Chris Damico is the CEO and Founder at Farm’d. Farm’d is described as an online platform that enables farmers to connect to local buyers directly. The idea was born from annual price hikes, long transits, and expensive middlemen. Chris’ company benefit farmers through their transparency in market prices and profitability, as well as offer convenient ways to confirm and adjust orders in real time.

Chris joins me today to describe how Farm’d works and how farmers can join the platforms. He shares what it was like to source for capital and the company’s humble beginnings. He explains how their platform works, the services they offer, and the benefits to both consumer and seller. Chris also discusses what they’re looking for in future users.

“If the technology's not right at the right time, it's not going to work.” - Chris Damico

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• How he stumbled on the issues regarding food sourcing.
• Putting farmers first and how their programs work.
• Handling food demand and how their farmers are prepared to sell direct.
• Why the online marketplace is everything in this type of business.
• The profitability of being part of their system.
• Sourcing funds from angel investors when they were starting out.
• Their criteria for farmers wanting to join their platform.

Connect with Chris Damico:

• Farm’d
• Instagram
• 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. 

Join the Conversation!

To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!

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

Leif Chastaine is the Co-founder and COO of WaterBit. WaterBit is a precision ag irrigation company that wants to solve farming problems through its Automated Irrigation Solution technology. Before Leif cofounded WaterBit, he founded and helped grow other companies in the IoT and photography industry. He obtained his BBA in Production and Operations Management from Boise State University.

Leif joins me today to explain how WaterBit can help farmers gather water data through their sensor technology. He shares the humble beginnings of WaterBit and the difficulty in raising funds for this kind of startup. He discusses the pain points farmers have and how they built a solution around those issues. Leif also describes how WaterBit is unique in a type of market that is always full of standout startups.

“Someday we'll get to the point where you just walk out into the field, stick a device anywhere, and it just simply works.” - Leif Chastaine

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• How WaterBit got started and the problems they want to address.
• Their sensor technology and how it works for farmers and irrigation needs.
• Why water cost isn't the pain point their market is concerned with.
• Staying close to home in terms of company expansion.
• How WaterBit stands out in the type of industry they're in.
• Placing sensors in the field and how it gathers data.
• Their company's plans for the future and the tech they plan to develop.

Connect with Leif Chastaine:

• WaterBit

This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information

Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law.

Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today.

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. 

Join the Conversation!

To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!

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

Dr. Colin Bell is the Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Growcentia, a company that specializes in microbial plant bio-stimulants and the developers of Mammoth Microbes. Mammoth Microbes is a product designed to help cultivators find solutions for problems ranging from soil health to crop profitability. He left his position as Research Scientist I at Colorado State University to run a startup that is set to revolutionize the way the ag world looks at microbes. Colin obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology, Soil Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Ecology as well as his Ph.D. in Biology and Soil Microbial Ecology from Texas Tech University.

Colin joins me today to share how Mammoth Microbes can help the cannabis industry reach its full agricultural potential. He describes his life as a researcher and why he wanted to start Mammoth Microbes. He explains how their product works and it's potential for cannabis cultivators. Colin also discusses some of the company’s plans for the future.

Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Lanie White, the fourth generation owner of the McFarland White Ranch.

“Water is the unwritten constitution of California.” - Adam Borchard

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• Colin's career background and his work at Mammoth Microbes.
• The origins of Mammoth Microbes and how they came with the base tech they have in the market today.
• His transition from academia into the startup world.
• Their identity as a company and how they differentiate themselves in the industry.
• The data point on cannabis production and how they use them.
• The persona of the average cannabis grower today.
• Differences between outdoor grown cannabis and indoor grown varieties.
• Plans for the future and projects to look forward to.

Connect with Dr. Colin Bell:

• Mammoth Microbes
• Mammoth Microbes Instagram
• Mammoth Microbes LinkedIn
• Colin Bell Instagram

This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information

Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law.

Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today.

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. 

Join the Conversation!

To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!

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 

Adam Borchard is a Regulatory Advocate for the Association of California Water Agencies or ACWA. ACWA is an organization that seeks to inform Californians regarding their water supply and its policies. He has been actively representing California’s best interests in water policies for over five years and experienced drafting memoranda on various water-related acts in their state. Adam obtained his Juris Doctor in Environmental, Water, Public Agency Law from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law and his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis.

Adam joins me today to discuss California’s water problems and enlighten us on what its future looks like from a sustainable and political viewpoint. He shares California’s water problem history and explains why it’s difficult to tackle the idea of entities owning water. He discusses some of the projects he believes will greatly help the state if fully implemented. Adam also describes the next big problem that will need to be solved in the future.

Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Lanie White, the fourth generation owner of the McFarland White Ranch.

“Water is the unwritten constitution of California.” - Adam Borchard

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• California's water issues and a little history.
• Who currently owns water and how it affects the farming industry.
• The state's geographical imbalance and how it affects the population.
• His most difficult project to date and regulating water.
• How water rights can be revoked and seniority factors.
• The event that became a major water wake up call for Californians.
• The next problem that California and the rest of the world will have to tackle.

Connect with Adam Borchard:

• ACWA
• LinkedIn

This episode is sponsored by: Agri-Pulse - For the Latest in Ag Information

Regulation and policy have just as much impact on the agriculture industry and ag-business as Mother Nature. For 15 years, Agri-Pulse has been the leading resource for ag information, reporting on agricultural issues and policies occurring in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and across the U.S. Agri-Pulse helps keep farmers and ag professionals up-to-date on the latest changes in rules and regulations impacting their businesses - before these policies become law.

Stay up-to-date on the latest ag issues and policies impacting your business by giving Agri-Pulse a test drive. Visit Agri-Pulse.com to start your 1-Month Free Trail today.

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. 

Join the Conversation!

To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!

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 

Dr. Michael Miille is the CEO of Joyn Bio. Joyn Bio is a startup joint venture of Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks. The goal of Joyn Bio is to answer the challenges of agricultural sustainability with synthetic biology. Michael has extensive experience when it comes to leading companies, having served at top level positions ranging from COO and CFO to Director and General Manager since 1995. He obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from UC Davis and a BS in Biological Sciences from Stanford.

Michael joins me today to discuss how Joyn Bio will utilize microbe technology to provide sustainable ag solutions. He shares how Joyn Bio was started and describes the benefits of being a company under Bayer and Ginkgo. He explains how their microbe tech could be applied in various forms as well as how it would positively impact both the environment and farmers. Michael also discusses the various challenges in growing this kind of company as well as some of its future projects.

Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Amy Solsma, owner of Solsma’s Punkin Patch and Fireworks.

“You need that freedom, flexibility, and creativity that comes with being a small group that's focused on a moonshot.” - Mike Miille

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• The story of how the joint venture came about.
• Mike's academic background and why he chose the agriculture industry.
• Why it's called a "Moonshot" for Bayer.
• The problem they want to address and their proposed solutions.
• Microbes vs chemicals and when he thinks this type of tech will become available.
• Why Joyn Bio is not what you would call a normal startup.
• The challenges of running this type of startup in the ag industry.

Resources Mentioned:

• Bayer
• Ginkgo Bioworks

Connect with Mike Miille:

• Joyn Bio

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. 

Join the Conversation!

To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!

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