Future of Agriculture

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Now displaying: December, 2018

Future of Agriculture 133: Stories from the Soil Finale: Why I Love Working in Agriculture 0

Dec 26, 2018

The concept of Soil Health deals with making sure the land where our farms stand will remain the same for the next generation. This was the goal of my journey in bringing the awareness of soil health to the world, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of Jim Loar of Cool Planet.

This special episode will be the culmination of all the farms I visited and the amazing farmers I met along the way. I share where I draw my passion for agriculture and being immersed in this scientifically-driven industry. I discuss the different aspects of agriculture and the farmers who best represented them. I explain how much technology is driving the recent agricultural innovations. I also describe the people behind the farms I went to and how they’re contributing to soil health and sustainability.

“Agriculture exists to solve our most complex problems to meet our most basic needs."

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

Round-up of the Stories from the Soil visits and episodes.
Where my love for agriculture came from.
The farmers I met along the way and why they're awesome.
How data and technology have affected the way farmers manage and operate farms today.
How innovation is driving the growth of the agriculture industry.
The six aspects of agriculture and what they mean from a global perspective.

Key Takeaways:

There is an element in agriculture of collaboration. Be willing to help out your neighbor.
If you're not doing what's right for the soil, it's going to be very difficult to sustain it for the next generation.

Resources Mentioned:

2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30

Help us celebrate the top 30 future leaders of agriculture! Nominate your favorite up-and-coming, future executives, innovators, and influencers in the following agriculture categories:

Agribusiness
Production Agriculture
Research & Technology
Entrepreneurship
Education & Advocacy

Nominations for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list are now open and are scheduled to close Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 11:59 PM. Self-nominations are accepted.

Winners will be announced March 2019.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements, announcement date and location, and to nominate for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list, visit: 30Under30.ag

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

Download this Episode

Future of Agriculture 132: Business Consulting for Farm and Ranch Operations with Davon Cook of Ag Progress 0

Dec 19, 2018

Davon Cook is the Co-Founder of Ag Progress, a company that provides management consulting, family business advisory, and facilitation for ag ventures and other groups. Davon facilitates peer groups of ag operations and is a member of the Family Firm Institute, one of the most extensive networks of thought leaders in the family enterprise field. She received her master’s degree from Texas A&M in Ag Econ and her MBA from the University of Illinois.

Davon joins me to share the inspiration behind starting Ag Progress and how their firm works. She describes how their business consulting services help farm owners improve their businesses and the different challenges they face with each client. She also explains the three circles of family business. what succession planning means, and shares what she expects to happen in the future for the ag industry.

“When you change something in one aspect of the organization, there's movement in other places; it has an impact on the entire system itself." - Davon Cook

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

Why Davon calls themselves family business advisors.
The difference between corporate farms and family farms.
How they started their business and the inspiration behind it.
The core business challenges they tackle.
The life cycle of any business and their different stages.
The three circles of family business and the difference between farms in the '90s and farms today.
The definition of succession planning and how they help owners manage it.
The changes she expects to see in the future for the family farm industry.

Manager Minute

Set goals and your to-do list in A, B, and C categories. Try to focus on what's on your A-list as much as possible.

Key Takeaways:

There is value in having the tough conversations by a business owner with their team.
Don't assume parting ways is a failure if you're doing the right thing for your family or the business' health.
An organization is made up of several parts, each one complimenting and affecting the other.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Davon Cook:

2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30

Help us celebrate the top 30 future leaders of agriculture! Nominate your favorite up-and-coming, future executives, innovators, and influencers in the following agriculture categories:

Agribusiness
Production Agriculture
Research & Technology
Entrepreneurship
Education & Advocacy

Nominations for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list are now open and are scheduled to close Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 11:59 PM. Self-nominations are accepted.

Winners will be announced March 2019.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements, announcement date and location, and to nominate for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list, visit: 30Under30.ag

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!

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting:

Future of Agriculture Website

AgGrad Website

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

Download this Episode

Future of Agriculture 131: Building Soil Health Through No Till Farming and Cover Crops with Joe Breker 0

Dec 12, 2018

Joe Breker is the owner of the Coteau des Prairies, a getaway lodge that offers stunning views surrounded by prairie farms and fields. He has been farming for over 40 years and practices what the industry calls “No-till” farming, a method that prioritizes soil health. With his skills and knowledge, Joe managed to successfully operate his farm during the dry ‘80s and wet ‘90s, as well as each decade’s poor farm economy.

Joe joins me today to describe how his conservative farming practices have improved their farm’s soil health. He shares how his father was a sustainable farmer and what he did to build on what his father started. He also describes what no-till farming is, how it helps to restore damaged soil and explains the science behind management practices and how it affects soil health for decades.

“Once you lose soil health, it's really difficult to get it back." - Joe Breker

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

The farming legacy Joe is a part of and how his father ran the farm.
What no-till farming is and what made him utilize this method.
How he started his journey in soil health.
Maintaining commitment to soil health despite poor farming business conditions.
How he processes their compost and the processes involved.
Building soil health and how they nurse damaged soil back to health.

Key Takeaways:

Farmers know production losses happen because of management practices on their farm.
You can't fully restore the health of soil, but you can devise ways to improve it.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Joe Breker:

Coteau des Prairies Lodge

2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30

Help us celebrate the top 30 future leaders of agriculture! Nominate your favorite up-and-coming, future executives, innovators, and influencers in the following agriculture categories:

Agribusiness
Production Agriculture
Research & Technology
Entrepreneurship
Education & Advocacy

Nominations for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list are now open and are scheduled to close Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 11:59 PM. Self-nominations are accepted.

Winners will be announced March 2019.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements, announcement date and location, and to nominate for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list, visit: 30Under30.ag

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!

Learn more about AgGrad by visiting:

Future of Agriculture Website

AgGrad Website

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

Download this Episode

Future of Agriculture 130: International Agribusiness in China to Rural Entrepreneurship in Oklahoma with Brady Sidwell 0

Dec 5, 2018

Brady Sidwell is the owner of Sidwell Strategies, a commodity brokerage that provides a variety of risk management solutions that caters towards those in the agricultural industry. They help farmers manage price risks by trading futures and options on the commodity market. Before focusing on this type of business, Brady enjoyed traveling to 95 countries and working in a lot of them. The experiences he had on his many trips allowed him to form a better understanding of how the economy on agriculture works from a global perspective and apply that to his business.

Brady joins me today to share his passion for helping farmers and how it led to the start of Sidwell Strategies. He shares his academic and career highlights, some of the countries he’s worked in and what he learned from them. He describes how China is trying to emulate how Americans look at farming as well as the difference between farmers from either country. He also discusses some of their projects for the coming months.

“If you think you want to do something, go get an internship related to it and see if that is what you want to do." - Brady Sidwell

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

His academic and career achievements and how he ended up working in the agriculture industry.
The Chinese mindset and the ways they're trying to catch up with the American model.
The big difference between farmers in the US and farmers in China.
What made him leave and eventually return to farming.
How big his team is right now and some of their current projects.
His experience while visiting North Korea.

Key Takeaways:

Places that are least populated are where agriculture is the most productive.
The entrepreneurial mindset is what sets business leaders apart from those who just want to run a business.

Connect with Brady Sidwell:

Sidwell Strategies
Facebook
Email: brady@sidwellstrategies.com

2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30

Help us celebrate the top 30 future leaders of agriculture! Nominate your favorite up-and-coming, future executives, innovators, and influencers in the following agriculture categories:

Agribusiness
Production Agriculture
Research & Technology
Entrepreneurship
Education & Advocacy

Nominations for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list are now open and are scheduled to close Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 11:59 PM. Self-nominations are accepted.

Winners will be announced March 2019.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements, announcement date, and location, and to nominate for the 2019 AgGrad 30 Under 30 list, visit: 30Under30.ag

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.