Farm of the Future: Recent Episodes
AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST
Tim Hammerich hosts this show which explores the new ideas behind progressive farming and brings the trendsetters and their companies' ideas to the airwaves. Technology and innovative science are shaping the future of agribusiness. If you are curious about novelties in AgTech, rural entrepreneurship, agricultural sustainability, and food security, this is the show for you! Tim is a former National FFA President and a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a degree in Crop Science and Management, followed by a Masters of Agribusiness at Kansas State University. He and his family reside in Eagle, Idaho.
There’s only one place at the World Ag Expo where you can see a spray system with precision aiming capabilities.
Ask 100 farmers what the most essential part of a tractor is, and you’ll probably get several different answers.
CNH's Joe Miller says having farmer input is what inspired their CDPD process, or customer-driven product design.
Over the past dozen years, technologists have designed sensors to collect data on almost every aspect of the farm. Can we do anything with it yet?
A lot of these segments that I do focus on robotics and automation. But where does all of this lead for the farm of the future?
There are over 7,000 startup incubators around the world, yet there isn’t a single one that combines a robotic shop with a farm, until now.
The success of American agriculture has come in no small part from the contributions of research and extension, but commercializing those solutions still needs improvement.
UCANR's The Vine wants to connect tech entrepreneurs, researchers, farm advisors and farmers.
What’s holding farmers back from growing more high value specialty crops rather than commodity crops? In a word, markets.
The rise in eco-friendly food packaging is one trend that is expected to ramp up even more in 2025.
Regenerative ag practices aren’t always to implement, but the results of a well-thought out system executed well can surprise.
Farmers across the United States are facing rising financial pressures, and certain oversupplied crops are being hit hardest.
Running a successful ag business often means balancing multiple moving parts at once and understanding how to leverage cash flow and equity for growth.
Syngenta Group created an AI tool called CropWise AI to empower its agronomists with data.
Today’s responsibility of a farmer goes beyond just producing food for the world; society is asking them to provide ecosystem services.
Before considering regenerative farming practices, it’s critical to know whether those practices are actually doing what they’re designed to do.
A collaboration between groups like Regrow, the Conservation Technology Information Center, and The Nature Conservancy, is providing a clearer picture of farmer adoption of soil conservation practices.
GUSS Automation has made their way onto many orchards over the past few years with their completely unmanned spray systems.
John Deere is arguably the most well known farm equipment brand, but traditionally they haven’t had a lot to offer specifically focused on specialty crops.
Bloomfield, a company that helps specialty crop growers improve the health and performance of their crop on a per-plant basis, was recently acquired by Kubota.
Mark DeSantis says farmers must understand the realities and costs when it comes to robots in agriculture.
Modern farm businesses operating at scale can still benefit from knowing what’s happening with every single plant.
Artificial intelligence already exists on the farm, and certain applications are being adopted quickly.
Whether through regulation or resistance or other factors, the loss of these chemistries have really narrowed the options farmers have. But could precision spray technology change that?
New technology is changing the way farmers spray. But that has ramifications for chemical labels.
While artificial intelligence may displace some jobs, it will also enable whole new ways of doing things.
Artificial intelligence is not coming to agriculture. It’s already here. This technology will continue to power more and more operations on the farm.
In agriculture one size does definitely not fit all. What may work for one operation or field could be completely wrong for another.
There is a lot of speculation about how climate change affects the planet, but it’s less discussed how it affects people.
When it comes to the stories about our honeybee populations dying off at dangerously high rates, Todd Myers, Senior Vice President for Research at the Washington Policy Center, a beekeeper himself, says people hear scary statistics and jump to conclusions.
There is no shortage of digital tools on the market for farmers, but before looking into them it’s important to know what problem you’re trying to solve.
Many companies promise to help digitize farm management. But there are a few barriers to making this happen, assuming it’s even important for a farmer to do so.
The modern farm has a lot of assets, and getting the most from those assets is how farmers hope to keep the business alive
Founder of NIQO Robotics Jaisimha Rao believes that conversations surrounding agtech are shifting.
Netafim, the inventor of drip irrigation, wants to bridge the financial gap that keeps farmers from adopting modern technologies.
While there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding regenerative agriculture, most consumers don’t know what the term means.
Building a successful ag-tech startup requires a problem to be solved, a clear vision, capital, and really knowing your customer.
Robotics technology is improving and adoption is picking up. But there is still the barrier of the price tag of this equipment.
Water is a precious resource and farmers don’t want to waste water or the money it costs to pump it. Can technology help make our crops more water efficient?
On the road to a productive and profitable crop, farmers have to face a number of challenges. Few are more relentless than weed pressure.
Geco Ag's technology helps farmers stay on top of weed management by forecasting hotspots with predictive maps.
Farm data can paint a picture of what happened on the farm in the past, but how do we use it to predict future problems before they happen?
Bringing autonomous technology to the farm can lead to not just labor savings, but a safer work environment.
Many robotics companies target the growing systems of these specialty crops and do especially well with delicate crops and repetitious tasks.
Grower and entrepreneur Steve Saunders believes automation isn’t taking jobs, but rather increasing the number of higher-value jobs.
Australian farmer Andrew Bate says as his farm grew, he noticed the downsides to farming more and more acres.
Green Lightning is manufacturing machines that can allow farmers to generate some of their nitrogen needs on farm using only energy and water as inputs.
Twisted Fields in San Gregorio, California, invites ag technologists to try out their innovations in a farm setting.
The apple industry is interested in using AI to better understand local climate and how it affects trees, especially during dormancy.
Twisted Fields has designed a low-cost precision farming rover ideal for the small to medium sized farmer.
For years, projects to automate apple picking have failed to commercialize. Could this time be different?
Washington Tree Fruit Commission executive director Ines Hanrahan explains what makes this variety so special.
There are a lot of biological products on the market. But they run the gamut in terms of their efficacy and consistency.
NuCicer, a crop genetics company, is working to create a chickpea that improves protein, fiber, nutrition, and sustainability.
Niche crops have to compete for sales, resources, and exposure in the marketplace, but when it comes to building the food system of the future, they might actually have an advantage.
Kathryn Cook co-founded NuCicer with her father to bring better genetics to chickpea growers with the vision of drastically expanding acreage.
One key agronomic insight that can completely change the outcome of a crop yield is doing a soil analysis.
New agricultural technologies are exciting and some of them can be impactful, but some of them just try to solve too much and end up being too complicated to implement.
New tools are on their way for agronomists to help them make more data-driven decisions in the field.
he team at advanced.farm robotics made significant progress during the 2024 season toward commercializing their apple harvesting machine.
Over the past couple of years advanced.farm has shifted their focus from robotic strawberry harvesting to apple picking.
Adapture Renewables product developer Nathan Durfee says these projects can generate an impressive amount of energy while contributing to the local tax base.
Companies like Voyage Foods are taking an unconventional approach to making food more affordable, by replacing seasonal expensive ingredients with low cost by-products.
Changes to the food system can sometimes start on the farm, in other cases they can start closer to the consumer.
Farming seems to be getting tougher and tougher every year, especially for growers of fresh produce who have to compete with foreign imports.
F3 Innovate has emerged as the nation’s hub for climate-smart agrifood technology and engineering based in California's Central Valley.
Over 2,500 people attended FIRA USA which featured ag robots and autonomous solutions in action.
What does the rise of AI tools mean for the role of the agronomist, crop advisor, and pest control advisor in the future?
At the core of Almanac's strategy is Alma, an intelligence platform using existing products and services to provide more meaningful insights to growers.
Agtech companies Semios and AgWorld merged years ago, but the company announced last week that they are re-branding under the name Almanac.
The average age of the American farmer continues to go up, while other countries are seeing the opposite trend.
Farms are the foundation of our food system, but a lot can happen between the farmgate and consumption.
Consumers are met with an abundance of choices in grocery stores, but more choices doesn’t always lead to better decisions.
Access to sustainable irrigation sources is fundamental to the existing of farming west of the Rockies.
With increased interest rates and inflation, some potential buyers of farmland have decided to move the sidelines.
Netafim North America President Mike Hemman gives an example of how their Corporate Partnership Program is helping growers.
Why are big tech companies and food companies willing to cover the cost of drip irrigation technology for some farmers?
Netafim is launching a first-of-its-kind Corporate Partnership Program to drive funding for farmers to address environmental and water challenges.
Gallagher Animal Management chief executive says changes in climate have already impacted their operations around the globe.
While many global ag companies have moved their manufacturing to cheaper countries, that decision may not always be the most efficient choice.
When a farmer makes an investment in a new product or service, they want to know it’ll withstand the conditions of a working farm.
What is the right way to bring the latest in science and technology to the market? That was the question Purdue University was asking when they launched DIAL Ventures a few years ago.
Purdue University study indicates willingness to pay for regeneratively grown food drops when presented with a real example.
Report indicates that while there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding regenerative agriculture, most consumers don’t know what the term means.
Every new addition or change to a farmer’s operation comes with risk. So if people want to see changes to the food system, it has to be accompanied by a clear incentive.
One of the biggest pain points in the current global food system is the amount of food that is wasted, much of which never even leaves the farm.
Food distribution is one of the few sectors of the supply chain that has yet to transition mostly online.
In the current agricultural economy farmers are actively looking for ways to manage their risk.
It is more difficult than ever for farmers to make strategic investments in land to grow their operation for the long term.
How do you know if you’re making progress and just not giving it enough time or if your messages are dead on arrival?
In today’s competitive marketplace, consumers aren’t just looking for better, they’re looking for different.
We spend a lot of time in agriculture thinking about production, but we don’t often spend enough time thinking about marketing.
No. Autonomy will not be replacing farmer jobs any time soon according to Sabanto founder Craig Rupp.
It’s on agtech providers to show up with data of how well their products work, but it’s always difficult to know how something will work on YOUR specific field.
Sabanto, the autonomous tractor company, is helping farmers work smarter, not harder with their remote operating technology.
When tree farmers implement a new planting, they know a profitable harvest likely won’t come for several years.
Naveen Sikka, founder and CEO of Terviva believes pongamia can be a great crop option in many areas for both producers and consumers.
To manage risk while making the best possible management decisions on the farm, agtech company Source.ag wants to help growers create a digital twin of their fields.
Some agtech companies would like to help farmers to create a digital twin of every field, but why?
Source.ag founder Rien Kamman wants to help farmers create a digital twin of their farms in order to run simulations on growing decisions.
Pongamia, a “super tree” originating from Asia, has slowly been making its way to the United States over the last 15 years.
BovEye is a remote livestock verification tool using computer vision and AI for agricultural lenders.
Through startup experiences and a Stanford MBA, Andrew Minarick has learned that not all investment money is right for all businesses in agriculture.
One of the biggest food trends consumers are gravitating towards right now is the push for protein-dense foods.
The demand for plant-based protein has had its ups and downs in recent years, but the idea that it is just for vegans is not true.
Scientists have developed a vast body of knowledge about how soils are formed and how they function, but gaps still exist in turning that information into real solutions for growers.
Interest in plant-based proteins has spiked in recent years, but at least one company has been focused on yellow peas for decades.
The rise of this idea has become so popular that in some cases it overshadows the real opportunity to lower the underlying carbon footprint of food production.
As input companies incorporate more biological understanding into agriculture, there’s an opportunity to better leverage the soil’s natural ability to grow healthier crops.
The growing biologicals category is good for farmers, but not all rationale for it is warranted.
One of our key crop nutrients, phosphorus is a finite resource it can only be mined. And we are using it at an alarming rate.
Jackson Stansell's research on fertigation in irrigated corn led him to put his Ph.D. on hold to build a company around it.
Why doesn’t more agricultural research at the university level lead to commercialized products?
We’ve heard it said before that “data is the new oil”, and supposedly that applies to ag data as well. So if that’s true, why aren’t farmers seeing money offered for their data?
There’s no shortage of data in agriculture, but how much of that data is actually transparent enough to solve industry-wide issues?
As more and more digital technology hits the farm, it seems the data problems in agriculture just get worse and worse.
If a ban moves forward, even drones assembled in America with Chinese parts would be affected.
A potential ban on Chinese drones could threaten this emerging segment of the agriculture industry.
The US government has been considering putting bans on drone technology manufactured in China.
FarmTest offers a field trial design and execution service to measure the performance of products on farmer's fields.
What does the rise in drone spraying mean for traditional aerial applicators of agricultural chemicals?
Dr. Mike Castellano says variation in agricultural landscapes and territories is one reason on-farm trials are still critical.
Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems is launching an FAA test site for agricultural unmanned aerial spraying applications.
For a farmer to know what products and practices work best for your field, it would sure be nice to have some on-farm trials.
Carbon program offered by Groundwork BioAg is based on their Rootella product adding more mycorrhizal fungi to the soil
Beneficial fungi can now be purchased as a product to help plant roots access more nutrients.
Are there any real actions happening in agricultural supply chains to make sustainability pledges a reality?
Scientists have developed the Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas to address water scarcity in the Southwest U.S.
Industry outsiders sometimes misperceive farmers as late adopters of the newest technology in agriculture, but that's not the case.
Over the past decade the amount of data gathered from a farmer has gone up dramatically, but how much of the data collected is actually quality insights?
Digitizing old tools and has enabled new ways of measuring soil respiration as an indication of soil health.
Adam Koeppel of Agrology is assessing soil health by measuring soil respiration to indicate the biological activity in a soil.
One of the reasons American agriculture is so productive is because we primarily produce commodities.
Farmers have to wear many hats to be successful these days, but venture capitalist usually isn’t one of them.
Data is sometimes referred to as “the new oil”, but how do farmers really unlock some of the value that can be found in their data?
Microsoft's Claudia Roessler says collaboration with data aggregators is a critical missing piece in order to develop industry-wide digital solutions.
Two companies that are household names, Bayer and Microsoft, have teamed up to develop data infrastructure to connect farm data.
Bluewhite, a global leader in autonomous farming solutions, has just announced a strategic partnership with CNH Industrial.
It’s great that there are so many new options for technologies to help out on the farm, but what about when things go wrong?
Carbon Robotics says their LaserWeeder can reduce farming costs, increase crop yield, and eliminate hand labor for weeding.
Biostimulant products, used in the right circumstances, can have an impact on both yield and quality.
The average American still doesn’t consume anywhere close to the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
Gene editing advancements are enabling new approaches to crop genetics, but what will this mean for farmers?
With modern biotech tools making it easy to edit crops, where should a company focus their efforts to improve the food system?
Shortage of willing and capable workers causes producers of labor-intensive commodities to turn to robots.
Shortage of willing and capable workers causes producers of labor-intensive commodities to turn to robots.
Through advancements in understanding of soil biology, companies like Pattern Ag are seeing the impact microbes can have on crop fertility.
Getting a complete picture of the water balance in a field can help with irrigation decisions says Jessi Korinek of Nave Analytics.
Phosphorus is the second-largest nutrient used in food production worldwide, but it’s a challenge to make sure it all makes its way to the crop.
Nave Analytics CEO Jessi Korinek says they’ve figured out how to measure soil moisture via satellite.
We've heard about innovations to reduce emissions in generating nitrogen, but phosphorus is mined.
Sentinel Fertigation CEO says they’ve designed their product to be easy to use and adaptable for irrigated crops.
Nutrient management is one of the most important aspects of growing a profitable crop that remains within a farmer's control.
There is definitely a trend in the agricultural inputs industry to come up with more biological solutions.
Agriculture is in the midst of a digital revolution. But how much has really changed in the industry due to digital technologies?
Sustainability efforts are driving more and more companies to consider renewable components to various products.
CEO Eben Bayer says growing mycelium is no different than traditional mushroom farming systems.
Mushroom farming is a $60 billion industry, but the vast majority of it is growing just one species.
Lab grown meat has certainly not lived up to the hype from a few years ago. But there’s been another alternative protein that humans have been eating for generations: mushrooms.
Generative artificial intelligence holds a lot of promise for many industries, including agriculture. But not without good data.
While it’s the farmer that takes the risk to plant a crop, many producers rely on trusted advisors to provide support.
Many herbicides aren’t as effective as they use to be, and others have been regulated away. So how will farmers control weeds in the future?
Food companies and other buyers of agricultural products may want to provide more transparency to consumers, but it's not realistic for that burden to all fall on the farmer.
For decades, GMO crops have developed a track record for being safe and effective. More recent gene editing tools are poised to take these benefits to the next level.
Apeel's new RipeTrack platform enables produce growers, packers, shippers, wholesalers and retailers to digitize and track ripeness.
Apeel developed a coating to help with the food waste problem, and has made a big impact in a short time.
Farmers are inundated with potential products to use, but many companies are missing the mark with their offerings or with the approach or both.
Fourth-generation sheep farmer Paul Ensor says in talking with other wool producers and hemp farmers, more players are welcomed.
Farming is full of risk and uncertainty. That’s why the ultimate goal with farm data is to turn the data into helpful predictions.
For Paul Ensor, co-founder of Hemprino, the farm connection has been more valuable to consumers than their story of sustainability.
As solar energy has grown and expanded in acreage, some solar companies are looking for ways to be better stewards of the land under where their panels are located.
Agtech startups and multinational agribusiness corporations are both diving headfirst into regenerative agriculture
How much of the money from your clothing goes back to the farmer? Like food, a pretty small percentage.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have been the story of 2024 in technology circles. And we’re starting to see applications for use of this technology on the farm.
For new product innovations many agribusinesses are looking at advancements happening in the pharmaceutical industry.
Artificial intelligence is providing new platforms both farmers and trusted advisors to access data for agronomic problems.
Agricultural soils have the capacity to sequester massive amounts of carbon, but is it really financially feasible to do so?
Despite a lot of efforts, there is still a massive disconnect between producers and consumers.
Through advancements in understanding of soil biology, we are seeing the impact microbes can have on crop fertility.
The report gives corn and soybean farmers and agronomic advisors a good indicator of their risks for key pests and pathogens.
AI has been very useful for analyzing complex data sets, but two researchers say farming is still too complex for a ChatGPT to answer specific agronomic questions.
There are over 300 different careers in agriculture, and many of them can offer appealing incomes and lifestyles.
Researchers are testing tools to try to understand and characterize spatial variability in soils.
More operations are open to hiring candidates without an agriculture background for jobs on the farm.
As water for farmers has become more and more scarce in the west, water quality has degraded and the costs of pumping water continue to climb.
Dairy farmers and WonderCow founders hope the popularity of their product can help them tell the dairy sustainability story.
One co-product of the dairy industry is colostrum, and it's finding a high-value market as a human supplement.
Consumers have reiterated time and again that knowing where and how their food is produced are important factors in their food-buying decisions.
Interest rates are certainly higher than they were a couple of years ago, and financing hasn’t gotten any easier to come by.
Growers of many fresh produce products have a choice to make when considering new varieties: will the rewards be worth the risks?
Food prices are up across the country, but it’s not the farmer seeing those additional dollars.
Whether you’re farming sheep or shrimp, the principles are similar, and optimizing the feed ration is critical.
TransparentSea Farm founder and CEO Steve Sutton says what most people don’t know is how indoor shrimp farming can actually be a solution for certain climate concerns.
WSTFA president Jon DeVaney said long term solutions such as increased storage and changes to on-farm practices are underway.
The Washington State Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency yesterday due to below average snowpack.
The globalization of the food system has opened up new markets for American grown products, but it also has decreased domestic manufacturing.
Polybee has found a way to pollinate strawberries and tomato crops grown in greenhouses with drones.
Investors like Jim Taylor at Forage Capital Partners are focused on companies that have a proven track record and a path to profitability.
With new advancements in artificial intelligence and computer vision, modern greenhouses can look a lot more like food-growing computers.
Verdi's Arthur Chen says there are three stages of irrigation technology adoption that most farmers go through.
Agtonomy is partnering with companies like Bobcat to help make their equipment smarter.
U.S. farmers are often more productive when it comes to yield per acre, and technology adoption is a contributing factor.
Alex Wimbush, chief digital officer for Lavoro Agro, provides some context on the scale of Brazilian agriculture.
Harpe Bio is working to commercialize their novel, natural biological herbicide portfolio derived from plant extracts.
Automation is coming and it will continue to displace human labor. Some are concerned that this technology might come for their job.
I asked Alex Gutierrez of L5 Automation why he thinks their robotic strawberry picker can succeed where others have failed.
The team at L5 Automation developed engineering skills in aerospace and are now applying them to agricultural automation.
Only 3% of farmers are taking advantage of carbon programs - likely because the value proposition just isn’t there.
Cquesta is developing technology to leverage the natural ability of plants to sequester more carbon in the soil.
Cquesta wants to help producers grow deeper roots that sequester more carbon without requiring big changes in practices.
In many cases, the land underneath solar panels can be more productive than a lot of people realize.
Silicon Ranch's Nick de Vries says a combination of energy generation and agricultural production can be replicated in many areas.
AEI's David Widmar says he doesn’t think it’s realistic to expect low interest rates any time soon, but we have seen cycles like this before.
Elevated costs and reduced profits margins are causing farmers to be more picky about what new technology they are bringing to their fields.
David Widmar of Agricultural Economic Insights shares a four step frame work to think about farm risk.
In today’s agriculture, technology needs to be developed based on sound science and commercial need.
Where will agtech be in the coming decade or two? Croptimistic Technology CEO Cory Willness weighs in.
Zordi is focusing their efforts on growing snackable Korean strawberries that are 2-3 times sweeter than average variety.
The founders of Zordi have designed their greenhouse farming business to focus on quality and automation.
After working in vertical farming for years, Casey Call is focusing on strawberry production in greenhouses with his young company, Zordi.
Biologist Dr. Toby Kiers believes there is a lot of potential in studying how to make the most of plant-fungi interactions.
Zeakal CEO Han Chen says this can help farmers differentiate their product based on quality.
Biologist Dr. Toby Kiers says there are some real advantages to acknowledging and fostering a healthy soil microbiome.
The next wave in agricultural technology is likely to include a combination of traditional equipment and modern connected digital devices.
Hybrid breeding techniques have revolutionized the corn industry, will they catch on in wheat?
Don’t overlook the natural mycorrhizal fungi that can thrive in the soil and create symbiotic relationships with plants.
Agtech startups and multinational agribusiness corporations are both diving headfirst into regenerative agriculture.
Driscoll's Marta Baptista sees the potential to dramatically reduce the need for synthetic pesticides in the future.
PowerPollen has developed a system to preserve, store, and then apply pollen to build in added productivity and resiliency into row crops.
Phospholutions claims they’ve developed the first proven technology to reduce phosphorus use by 50% while preserving grower yields.
Lindsay's FieldNET Advisor allows growers to bring data together from various sources that influence irrigation and crop performance.
Farmers and their employees need clear and easy-to-use tools to take full advantage of the benefits of technology.
Many farmers across the country rely on the services of custom harvesters for a wide variety of crops.
Precision agriculture promises to maximize profitability from every acre if utilized correctly.
There continues to be more interest in sustainable farming practices, but is that translating into real dollars for farmers?
How do large farm machinery companies like CNH Industrial stand out from the competition?
Just like homes have embraced smart devices, will we see the same "smartification" on the farm?
Many farmers are hoping to see adjustments in the reference prices in Title 1 of the Farm Bill.
Agtonomy is partnering with companies like Bobcat to help make their equipment smarter.
With the current interest in climate-smart agriculture, some anticipate the next Farm Bill to be very climate-focused.
Global ag input supplier Syngenta has assembled a team of leading soil scientists led by chief soil scientist Matt Wallenstein.
Finding qualified farm labor is a challenge everywhere in agriculture, but some are hesitant to figure out the H2A process.
The entire crop input industry seems to be investing more and more money into biologicals.
Will ag tech outgrow the need for human labor? CEO of másLabor Edward Silva doesn’t believe so.
With a lack of a reliable farm workforce, many American operations have turned to H-2A employees to fill the needs of their businesses.
Many emerging ag robotics companies are bringing their technology to market by offering a service such as weeding or spraying or tilling.
One of the challenges with farm equipment is that it’s a major investment for to solve a problem that only exists during certain parts of the year.
As reliable ag labor becomes more challenging to find, autonomy is where some progressive farmers are looking to next.
Off ground harvesting has its advantages. The technology is improving, but the logistics might be difficult.
Sound Agriculture is offering one with their SOURCE product, a foliar applied chemistry that improves nutrient availability.
Organic farm products can fetch higher prices, but is it worth the investment required to transition to organic production?
As investor dollars pour into farmland, many take a more passive approach: owning the land and renting it out to tenants.
Harvest time is filled with a multitude of potential stressors for farmers, but knowing you're minimizing harvest loss can help.
Technology has impacted the way we farm, but it’s also impacted the markets for agricultural commodities.
Where will export demand grow in the future? Cobank's Tanner Ehmke provides insight into China, India and Southeast Asia.
For niche farms or food companies to make it against commodity producers, vertical integration can be a great option.
UPL, the world’s 5th largest agrochemical company, sees a lot of future opportunities in biologicals.
Coming off a year that saw increases in both input costs and interest rates, many farmers are exploring options when it comes to financing.
Cattle ranchers have an opportunity to unlock real insights by keeping their genetic data proprietary.
The farm of the future will require the combination of technology and knowledgable trusted technical advisors.
AEA founder John Kempf says when it comes to regenerative transition, it's not about adding new products or practices, but doing less of what's not working.
AEA founder John Kempf says two areas in which he’s witnessed consistent ROI are seed treatments and foliar applications.
Artificial intelligence has touched all corners of agriculture, but how has it affected the beef sector?
There’s a problem that’s hidden in plain site that keeps production from reaching the market and takes dollars out of farmers’ pockets.
There’s a problem that’s hidden in plain site that keeps production from reaching the market and takes dollars out of farmers’ pockets.
What do the medical industry and soil science have in common? Well, more than you might think.
With fertilizer prices continuing to cut into farmers’ profits, scientists are exploring ways to optimize for microbial nitrogen fixation.
When it comes to cover crops, what's happening below the soil surface is just as important as what's happening above ground.
Pests and diseases are constantly adapting to agricultural inputs all while many of these tools are getting regulated away.
More millennials would be enticed to continue the family farm if there was a clear estate plan in place.
Paine Schwartz CEO says a solid environmental, social and governance (ESG) story is important for where they invest capital.
Food companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint need to account for their scope 3 emissions at the farm level.
Sustain-A-Grain hopes to prove that in the future growers won't need to choose between productivity and conservation.
Commodity groups are finding ways to repurpose every aspect of the crop they are growing.
The EPA released a draft strategy on herbicide use designed to better protect endangered species.
Collaboration in the soybean industry has propelled better distribution of American soybeans.
Farmland values climbed this year to record levels despite challenges like rising interest rates and extreme weather.
The soybean industry is well-positioned to meet the growing need for renewable green energy sources.
The Ugly Company, a nationally recognized dried fruit brand which uses upcycled ingredients is expanding.
Farm incomes in the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank’s district flattened out in the second quarter of 2023.
The Rural & Agriculture Council of America would like to see the Farm Bill level the playing field for U.S. producers.
AGvisorPro brings together producers, companies, and experts to solve the questions of the agriculture industry.
Ag technology doesn’t have to mean big venture capital bets on a world that’s drastically different than it is today.
Seth Naeve, extension agronomist, says the smoke’s effect on U.S. crops isn’t simple to describe.
Major U.S. agriculture organizations sent letters to all 2024 presidential candidates asking them to prioritize trade.
With the fall approaching, it’s time to start thinking about transitioning to winter wheat fertilizer applications.
New cost-sharing incentives for sustainable practices are available through two USDA Climate Smart Commodities grants.
Farmers and ranchers depend on farm bill programs for many reasons, including improving their land.
One of the ways farmers can add value to their products is by specializing in a niche market.
This year's International Sweetener Symposium focused on how Farm Bill policies support American food security.
How can agriculture best take advantage of the benefits of artificial intelligence offers?
Farmers are, indeed, data driven, especially when it comes to reading the market and making business decisions.
Sorghum is one of the first grains that mankind cultivated, and our gut microbiome evolved alongside the grain.
Performance data is one of the most valuable insights agriculture has at its fingertips today.
The 2023 Farm Bill was a hot topic at the NCBA's Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting.
Autonomy and other agricultural technologies can be used to make farming more attractive to younger generations.
One frustration farmers have with ag technology is that data isn’t easily utilized across different tools.
Field boundaries are one of those things in agriculture that different people have their own interpretation of.
Automation in agriculture is, of course, a good thing, but some fear that it may take jobs away.
Agriculture is under more and more pressure to contribute more towards environmental sustainability.
Technology is improving the process of finding the right balance between feed rations and milk output.
There’s no shortage of data in agriculture, but dispersing that data for the industry’s benefit is another story.
Carbon sequestration has become the focus of agtech companies, but for farmers, agronomy and economics still come first.
Tracking and tracing a crop while saving a farmer time and money is the goal of Soiltech Wireless' sensors.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $300 million to improve the accuracy of greenhouse gas measurements.
Soiltech Wireless wants to bring the market a more effective sensor without the expensive price.
FieldClock is trying to help farmers from clocking in and out to piecework to compliance through a digital app.
The Trusted Advisor Partnership is connecting farmers with soil health practices via their certified crop advisor.
Data is one of the most valuable assets in agriculture today, but how do we make it more accessible?
Many companies are pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but proper collaborations are needed to make an impact.
Food companies are making commitments to their consumers, but how does that translate for farmers?
Collecting health data from cattle feeders is an important piece of the future of agriculture.
Precision technology is reshaping the agriculture industry for the better, and not just in field crops.
After many rejected attempts, Fyto, an aquatic plant company, has mastered producing high-quality feed that can successfully grow from animal waste.
Aquatic plant company Fyto is helping dairy producers convert animal waste into feed for the dairy industry
A novel idea being piloted in the dairy industry is aquatic plants grown from animal manure.
Many growers are already experiencing weather conducive to developing head scab, the most economically challenging wheat disease.
"Norm", FBN's AI-powered ag advisor is being trained by human experts to answer farmer questions accurately.
Farmer leaders are looking for innovations in areas like planting and seed development.
Head of data science and analytics at Farmers Business Network Kit Barron believes that Norm can be a valuable tool for farmers.
Founder and CEO David Wallace built a solution for his family farm. Today, FarmHQ serves growers in over 30 states.
This brings the total to five MOUs with different ag equipment manufacturers, representing over 70% of US market share.
In-season fertilizer applications play a key role in ensuring the crop continues to get the nutrition that it needs.
Two cattle producers from Texas have built a robot to help with one of those mundane tasks on the ranch.
A Colorado company wanted to grow cacoa in Cameroon, but when the pandemic hit, they decided to become chocolate makers themselves.
The USDA is offering $714 million in grants and loans to connect rural Americans to affordable, high-speed internet.
Cam Dahl of Manitoba Pork says the ruling impacts producers outside of California, including other countries like Canada.
Mara and Patrick Tchenou live in Colorado but bought a farm in Cameroon to sell farm-to-table artisan chocolate.
There continues to be a lot of new biological products hitting the market for a variety of agricultural applications.
NewLeaf has now partnered with AMVAC GreenSolutions to offer BioWake a dry application seed lubricant that uses Terrasym technology.
The company is looking for pilot partners as they begin to commercialize their technology.
One of the biggest areas of need in food and agriculture security is reducing food waste.
Volatile weather conditions have highlighted the need for distributed food supply chains, including indoor agriculture.
The Supreme Court released its opinion on the Sackett v. EPA case, limiting the scope of the Clean Water Act.
The path toward robotic harvesters has been a long one, but companies like Ripe Robotics are making headway.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke at the ribbon cutting of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
Tule Technologies co-founder Tom Shapland says there is no substitute for on the ground evapotranspiration sensors.
With the recent hype of artificial intelligence in all facets of technology, how will it play a role in farming operations?
Alltech recently acquired a majority share of Agolin, which offers plant-based livestock nutrition solutions.
How can agtech companies bridge the gap between their ideas and the practical realities of farming?
Co-founder Curtis Garner and Gabe Sibely focus on technology that can directly impact a grower’s return on investment.
AGvisorPro, a platform focused on connecting people to agricultural answers, can also support mental health.
Labor is one of the topics farmers are bringing up during Farm Bill Listening sessions.
The annual nitrogen credit program enables farmers to increase profitability while reducing their environmental impact.
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives' CEO Chuck Conner says he’s concerned that labor shortages will hurt the ag economy.
The more efficiently crops take up nutrients, the better yield farmers get during harvest.
Cary Sifferath says the top ongoing trade challenge that they are dealing with is Mexico banning U.S. GMO white corn imports.
Veronica Nigh, Senior AFBF Economist, says the report shows the critical role agriculture plays in our economy.
With artificial intelligence at our fingertips, is human expertise and advice still necessary?
Helena Agri-Enterprises has developed a huge database of tissue samples in a variety of crops.
AGvisorPro is a platform bringing together producers, companies, and experts to solve the questions of the agriculture industry.
Decreasing labor costs in the produce industry is a top priority, and autonomous innovation is showing more and more promise.
Farmer Roy Pfaltzgrass says his wife had gluten sensitivity issues, so he started looking for good alternatives.
Don't let the lingering winter weather distract you from making your weed management plan.
The farm economic environment at the time a farm bill is written is a key driver to how congress approaches the legislation.
New FDA Food Traceability Rules will help identify the source of foodborne illness outbreaks more quickly.
VP of Innovation Vonnie Estes sees indoor farming as a good supplement to traditional produce growers.
Recent work stoppages and slowdowns at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, caught the attention of agriculture.
Technology has certainly changed our world over the past 75 years, and the dairy industry is no different.
Reducing labor costs is an obvious perk to autonomous innovation, but what about the other benefits?
Pyka, an autonomous electric aircraft company that specializes in spraying, says they started in the banana industry.
Consumers are more and more interested in seeing where and how their food is being grown.
The American Business Immigration Coalition held a press conference discussing immigration.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers awarded a Davidson Prizes to TerraClear during the 2023 Commodity Classic.
Farmland values have risen sharply in recent years but only in certain parts of the country.
Allan Robinette says one of the major benefits of being a retail-only operation is their planting flexibility.
The number of farm bankruptcies fell again in 2022 according to AFBF senior economist, Veronica Nigh.
After successfully developing a robotic harvester for strawberries, advanced.farm are looking at tree crops.
Robotic strawberry harvesters need to match the productivity of hand harvest without being tougher on the fruit.
Finding ag labor continues to be a pressing issue heavy on the minds of growers across the country.
Scientists are working to better understand the relationships between plants, inputs and the natural soil biome.
Growth in the biofuels industry offers multiple opportunities of demand for soybeans, says the United Soybean Board.
Chris Young, NACD Director of Government Affairs says maintaining investments in conservation programs is a top priority.
FBI Agent Byron Franz says protection starts with training employees to understand phishing, and multi-factor authentication.
Bulk fertilizer is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in food production
The agreement hopes to provide farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment.
While fertilizer prices are likely still higher than farmers prefer, the good news is prices are beginning to move lower.
Fourth-generation farmer Ben Moore understands the importance of building a solid relationship with your buyers.
The Ugly Company, a nationally recognized dried fruit brand which uses upcycled ingredients is expanding.
An incredible amount of investment goes into producing food, only for more than on third of it to ultimately be wasted.
With Inflation still high and interest rates on the rise, another issue businesses are finding is lack of workers.
There are many programs offering money for carbon sequestration, but is it profitable to make these changes?
Are carbon credits a viable source of income for farmers shifting to more regenerative practices?
There is no shortage of data on a farm, but the challenge of converting data into business decisions is much harder.
Mineral CEO Elliot Grant says machine learning models will usher in a new wave of farm data and insights.
Mineral recently spun out of X, Google's Moonshot factory, to organize farm data with human intuition and machine learning.
Technology that has been gaining traction in Europe over the past five year has made its way now to the U.S.
Estate planning is even more important for farmers as it decides the future of the farm, according to the AARP.
Determining what your farm assets are worth has traditionally been a burdensome and often expensive process.
Acres, a land evaluation tool, was created to make a more efficient market out of land acquisition.
Farmland investment platform AcreTrader couldn't find a good tool for farmland data analysis, so they built one.
Labor continues to be one of the biggest challenges for farmers, but the problems don’t end at harvest.
The new "Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule" will help detect fraud and protect the integrity of organic agriculture.
Speaking in Nebraska, AFBF president Zippy Duvall says the farm bill is a top priority for agriculture in 2023.
Pasturebird founder and Perdue Farms employee Paul Greive believes there is value in both small and big ag
Patrick Smith is exploring how data-driven business decisions could benefit his family’s hop and apple farm.
Despite tensions in the past, it is possible for farmers and environmentalists to work together collaboratively.
Producers are focusing on either maximizing productivity or adding value, says farmer Zack Smith.
The American Farm Bureau Federation announced an MOU with John Deere to differentiate between repair and modification of equipment.
There are a few factors that are making it attainable for robotics companies to commercialize on the farm.
Many farmers continue to battle drought conditions, according to the fourth American Farm Bureau Federation drought survey.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and 17 other organizations are challenging the new Waters of the U.S. Rule in a lawsuit.
Part of that reason that we don't see more farm robots yet might be the need to shift focus to smaller and lower cost machines.
The path toward viable robotic harvesters has been a long one, but companies like Australia-based Ripe Robotics are making headway.
The California Cotton and Climate Coalition wants to reduce the carbon footprint of the textile industry.
A collaboration hopes to make cotton production more economically-viable and sustainable in California.
Agriculture faces a handful of issues in 2023, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
AcreTrader's "sponsored farm offering" allows farmers to access investment capital via their online platform.
TFI doesn’t see the availability of inputs as a problem this year. Price, on the other hand, may be a different story.
AFBF and John Deere announced an MOU that ensures farmers’ and ranchers’ right to repair their own farm equipment.
NASDA CEO Ted McKinney is confident that the 2023 farm bill will have all the pieces needed to help both the ag industry and food-related federal programs.
Yield10 Bioscience CEO Oliver Peoples says camelina has the potential to produce polymers for PHA bioplastics.
Yield10 Biosciences is commercializing camelina, an oilseed that can be grown as a cash cover crop.
Technology used to detect soil pathogens can also be applied to assessing beneficial microbes as well.
Modern advancements in soil analytics enables farmers to test the presence of certain microscopic pests in their soil.
Changing habits of consumers and producers is difficult. Do Good Foods hopes to empower consumers without asking them to change.
Do Good Foods plans to expand their sustainable feed ingredient manufacturing to other metro areas.
Do Good Foods converts excess food from grocery stores into poultry feed to produce their own brand of sustainable meat.
Fertilizer is one of the most concentrated industries in the world and a major contributor to carbon emissions.
New technology requires only air, water, electricity and a reactor to produce nitrogen fertilizer.
Sound Agriculture CEO Adam Litle says he’s never seen ag embrace a product category quite this fast.
Products like SOURCE can help farmers who want to activate soil biology as they transition to regenerative practices.
To maximize production while minimizing inputs, Sound Ag is improving the interactions between plants and microbes.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is making significant investments in critical U.S. infrastructure.
Plant breeders are looking to a new tool to help farmers improve crop yield, efficiency and resilience.
Farmers are generally growing millions of dollars of crops for very thin margins, so risk management is of the utmost importance.
The company uses software to help farmers think about risk management decisions in a more data-driven way.
Part of ag's challenge is perception of the ideal farm being something from 100+ years ago.
Putting premiums on certain farming practices or conditions opens the door for food fraud.
The IRA does have a lot of money earmarked for climate-smart agriculture, but it doesn't provide R&D relief.
Agricultural productivity has benefitted from public investment into ag R&D, but the US is falling behind.
Consumers and some advocacy groups want more natural approaches to farming. But what is “natural farming”, anyway?
USDA projects 2022 calendar year net farm income up nearly $20 billion, or 13.8 percent from 2021.
In recent years, the number of cyberattacks targeting agricultural companies has surged.
As expenses are coming to an end this year, there are some major areas that are coming in over budget.
Often farm labor is referred to as unskilled, but April Clayton says that’s simply not the case.
Food companies that are looking for unusual ingredients often have to source these products outside of the country.
Fruit growers Mike and April Clayton say farm labor has been short every year for the past 15 years.
Kari Williams is a fruit grower in Colorado who says she doesn’t like to see anything on the farm go to waste.
President Joe Biden recently signed a National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture.
LandScan’s Dan Rooney wants to create the infrastructure that connects all of the disparate data sources.
Growers require a lot of labor, but they face a labor crisis in getting enough workers in the field and the packing houses.
The Farm Service Agency is rolling out a new loan assistance tool to help farmers understand programs and eligibility.
The next step toward farm sustainability, according to Syngenta, is to track and manage data for on-farm practices.
Greenlight Biosciences hopes to provide more help for farmers who struggle to control Colorado potato beetle.
To really maximize efficiency on every plant in a highly variable field requires some digital infrastructure
Despite economic concerns, there is still a lot of venture capital looking to be invested in agricultural startups.
The project is just one of many efforts funded by the soy checkoff to increase exports.
Leading agrifood investment and innovation platform SVG Ventures will be hosting the THRIVE Global Impact Summit on November 17th.
The company offers their biggest online shopping event for farmers looking to nail down 2023 crop plans.
High quality fruit might not be a fit for the fresh market, but will be ideal for consumers looking for frozen products.
Seal the Seasons started as a college business and now offers locally grown frozen fruit to most areas of the country.
Passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year, the bill now awaits movement in the Senate.
Truterra is dedicated to helping farmers get the necessary data to take advantage of sustainability programs.
For a more sustainable food system, there needs to be access to sustainable markets at the farmgate.
Election 2022 is an important time for U.S. agriculture and its many stakeholders to cast their votes.
A new report released at the World Dairy Expo highlights modern technology in the dairy industry.
Tractors have been trending below their 2021 sales levels, but combines have been showing healthy growth.
Entrepreneurs, developers, farmers, business owners and others will gather in Escondido, CA for an agtech hackathon.
New technology enables farmers to have a better understanding of when a biological input will help and when it won't.
Modern advancements in soil analytics enables farmers to test the presence of microscopic pests and diseases in their soil.
Blue Ocean Barns has a proprietary seaweed product that reduces cattle methane emissions.
BASF’s Curtis Rainbolt says it’s important to get a head start with your weed management.
Pattern Ag can give growers a look at their soil biology that they’ve never seen before.
Curtis Rainbolt of BASF talks about their Teraxxa F4 product, and how it can help with both weed competitiveness and yield.
Farmers can diversify their rotations if they have access to profitable markets for new crops.
If plant-based meat and dairy substitutes want to be truly sustainable, they’ll need to be produced and processed in North America.
Part of improving our food system and returning money back to farmers is expanding markets for every part of the crop.
HEMPALTA is creating processing capacity and consumer products from hemp stalks that have mostly gone to waste.
By 2024, Meixco has said that they would ban U.S. corn imports if it’s genetically modified or grown using glyphosate.
Gene editing is a collection of modern tools available to plant breeders that really change the game for crop development.
Plant breeding tools like genetic modification should be trusted says seed consultant Marcel Bruins.
The yield increases of recent decades have been more due to genetic improvements than agronomic improvements.
Dairy processor Organic Valley Cooperative received funds from the partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities.
The Department is awarding $502 million in loans and grants to provide high-speed internet access in 20 states.
Some customers of Livestock Water Recycling are finding new revenue streams from more sustainable practices.
This company wants to help livestock producers go lagoon-free and capture more value from their waste.
California Ag Solutions president Silas Rossow said he has been amazed by what one tree crop growers has been able to do.
Cover crops have soil benefits, but where are farmers supposed to get additional water for them?
The path from conventional agriculture toward regenerative is not the same for all farmers.
There is a lot of talk about regenerative agriculture these days, but what does it actually look like in practice?
Nitricity CEO Nico Pinkowski says farmers who utilize nitrates are a good fit for their new approach to fertilizer.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $400 million to provide regional food systems coordination.
The International Fertilizer Development Center in Muscle Shoals, Alabama has a rich history of fertilizer innovation.
Nitricity's lightning fertilizer reactor uses only air, water and renewable power to produce nitrogen fertilizer.
Why don’t companies get potential farmer customers involved earlier, maybe even as investors?
What can feral apple trees teach us about the potential for orchards to be more resilient?
Livestock risk management expert says inflation, taste and freshness are the factors that are on top of consumers' minds.
There is a little a farmer can do in drought conditions like we are seeing in many areas, but here are a few considerations.
Economics professor Dr. Ernie Goss analyzes the numbers from the Rural Mainstreet Index.
Data and technology are taking the financial world by storm, but will this fintech wave hit agriculture?
Research into little cherry virus is just one example of the need for these investments.
Institutional interest in farmland investment is spurring new agtech startups focused on these changes in farmland ownership.
Fintech is coming to the farm, but many agricultural business transactions are not easily replaced with technology.
"Demystifying Wholesale" is available on YouTube for farmers that want to sell products to the wholesale market.
Seventh generation farmer Claire Smith wanted a way to diversify away from just relying on commodity crops.
Food companies that are looking for unusual ingredients often have to source these products outside of the country.
Seventh generation family farmer Claire Smith is diversifying her operation to include ancient grains like teff and buckwheat.
Despite recent rainfall in certain parts of farm country, a good chunk of rural America is still dealing with drought.
California-based FieldIn wants to take specialty crop growers on a journey from digitization to autonomy.
In early March, the Canadian government imposed a 35 percent general tariff on nearly all Russian imports into Canada.
As high performing as the Holstein cow is today, there are ways to make the cow even more profitable.
The two ways vertical farming is being done currently, shipping containers or large industrial warehouses, both have limitations.
Ag entrepreneur Dan Houston sees opportunity in setting up vertical farms in vacant downtown commercial real estate.
AgriPlay is preparing to install a first-of-its kind vertical farm in the Calgary Tower in downtown Calgary, Alberta.
The U.S. Grains Council recently held its 62nd annual Board of Delegates Meeting in California.
Leaders from the U.S. sugar industry are meeting this week for the 37th annual International Sweetener Symposium.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitely recently led a trade mission to the Philippines.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is working on developing the American Farm Trail App.
California state senator Melissa Hurtado says officials need to upgrade their cyber-infrastructure to help protect the shrinking water supplies.
A father-son farming duo from Wisconsin recently built a 12-row interseeder to plant cover crops into standing corn.
The commission unanimously voted to reject duties on imports from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Unique varieties of apples that are well-suited for cider making are commanding a premium.
Cider makers are bringing the same amount of complexity and art to their craft as winemakers are known for.
Anuvia Plant Nutrients, a bio-based plant nutrient provider, will host Future of Fertilizer events this month and next.
Higher commodity prices, low interest rates, and global conflict have all been contributors to high farmland values.
Farming is a tough job, and taking some time to relax and recharge is hard to fit in the schedule.
Today, not all dairies are going to be as well-positioned for digesters depending on their size and location.
Indigo Ag’s Head of North American Carbon Commercial says that their pricing and participation are both on the rise.
New genetics in the dairy industry are opening up opportunities to produce beef animals.
Vertical farming has caught the attention of the investment community, but production is limited to mostly leafy greens.
As farmers and ranchers know, not all bugs are bad. Take for example the lowly dung beetle.
New biological solutions are emerging as alternatives to various chemicals that are used in food production.
New low cost sensors are giving livestock and poultry producers new insights into animal health and welfare.
Data is helping ag producers be more efficient, but it’s also helping in areas such as animal health and welfare.
Between land access and costs and expertise there are a lot of barriers to entry to getting into farming.
Understanding the role of adjuvants as a part of a well-rounded crop protection program is important.
Many consumers like the idea of buying local food, but the infrastructure to grow local food systems is lacking.
Natural nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphate stabilizing microbes can be leveraged for yield and plant health.
What should you consider before signing up to receive payments for farming practices that sequester carbon?
Recent trends in carbon markets and environmental commitments could be a catalyst for wider digital adoption.
As more and more digital tools make their way to the farm, new data layers bring insights and efficiencies to producers.
A large study found that genetically modified Bt corn has little impact on non-target insects and other organisms.
To meet environmental commitments, companies are engaging more with their agricultural supply chains.
Blue Ocean Barns has commercialized a feed amendment made from seaweed that can reduce meathane emissions by more than 80%.
One challenge to bringing digital tools to agriculture is combining all relevant data sets into one usable platform.
The disjointed nature of the food system makes it difficult to integrate data in the agriculture industry.
The USDA announced the details of a framework to transform the American food system to benefit consumers, producers, and rural communities.
"It's the system of record shared on the internet for people to manage the life cycle of milk" said Dairy.com's Scott Sexton.
Supply chain challenges have impacted nearly every industry, and agriculture is no different.
The Biden Administration formally launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework with 12 other countries.
Farmers, who have to assume the risk of adopting more sustainable practices, might be eligible for free funds.
What does the science tell us about the yield difference of soils that contain earthworms?
Earthworms can play an important role in making phosphorous in soil more bioavailable for crops.
Earthworms are both a sign of high quality soil and a contributor to improved fertility and structure
Why don’t agtech companies get potential farmer customers involved earlier, maybe even as investors?
Ag entrepreneur and podcaster Hannah Senior is researching funding models to bring new ag technologies to the market.
The whitepaper identifies 13 trends expected to shape food production over the next ten years.
Dairy farmers and breeders are always looking for ways to raise the bar when it comes to genetics and improvement.
Fungicides have become an increasingly important tool in the farmer's proverbial toolbox in recent years.
Patrick Smith wanted to bring more data expertise to his hops and apple farm. Now he's formed a consultancy to help other farms who want the same thing.
Patrick Smith assembled a team of data experts for his farm. Now they are a data consulting company for other farms and agribusinesses.
Seed company Benson Hill is building an integrated model that begins with the consumer in mind.
A new survey from Agoro Carbon Alliance reveals consumer insights on carbon farming and the role of farmers to mitigate climate change.
With weather patterns becoming seemingly more volatile, adaptability is key in new ranch technology
Virtual fencing can save money and time in moving rotational grazing paddocks, but will ranchers adopt it?
De-risking supply chains for retailers is one potential opportunity for vertical farms.
Areas of the world that want to bolster their domestic food production with minimal land see opportunity with vertical farms.
Despite the excitement around vertical farming in many circles, it’s a young industry that still faces a lot of challenges.
Unfold offers genetics and digital tools to vertical farms for leafy greens, and for the expansion into more fruiting crops.
Applications for the 2023 American Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge are open until April 29th.
Could technology allow smaller farmers to create more profitable value-added businesses?
Some farmers are exploring ways to grow grain in more of a closed-loop system by incorporating livestock.
The cost of farm consolidation is the toll it takes on rural economies. Farmer Zack Smith sees an opportunity for improvement.
What if the casual hallway conversations at ag shows was the entire point of an ag show? Oh, and it was on ice.
Gluten-free and allergen-free food ingredients are still in high demand from food companies and consumers.
Once we have connected animal facilities, there will be a base layer of data that can lead to further innovations.
A lot of the attention of agtech is focused on crops, but there are interesting animal technologies developing as well.
The livestock and poultry segments are incredibly productive, but there are still areas that could benefit from new tech.
A farm is a complex system and tech that focuses only on one data point won’t provide enough information for management decisions.
Ag tech that only tells farmers what happened in the past is not very helpful for forward-looking management decisions.
The Yield's crop-specific digital playbooks provide activity windows, risk assessments, and efficacy assessments.
A partnership between the Washington Tree Fruit Association, the WA department of agriculture and WSU hopes to empower farmworkers to be more effective supervisors.
The number one challenge of most farmers is labor. But solving this issue isn’t as simple as a new tool or technology.
Saskatchewan-based farmer Kristjan Hebert says he’d like better ways to tell him what’s going on beneath the soil surface.
Saskatchewan farmer Kristjan Hebert says he would like to see more collaboration to advance ag technologies.
Farmer and consultant Kristjan Hebert says that small changes that improve an operation by 5% can add up big in the end.
Kristjan Hebert is a farmer in Saskatchewan who has grown his operation from around 3,500 acres to nearly 30,000.
Ukko Agro says their pest and disease predictive analytics can help growers make more informed management decisions.
Healthy food starts with healthy soils says Lucent Biosciences chief product officer Jason McNamee.
To attract investors, Future Acres launched a crowdfunding campaign, bringing more attention to agricultural technology.
Future Acres CEO Suma Reddy said table grapes are a great first market for autonomous wheelbarrow-like robots.
Labor is the number one issue for a lot of farms, but robotics are still a long way from solving the problem.
Companies are looking for alternatives to plastic, especially for single-use items. Could agriculture be the answer?
The farm of the future will be influenced by what consumers want, and how they want to purchase those items.
When many people talk about sustainable agriculture, they are referring to practices. But what about outcomes?
The commodity markets have been hot, but farmers know they take the good with the bad when it comes to commodity cycles.
Food companies wanting to be transparent are starting to label the climate impact of the food. How will this impact farming?
Vertical farming might not be big by agricultural standards, but investments into these facilities are on the rise.
Vertical farming may not have a wide variety of crops that it can grow, but it does allow for new and unique varieties.
Today a growing number of consumers want additional attributes on top of that says Pasturebird founder Paul Greive.
Can pastured poultry be raised at a price point that is affordable and accessible to the average consumer?
By attracting growth-state companies, the IFPA hopes to bring innovative technologies to the fresh produce industry.
The International Fresh Produce Association has launched the Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator.
From very humble beginnings, Pasturebird has grown to become the largest pasture-raised chicken company in the nation.
Farmland has historically produced strong financial returns over the long term. Is that still true today?
Depending on the situation, it can be profitable to convert conventional land to organic.
Investors are adding value to farmland by converting to organic, adopting technology, and incorporating new rotations.
For technology to provide a return on investment it needs to help farmers make forward-looking decisions.
Growers should be focused on making decisions from digital tools, not trying to make all of the data work together.
Could farmers get paid based on conservation practices? If they the have the data to prove it.
In most cases, farmers don’t necessarily want new tools, they want solutions to real problems.
Yesterday was National Almond Day, and as bloom in California starts the process of growing 80% of the world's supply.
FarmRaise makes it easy to access to government incentives and to provide ongoing reporting.
FarmRaise allows farmers to check their eligibility and apply for financial incentives being offered from multiple groups.
New advancements in genetics may allow for better crops without actually changing the genome.
The next frontier might be epigenetics where the genome of the plant itself is not changed, but the expression is controlled.
The efficacy of many of the products on the market can vary wildly depending on the conditions of each individual field.
Minimize environmental impact and the costs associated with fertilizer by stimulating beneficial soil microbes.
While everyone who eats cares about what’s possible, farmers are the ones who have to deal with what’s practical.
Connecting those that want to buy regeneratively-grown ingredients with farmers who follow these practices is a challenge.
Billions have flowed into agtech startup, but these investments haven’t really amounted to changes to the food system.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
Crops can’t talk to farmers about their needs, but with the right instrumentation, they can communicate.
One of the challenges to agtech adoption is the lack of support for customers to actually implement the solution.
Bringing autonomous tractors and machinery onto the farm requires more than just buying the machines themselves.
Livestock and poultry can provide a lot of value to row crop producers. Now there is technology to help with management.
Farmers considering a transition to more regenerative practices have to consider the ramifications to their business.
For farmers, the move to regenerative practices like no till and cover crops is not as simple as just flipping a switch.
The simple question of 'when to irrigate' is not always as simple to answer as it may sound.
Although it’s the winter, it’s never too early for farmers to start thinking about what they’re going to face in the spring.
Food companies are utilizing technology to collect data on the actual carbon footprint of their products. What does this mean for farmers?
FarmSense is a recent example of a professor commercializing their own research. How do we encourage more of this?
FarmSense's technology counts live dyanamic insects and classifies them based on species, sex, and life stage.
Blue White Robotics will take any tractor, no matter the brand, and equip it with autonomous capabilities.
Harvest Returns is collateralizing cattle to help fund producers who want to grow their grass fed herds.
Small, low-power camera systems can provide early detection of insect pests without having to walk the field.
Semios, a leader in precision orchard management, is working to integrated the three companies they acquired last year.
Agriculture and aquaculture are both under similar pressures to regenerate the environment.
A crowdfunding platform for farmland started a few years ago has expanded to also include other agricultural opportunities.
A small minority of farmers are incorporating regenerative practices like cover crops, reduced tillage, and livestock.
The company creates a digital twin of every tree in an orchard to identify variability and opportunities for efficiency.
InnerPlant is recoding the DNA of commodity crops so that they signal when they are under stress.
Should farmers share their data? There are trade offs to consider when making that decision.
Can technology help improve our delicate supply chains the way that it's helped in finance?
Agtech investor Francisco Jardim says the outlook is bright for continued investment into agtech in 2022.
Robotic mummy removal rover can help save on labor costs to manage one of the almond industries most significant pests.
Tule helps growers keep on top of when, where, and how much to irrigate based on crop needs and environmental factors.
American entrepreneurs such as Hello Tractor’s Jehiel Oliver are finding opportunities in developing countries.
Pattern Ag provides information in the fall that can be used for pest and disease management the following growing season.
Stony Creek Colors is taking a seed to denim approach to developing a market and supply chain for natural indigo dye.
New startup seeks to disrupt the Haber-Bosch process to provide more sustainable sources of nitrogen for farmers.
The environmental nonprofit wants to support early stage agtech companies that can advance soil health.
Two of the largest farmer owned cooperatives announce a new ag capital fund aimed at investing in technology startups.
CHS and GROWMARK team up to form Cooperative Ventures, a new capital fund that will focus on creating advancements in breakthrough ag technologies.
Could the smart phone of the future evaluate nutrient density and inform farming practices?
How does it change the way food is grown if consumers are making food purchasing decisions based on nutrient density?
Some farmers and crop consultants are asking questions about what crops should really be planted and where.
Farmers look to agronomic advisors when they want extra advice or support, but what about something as important as water?
New ag technologies are popping up all of the time, but how many of them have really changed the way farmers operate?
California-based agronomist John Silvera was attracted to Agworld for its mapping capabilities, but the budgeting tool has been a game-changer.
Independent crop consultants have been around a long time, but their relevance is only growing with the amount of money they can save for farmer clients.
In some cases farmers need full field coverage of an application, in other cases it is variable. Either way, it must be efficient.
It may surprise many how close automation and robotics are to being economical even for smaller growers.
GUSS automation sells unmanned sprayers for orchards and vineyards, and use the machines in their custom spray business.
Will a project that has been successful on a local level be able to spread to dairies across the country?
The dairy industry is utilizing digesters to convert gases from manure into renewable fuel.
Calgren Renewable Fuels sells a renewable compressed natural gas that it sources from local dairies with on-farm digesters.
Digesters constructed on site at over a dozen dairies in Tulare county are reducing emissions and producing renewable fuel.
For agricultural machines to get smarter, they need to be trained, requiring a large data set of high quality images.
OpenWeedLocator is an open-source project to empower farmers to build their own see-and-spray units for around $400.
A new open source project aims to help farmers create their own low-cost site-specific weed control technology.
Precision agriculture technology is being adopted by food companies who want to know more about their supply chains.
Validating sustainable practices at the farm level is essential for passing economic incentives on to farmers.
New research may help farmers minimize costs and environmental impact while maximizing production efficiencies.
Not every tech for agriculture comes out of places like Silicon Valley. Some of the best ideas originate on the farm.
Farmers are solving their own problems by programming their own software, but they're not alone.
An open source community called AgOpenGPS has grown to thousands of people around the world.
Farmers have always found ways to solve their own problems, so why should digital agriculture be any different?
One of the criticisms of organic agriculture is that it doesn’t embrace modern technology. But is this true?
Integrating management strategies rather than picking one can be very helpful to finding what works best on your farm.
Certified organic farmers often have to utilize tillage to make up for the lack of chemical tools.
The Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN) connects farmers who want to learn from each other.
While markets fluctuate and there are some currently on the downswing, organic premiums generally have remained strong.
Technology allows us to farm more efficiently, but it also opens up new opportunities to connect directly with consumers.
Drone software and hardware are both evolving to reach practical applications like spraying.
Drones are used for spraying on small acreages, but can they meet the demands of large scale row crop agriculture?
Precision AI CEO Daniel McCann sees new possibilities for farmers with per-plant precision enabled by artificial intelligence.
California-based FieldIn offers software to help growers track, benchmark, and improve operations.
SomaDetect has an innovative approach to this by focusing on the milk itself of each individual cow as it is collected.
Most milk data is still collected from bulk sampling, says SomaDetect CEO Bethany Deshpande.