGrad on Twitter 
AgGrad on Facebook 
AgGrad on LinkedIn 
AgGrad on Instagram