TechnologyArtsFoodBusiness

Agtech - So What?

Sarah Nolet

We tell the stories of innovators at the intersection of agriculture and technology to answer the question: what really is agtech and why should you care?

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21 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 38 min
English

Episodes 21

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#219
Wednesday · 41 min
Business model breakdowns: ag equipment dealer Titan Machinery, with Shane Thomas
Agricultural equipment dealers make money from much more than selling machinery, with parts, service and financing playing a critical role. This Business Model Breakdown explores the dealer model, using Titan Machinery as a case study, and asks how technology could reshape the dealer–farmer relationship. Companies: Titan Machinery • Topics: ag-retail, farm-machinery, business-model, agtech-ecosystem
#218
September 2 · 43 min
Are we thinking about trees on farms all wrong? with Michael Taylor
Sixth-generation farmer and engineer Michael Taylor shares what decades of planting trees have taught his family about agroforestry, and the complex systems at work on a farm. From sheltering livestock to natural capital and biodiversity, he explores why some of agriculture’s most valuable innovations reveal their benefits over time. Topics: agroforestry, natural-capital, biodiversity, climate-risk, agtech-ecosystem
#217
August 19 · 33 min
What if every plant was a sensor? with Gary Schaefer
What if crops could tell farmers they were sick before symptoms were visible? In this episode, Gary Schaefer from InnerPlant explains how plant-based sensors could transform crop monitoring, while sharing lessons on farmer adoption, commercializing agtech, and building the right strategic partnerships. Companies: InnerPlant • Topics: ag-data, ai, crops-horticulture, innovation
#216
August 5 · 43 min
Can tech make agriculture brands more authentic? with Jim Gall, RB Sellars
What does a workwear company have to teach the agtech sector? More than you might think, as Jim Gall explains why the future of agricultural innovation depends on combining technology with authentic storytelling, trusted supply chains and deep customer understanding. Companies: RB Sellars • Topics: marketing-brands, supply-chain, agtech-ecosystem, people-culture
#215
July 22 · 34 min
Why good agtech doesn't always get adopted, with Chad Godsey
Agronomist and precision agriculture consultant Chad Godsey shares why the future of agtech commercialization depends as much on farmer trust and evidence as it does on breakthrough science. From on-farm trials and hydrogels to startup growth and investment, this episode explores what it really takes for new technologies to achieve widespread adoption in agriculture. Companies: Green Evolution Technologies • Topics: ag-tech-adoption, ag-data, soil-health, farm-economics
#214
July 8 · 42 min
Why taste beats sustainability at the checkout, with food futurist Mike Lee
Food futurist Mike Lee explores why the future of food may depend less on sustainability messaging and more on creating products that are tastier, healthier, and more desirable for consumers. From soil health to AI, this episode examines how agtech and food innovation can drive change by aligning environmental outcomes with what people actually want to eat. Companies: Chobani, Alpha Food Labs, Bionutrient Food Association, Edacious • Topics: food-consumer, soil-health, food-systems, innovation
#213
June 24 · 42 min
Why soil health and profitability are deeply connected, with Nic Kentish
Nic Kentish shares the hard-earned lessons from decades in farming, from succession and debt to soil health and regenerative agriculture. The conversation explores why profitable farming depends on understanding whole systems and why technology only works when it genuinely helps farmers make better decisions. Companies: RCS • Topics: soil-health, farm-economics, regen-ag, crops-horticulture
#212
June 10 · 36 min
Can dairy’s waste stream power beef’s future? with Daniel Carson
This episode explores how Daniel Carson is turning dairy’s bobby calf problem into a new “young beef” production model aligned with global demand for lean protein. It examines the system-level barriers, from processing infrastructure to incentives, that must shift for this opportunity to scale. Companies: Miti • Topics: livestock-dairy, meat-protein, supply-chain, innovation
#211
May 27 · 47 min
Business model breakdowns: the Monsanto playbook, with Shane Thomas
This episode unpacks how Monsanto evolved from a chemical manufacturer into a dominant seeds and traits company by identifying and controlling key value points in agriculture. It explores how patents, regulation, supply chains, and narrative shaped its business model and what that means for future agtech, including data and AI. Companies: Monsanto, Bayer, Corteva • Topics: agtech-ecosystem, business-model, ag-data, ag-retail
#210
May 13 · 34 min
Can biomaterials compete on price, not just purpose? with Tina Funder
This episode explores how Tina Funder is building Alt Leather, an Australian startup, at the intersection of agriculture, biomaterials, and manufacturing. It unpacks the real environmental impacts of leather, and what it takes to align customer needs, investor expectations, and technical realities in a startup. Companies: Alt Leather • Topics: innovation, alt-materials, business-model, agtech-ecosystem
#209
April 29 · 33 min
Better outcomes, not lower costs: rethinking agtech in horticulture, with Mark Trzaskoma
Agtech adoption in horticulture isn’t about cutting costs, it’s about improving outcomes through continuous, data-driven decisions. In this episode, Mark Trzaskoma shares how a “test, measure, learn” approach is reshaping orchard systems, and why the biggest opportunity may lie beyond the farm gate in reconnecting producers with consumers. Companies: Battunga Orchards • Topics: crops-horticulture, ag-tech-adoption, labor, autonomy-robotics
#208
April 15 · 38 min
Business model breakdowns: co-ops and their future in ag, with Shane Thomas
Could agricultural cooperatives become the trusted guardians of farm data in the age of AI? This episode explores how the cooperative model might evolve from managing physical infrastructure to governing digital infrastructure, and the opportunities and tensions that come with that shift. Companies: Regen Farmers Mutual, CBH Group • Topics: ag-retail, business-model, ag-data, cooperatives
#207
April 1 · 32 min
Halter’s $2 billion question, with founder Craig Piggott
Halter has raised nearly $400 million in under a year, reaching a $2 billion valuation. The product is real, the traction is real… but the questions are real, too. This episode unpacks the Halter journey, with host Sarah Nolet sharing her honest perspective on what the raise actually means for agtech. Companies: Halter • Topics: livestock-dairy, venture-startups, autonomy-robotics, ag-data
#206
March 18 · 26 min
Australian agtech: what we got wrong and right, with Sam Duncan and Natalie Engel
Seven years after pitching at the first evokeAG, Sam Duncan (GXLab) and cattle producer, Natalie Engel reflect on what it really takes to build agtech. In this live episode, they share their experience of building an agtech startup and the evolution of the Australian agtech ecosystem. Companies: GXLab, FarmLab, Ziltek, Ceres Tag, Halter, AgriProve, Mobble, OptiWeigh • Topics: agtech-ecosystem, venture-startups, carbon-markets, ag-data
#205
March 4 · 51 min
Aligning corporates, startups and investors in agrifood, with Brad Fruth and Frank Wooten
Recorded live at evokeAG, this episode brings together Brad Fruth (Beck’s Hybrids) and Frank Wooten (ArkeaBio, Vence) to examine where agtech innovation succeeds and where it breaks down between farmers, corporates, and investors. They unpack corporate innovation models, the realities of fundraising and exits in agriculture, and why long-term customer value must anchor every growth strategy. Companies: Beck's Hybrids, ArkeaBio, Vence, Merck Animal Health • Topics: corporates, venture-startups,
#204
February 18 · 29 min
AI as a competitive farming advantage, with Paul Windemuller
First-generation dairy farmer Paul Windemuller shares how embracing automation, data, and AI helped him build a highly tech-enabled farm from scratch and gain a competitive edge despite limited experience and capital. Together with host Sarah Nolet, he explores what it really takes for farmers to become AI-ready, and the need for farmer-led governance models that keep value in rural communities. Topics: ai, ag-data, farm-economics, ag-tech-adoption
#203
February 4 · 39 min
Native grains and Indigenous-led food systems, with Jacob Birch
This episode asks what it would look like to design food systems led by Indigenous principles, rather than asking First Nations people to adapt to existing models. Jacob Birch shares his work reawakening Australia’s native grains industry and explains how Indigenous-led approaches can support biodiversity, food sovereignty, and self-determined economic development. Topics: food-systems, indigenous-knowledge, crops-horticulture, food-consumer
#202
January 21 · 41 min
The future of farming is autonomous, with Brett McMickell, Kubota
What does it take to move autonomous farming from concept to reality? Kubota CTO Brett McMickell shares lessons from space systems, agtech startups, and one of the world’s largest equipment manufacturers, offering a grounded view on scaling autonomy, partnering with OEMs, and solving real problems on-farm. Companies: Kubota • Topics: autonomy-robotics, farm-machinery, ai, ag-tech-adoption
#201
Dec 10, 2025 · 47 min
Making underwater forestry scalable and sustainable, with Andrew Morgan
This episode tells the story of Hydrowood, a pioneering natural-capital business salvaging submerged native timber in Tasmania, and the challenges of building a capital-intensive venture within environmental constraints. Guest host Adam Taylor speaks with co-founder Andrew Morgan about investment hurdles, machinery choices, crowdfunding pivots, and the future of sustainable forestry. Companies: Hydrowood • Topics: natural-capital, innovation, business-model, climate-risk
#200
Nov 26, 2025 · 32 min
Have we hit the tipping point for autonomy in ag? with Shane Thomas and Matthew Pryor
The episode explores how autonomous machinery in agriculture has rapidly shifted from experimental to commercially viable, with emerging sales channels, dealership involvement, and a maturing market structure in Australia. Sarah Nolet, Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas also unpack global autonomy trends and the evolving crop-protection landscape. Topics: autonomy-robotics, farm-machinery, ag-tech-adoption, ag-retail

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