CropTalk

With a wealth of industry experience ranging from Gotham Greens to Vertical Future, Erin Livesey-Becks is dedicated to the future of CEA through her newly launched consultancy, Gist . On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Erin and I have an honest conversation about how we can collectively improve by staying true to our promises, setting realistic expectation, and leaning on proven experts...

Matt Lingard is the Senior Vice President of Agriculture and Science at BrightFarms. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Matt about some of the key challenges CEA leafy green growers are experiencing, his strategies for overcoming obstacles, and how we are in the business of people as much as we are in the business of plants. 

Craig Carlson is the CEO of Carlson Produce Consulting, where he is supporting the growth of high-performance products and services within the fresh produce supply chain. Craig has had extensive experience working with giants such as Walmart and US Foods, now with a consultative focus on large scale CEA endeavors. In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Craig and I discuss the importance of m...

Stephanie Cruz is the R&D Lead Crop Specialist at 80 Acres. From her initial aspirations of managing an independent organic farm to her newfound passion for data and technology, Stephanie is at the forefront of driving progress in maximizing value through her endeavors in experimenting with a diverse array of Cultivars. In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Stephanie and I discuss the value...

Andrew Brooks is the Business Development Manager for the Southeastern USA at Priva. A South Carolina native, Andrew is passionate about CEA and developing the southeast, one state at a time. In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Andrew and I discuss the separating factor that leads some states to be leading the CEA charge while others are slow to adopt, the collective challenges we face wi...

Elliott Kellne r is the Director of Commercial Innovation at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Elliott about the viability of using research institutions to prove the value of your technology, fertilizer, or substrate. Topics include the development of seed genetics to further the indoor horticulture space, the changing culture of CEA,...

Tyler Baras is the Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Area 2 Farms, a CSA vertical farm serving the greater D.C metro area. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech. Tyler sheds light on the secrets behind his farm's exceptional efficiency, shares his insights on recent industry closures within the vertical farming realm, and offers his predictions for the future landscape of Controlled E...

In this episode of #KyleTalksAgtech, I have the pleasure of chatting with Kris Nightengale, the VP of Sales at AdeptAg. We delve into the captivating story behind the company's origins, where a group of seasoned players in the horticulture field came together. Kris sheds light on the hidden complexities of the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, drawing a parallel to an iceberg with...

Chris Lange is the founder of Second Bloom Auctions, a platform that aims to provide used equipment from greenhouses and vertical farms to the CEA community. In this episode of CropTalk's #KyleTalksAgtech, we explore the inception of this platform and discuss how the sale of such equipment can contribute to the community's success and sustainability.

Get ready for an inspiring episode of CropTalk, where I continue my conversation with Chris Cerveny about the power of personal and professional resilience. In part two, we explore how a life-altering experience such as a house fire can change our perspectives and the importance of living a value-driven existence. Tune in to gain valuable insights and be motivated to overcome any obstacles in your...

With a wealth of experience at some of the industry's most prominent companies, including Scott's and Hawthorne, as well as expertise in vertical farming through his work at Fifth Season, Chris Cerveny is a true master of his craft. In the first installment of a special two-part episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Chris to discuss the challenges facing the CEA vertical farming indust...

The better we understand our current food system and how we got here, the better we can improve upon it, according to Everett Hendrixon of Tergo Consultants & Eco Supply. On this episode of CropTalk, Everett and I discuss the power of disruption through a nuanced understanding of the horticulture industry at various levels, Stories of conventional agriculture mistakes and lessons learned, and what...

Karla is working to bridge the gap between academia research and direct commercial grower implementation. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Karla Garcia, Founder and Director of Microgreens FLN & Technical Service Specialist at Hort Americas, all about the importance of cross-pollination between universities and commercial grow operations, how we can better collectively com...

So you want to start a greenhouse but don't know where to begin? According to Nick Long of Livic Civil, one of your first steps should be contacting a Civil Engineer. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAtech Nick and I discuss the importance of contacting a Site & Civil Engineer as early as possible to avoid headaches down the road, the crazy world of permitting, and how different the process c...

Daniel Wells and Glenn Loughridge are on a mission at Auburn University. Not only to empower students to learn about cultivation but to understand best practices when speaking to buyers such as chefs. Topics on this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include the power of local produce and its impact on flavor, the potential for culinary / CEA hubs as the future of local produce production and ut...

Christopher Grallert is the president of Green City Growers and believes we must respect conventional farming and farmers, dispel myths about our food system, and work together not to keep reinventing the wheel or "inventing the whistle". Topics include creating more circular economies within the food system, the power of local, safe food, and how we must constantly keep an open mind and be on gua...

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing" -Dale Carnegie On this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Luis Trujillo, President of Hoogendoorn America. Topics include the power of user-friendly tools for the success of your CEA grow operation, making work fun and "like a video game" to attract the next generation of passionate talent, and tackling your...

In this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Alaric Overbey, Chief Farming Officer at GreenSideUp. FARM in Las Vegas. Using small-scale indoor farming & vertical farming systems, Alaric and his team are working to combat the food desert issue. Topics in our discussion include the importance of educating the community (teach a man to fish), the outdated stigma of what farming is...

Gus Brennan is a graduate of Cornell University with extensive experience within multiple avenues of CEA, including OnePointOne (vertical farming), Holistic Industries (Indoor Farming Cannabis), and now Greenswell Growers (Greenhouse leafy greens) using a Green Automation grow system with assistance from Crop King. Through these experiences, Gus instills some knowledge about the power of automatio...

Is vertical farming the end all be all for controlled environment agriculture and crop production? The short answer: No. But IT IS another addition to the grower's toolbox. On this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Thea-Isabella Otto, who works with the Association of Vertical Farming along with being a vertical farm research consultant. Thea has spent the last couple of yea...

In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Allison Driskill of Signify about her past experience running Blue Thumb Farms, which closed its doors in 2021. In this incredibly honest and brave conversation, Allison talks about the lessons she learned from her experience, changes she would of make in the planning stages of the business, and taking what she learned to now assist growers...

Happy New Year! CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech has some exciting plans for 2023 and even more exciting guests on the roster. Starting the year off, I speak with Tim Reusch of DRAMM all about the ins and outs of successful water management and movement within a hydroponics CEA facility. Key topics include the challenges and solutions for excessive water discharge, pros and cons of reverse osmosis, and T...

We often speak about the challenges of operating a vertical farm but what about everything leading up to your first harvest? On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Mario Gatineau, CEO of Potager Farms about his journey leading him to start down the path of vertical farming, the challenges and lessons he experienced during the ongoing planning and construction phases, and what is...

"Large-scale organic hydroponics/aquaponics production is so easy!" said no one ever - On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Molly Stanek, VP of Growing & Operations at Superior Fresh all about their organic aquaponic production, some of the key challenges they've overcome and what the future of the CEA industry may look like.

Alex Tyink is the president of Fork Farms, and he believes anyone can be a farmer. With their vertical hydroponic technology, Fork Farms is transforming the way schools, businesses, healthcare facilities, nonprofits, and home users can grow healthy food year-round. Topics in this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include the power of community growth through indoor growing systems, the potentia...