Michael Doane is the Managing Director of the Agriculture and Food Systems at The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization and the world’s leader in providing nature conservation efforts. Their mission is to conserve Mother Nature for future generations by buying lands to prevent plant and animal extinction and restoring otherwise ruined parts of nature back to its former glory. Michael’s responsible for ensuring industries that rely heavily on nature are managed and controlled. He primarily concentrates on projects involving soil health, sustainable forestry and ranching, and nutrient loss reductions.

Today, Michael Doane shares his company’s advocacies and their many projects. He discusses the company’s history and what made them become the leading conservation organization. He also explains some of their company’s many successful projects as well as their prospects, and how they prioritize which ones to fund first.

“As food demand grows, there will be some expansion. But, we also think it can be done in a way that does the least amount of harm to nature.” - Michael Doane

 
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: 

• What the Nature Conservancy is all about.
• What led the Nature Conservancy to agriculture?
• The projects the company is working on.
• How they work with their investors and partners.
• Why they prefer to partner with the private industry.
• How they decide which strategic priorities to pursue.
• What it means to manage optimal soil health.
• How they build trust with their investors.
• What is the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator all about?

Michael Doane’s Words of Wisdom:

• There are special places and special species and plants that need protection.
• Management practice change can really address a lot of the current environmental problems.
• There's some very cost-effective emission reduction opportunities sitting right here in agriculture.
• Investing in nature is a good investment.

Resources Mentioned:

• Nature’s Own Hedge Fund, article by Bloomberg

Connect with Michael Doane:

• The Nature Conservancy
• Twitter

Check Out Our Sponsor for the “Sustainability at Scale” Series

Have you ever heard of Marrone’s BIO WITH BITE? Marrone Bio Innovation offers crop pest protection for the modern organic and conventional production systems. To make sure every grower using their products realize the best possible return on investment, Marrone invests time and resources to thoroughly test and demonstrate the efficacy of those new state of the art products. With serious trial data to back it up! You can see more and connect directly with Marrone by visiting them at www.marronebio.com

Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.

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

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Jim Loar is the President & CEO of Cool Planet, a company founded to provide innovative agricultural technologies that increase crop production at a low cost while reducing greenhouse gas throughout the atmosphere. The company’s current research focus is on their Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon technology, a type of soil enhancer that improves soil health, reduces water consumption, and supports optimal fertilizer performance. Prior to joining Cool Planet in 2015, Jim was the VP of Operations at Wilbur-Ellis Company, the fourth largest agricultural retailer in the USA.

Today, Jim shares their company’s latest findings on Cool Terra and how it can help optimize crop output. He describes the science behind Cool Terra, the many benefits it imparts to both soil and farmer, and how it can help fight global warming. He also explains some of its most outstanding research findings, particularly when it comes to soil microbe health.

“We're providing the habitat for the soil biology to colonize and grow and prosper.” - Jim Loar

 
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: 

• What is engineered biocarbon technology all about?
• What is BioChar and how can it be used in agriculture?
• The primary benefit of a treated BioChar material.
• The main findings of their lab tests on Cool Terra.
• How their product can help ease environmental use of pesticides.
• Why Cool Terra can help farmers have higher income.
• Cool Terra and its effects on the air we breathe.
• Is it economically feasible to move carbon around?
• Does the product need more nitrogen?
• Are other similar products standardized?

Jim Loar’s Words of Wisdom:

• When it comes to soil microbes, what we all hope for is we can put the good guys in a better position to outcompete the bad guys.
• Different farmers have different beliefs and different ways of thinking about their soil.

Connect with Jim Loar:

• Cool Planet
• Cool Terra

Check Out Our Sponsor for the “Sustainability at Scale” Series

Have you ever heard of Marrone’s BIO WITH BITE? Marrone Bio Innovation offers crop pest protection for the modern organic and conventional production systems. To make sure every grower using their products realize the best possible return on investment, Marrone invests time and resources to thoroughly test and demonstrate the efficacy of those new state of the art products. With serious trial data to back it up! You can see more and connect directly with Marrone by visiting them at www.marronebio.com

Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.

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 

Ryan Sirolli is the Senior Director at Danone North America, a food company that focuses on dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and plant-based foods. Ryan is responsible for leading a team that serves to develop and execute agricultural sourcing and improve supply chain sustainability. He and his team emphasizes on soil health as well as creating alternative economic models that advocate both customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability.

Today, Ryan shares how Danone North America is part of a global sustainability project. He discusses many of the company’s current environmental advocacies and how the company has aligned its goals to meet the needs of both health and environmentally conscious consumers. He also provides insight with regards to the GMO and Non-GMO debate and shares his thoughts on the future of organic and sustainable agriculture.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that whatever we source, whatever system the farmer chooses to use or whatever the consumer wants - it’s our responsibility to make sure we do it in the most sustainable way.” - Ryan Sirolli

 
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: 

• Ryan's educational background and experience.
• What is the Dannon Pledge?
• The products Danone is focusing on.
• How they establish a level of trust with their customers and investors.
• The GMO vs. Non-GMO argument.
• Danone's commitment to their customers and the environment.
• How they invest in soil health.
• How they define regenerative agriculture.
• The possibilities for their supply chain in the future.

Ryan Sirolli’s Words of Wisdom:

• The consumers are more proactive about their health. They want to know where their food is coming from, how it is being made, and they want to buy from brands they can trust.
• Environmental sustainability is now a major factor of what drives consumers to buy healthy products.

Connect with Ryan Sirolli:

• Danone North America

Check Out Our Sponsor for the “Sustainability at Scale” Series

Have you ever heard of Marrone’s BIO WITH BITE? Marrone Bio Innovation offers crop pest protection for the modern organic and conventional production systems. To make sure every grower using their products realize the best possible return on investment, Marrone invests time and resources to thoroughly test and demonstrate the efficacy of those new state of the art products. With serious trial data to back it up! You can see more and connect directly with Marrone by visiting them at www.marronebio.com

Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.

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 

David Perry is the President, CEO, and Director of Indigo Ag, a company that seeks to harness the power of plant microbes to improve yield and lessen (and potentially eliminate) the use of harmful pesticides and insecticides. David is a well-known entrepreneur, having founded and built three outstanding companies within the last two decades. He has lead the last two companies through successful IPOs while providing significant returns for their investors. Prior to becoming a businessman, David attended the US Air Force Academy and was a National Merit Scholar.

In this episode, David explains how plant-microbe research can benefit the farmer as well as the environment. He describes the thought processes involved in founding Indigo Ag, the benefits of their research as well as its plausible risks towards the environment. He also shares their current research progress and their future projects.

 
“To improve economic prosperity for farmers, we should move farming from being a completely commoditized business to one where they are increasingly producing things that are value-added.” – David Perry

 
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: 

• Why he believes microbes can help improve agriculture.
• Their solutions to identifying microbes that increase yields.
• Technologies that enabled them to expand and innovate their research.
• Can they patent the microbes they find?
• The risks of this type of research towards the environment.
• The problems they started working on.
• Can microbes eventually replace chemicals in agriculture?
• What identity preservation means from a farmer's view point.

David Perry’s Words of Wisdom:

• Developing microbes are much faster than developing chemicals.
• There's a future in which we use less than half of the chemical fertilizers we use today, and we may eliminate 90% of the chemical pesticides and insecticides.
• If the farmer is delivering their crop to a local elevator and it's getting piled in with their neighbors, there's no way for them to get paid for better quality or greater sustainability.

Resources Mentioned:

• Marrone Bio Innovations

Connect with David Perry:

• Indigo Ag

Check Out Our Sponsor for the “Sustainability at Scale” Series

Have you ever heard of Marrone’s BIO WITH BITE? Marrone Bio Innovation offers crop pest protection for the modern organic and conventional production systems. To make sure every grower using their products realize the best possible return on investment, Marrone invests time and resources to thoroughly test and demonstrate the efficacy of those new state of the art products. With serious trial data to back it up! You can see more and connect directly with Marrone by visiting them at www.marronebio.com

Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.

Join Our 100th Episode Celebration!

We are celebrating the Future of Agriculture Podcast’s 100th episode - and we want to celebrate with you! Visit SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg to record your voice and tell us which Future of Agriculture Podcast episode was your number 1 favorite - and why! Who knows? We may even play your voice in a future episode! Head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg today to record your voice and share your favorite episode with us.

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 

Jason Mauck is a farmer in Gaston, Indiana and the CEO of Constant Canopy, an operation dedicated to closing the gap between livestock and grain production. He is passionate about demystifying misconceptions and bringing public awareness to how the farming and agriculture industry truly works from a large-scale farming perspective.

Jason joins me today to share how his large-scale nutrient management system works, discuss the imbalance between supply and demand, and why he believes a sharing economy is a perfect solution to addressing these issues. He shares the intercropping strategy he uses to create higher crop yields, effective strategies for using manure as a soil nutrient management technique, and how he describes “true soil wealth” for large-scale farmers. He also explains the concept of wheat spreading and how it impacts production costs and the benefits of planting soybeans early in the growing season.

“I don’t think there’s one subject that is more compatible with the sharing economy than manure distribution.” - Jason Mauck

This Week on the Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• Effective strategies for using manure as a nutrient management technique on large-scale farming operations.
• Why newer methods of using manure to manage soil nutrients are more effective and economical than older methods.
• How the sharing economy can address supply and demand issues related to manure distribution.
• The cropping system he uses to keep production costs low while using manure-based nutrient management techniques.
• The benefits of locally placing manure versus widespread placement.
• The benefits of developing an intercropping system.
• Why he advocates for early soybean planting - even when predicting another freeze.
• Understanding the concept of wheat spreading and how it impacts production costs.
• How he harvests wheat without harming soybean crops with his intercropping system.
• Benefits of early bean seed planting.
• How allowing bean plans to grow side-by-side - instead of upright - impacts the overall growth and production.
• Why he believes more farmers do not experiment with intercropping strategies.
• How farmers evaluate annual soil health.
• How he describes “true soil wealth.”

Connect with Jason Mauck:

• Jason Mauck on Twitter

Check Out Our Sponsor for the “Sustainability at Scale” Series

Have you ever heard of Marrone’s BIO WITH BITE? Marrone Bio Innovation offers crop pest protection for the modern organic and conventional production systems. To make sure every grower using their products realize the best possible return on investment, Marrone invests time and resources to thoroughly test and demonstrate the efficacy of those new state of the art products. With serious trial data to back it up! You can see more and connect directly with Marrone by visiting them at www.marronebio.com

Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.

Join Our 100th Episode Celebration!

We are celebrating the Future of Agriculture Podcast’s 100th episode - and we want to celebrate with you! Visit SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg to record your voice and tell us which Future of Agriculture Podcast episode was your number 1 favorite - and why! Who knows? We may even play your voice in a future episode! Head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg today to record your voice and share your favorite episode with us.

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