The Modern Acre

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE Small Robot Company's name is simple, but their vision is vast. Founders Ben Scott-Robinson and Sam Watson Jones talk about how their UK startup was formed and how they plan to execute their vision. The company is developing a three-robot autonomous system unlike anything seen in the tractor space. Ben and Sam share how they plan to go-to-market as "farming as a service" and how they work with farmers to communicate their value proposition. Tune in and let us know what you think! Connect with Small Robot Company Website | Twitter| Indigogo Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE This is a must-listen episode with HarvestPort CEO, Brian Dawson. Not only do we dive deep on Brian's latest venture with HarvestPort, but we also talk about the agtech industry landscape as a whole. Brian shares how HarvestPort originated and how it has continued to innovate through a hybrid marketing approach, while continuing to listen to its customers to evolve over time. Soak up all the insight you can from Brian in this episode- tune in! Connect with HarvestPort Website | Instagram Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE Henry Gordon-Smith is the Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture, an urban agriculture consulting company. Agritecture was started by Henry as a blog resource for all things urban agriculture news, business, and design. He shares about how he started his career in hydroponics and grew his blog into a successful consulting business. Henry gives his take on the current state of the industry, from industrial-scale, localized vertical farms to shipping container indoor farms. There is so much value in this episode whether you are interested in urban agriculture or you want to learn how to develop your network and influence to start a business. Don't miss this one! Connect with Agritecture Website | Instagram | Twitter Connect with Teens for Food Justice HERE Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE California Olive Ranch is the premier olive oil producer in America. We had the great opportunity to talk with Logan Jennings, the production operations manager at CA Olive Ranch, to discuss his journey with the company over the past several years. Logan entered the company as an entry-level employee and has gained responsibility while learning much of the full business operation. He now oversees the entire mill operation. Logan talks about the olive oil industry, CA Olive Ranch's focus on the customer, and why it's important to consolidate your product portfolio to maximize operational efficiency. Logan has a wealth of knowledge and he shared a ton of information that's too good not to miss! Tune in and let us know what you think! Connect with CA Olive Ranch Website | Twitter| Instagram Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE In this episode, we talk with Michael Mazourek, who is one of the founders and head breeder at Row 7 Seeds. Row 7 is completely rethinking seed development. Where most seed companies are focused on maximizing quality and yield, Row 7 is focused on maximizing different attributes: taste and flavor. Row 7 is developing seeds for new breeds of vegetables by working directly with chefs. Michael talks about his background in seed science and how his passion for the field ultimately led him to Row 7. We cover Row 7's innovative approach, working with growers and chefs directly, and how Row 7 is focused on building their brand online through their website and social media. Tons of good takeaways in this episode, tune in! Connect with Row 7 Seeds Website | Instagram Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE If you are just getting into farming or need some inspiration for thinking creatively in agriculture, this is the episode for you. Brad Squires joins us to talk about how he transitioned out of the tech industry, where he helped build an incredibly successful B2B software company, to how he is now jumping into agriculture. Although Brad is just starting out, he shares valuable insight into how he plans to maximize a relatively small farm into an Ag Experience, focusing on community involvement and agritourism. We discuss several go-to-market strategies that he is thinking through and much more. Tune in! Connect with Brad LinkedIn Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE If you've wanted to learn more about hydroponics and how the technology can fit into your business, this is the episode for you. We talk with Joe Swartz, Vice President of Sales with American Hydroponics, or AmHydro. He has over 30 years of hydroponics experience, originally converting his own farm to maximize the business. Joe shares important insight into what hydroponics is and what it isn't, how it compares to organic methods, and how to discern up and coming technology. We get into how AmHydro has innovated by building a solution oriented business and focusing on the success of their customers. Tune in to learn more about building a business around the proven method that can diversify farms: hydroponics! Connect with AmHydro Website | Instagram Connect with Joe Twitter Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE In this episode, we talk to Jay Hill, who grew his family's 10 acre hobby farm into a 17,000 acre farming operation today. Jay talks about his journey from a 16-year-old who knew he wanted to build the farm to how he has scaled the farm to multiple locations with a diverse crop portfolio. Jay has successfully leveraged social media to not only build brand awareness, but also to drive sales to his business. This is a must-listen! So much good info. Connect with Jay Twitter | Instagram Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

Join our Closed Facebook Group HERE Trent Meyer is the Executive Vice President of DOT Technology, which is reimagining the future of farming through autonomous technology. Trent shares the story of how he unknowingly ended up working for the top-secret project under the vision and leadership of DOT's founder, Norbert Beaujot. Trent discusses DOT's innovative business model that acts as base infrastructure technology to broader autonomous applications and how the team at DOT has been strategic about their marketing approach. We discuss how autonomous technology can disrupt agriculture, while leveraging increasingly available and competitively priced technology. Trent is focused on how DOT is providing value to farmers and how the "next big thing" in agriculture may not be where people expect it to come from. We are really excited for our first episode focused on the equipment aspect of agriculture - autonomous equipment no less! Connect with DOT Website | Instagram Donate to Saskatchewan Special Olympics HERE Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter

In this episode, we talk with Casey Cox, a 6th-generation farmer from Georgia (yes, 6th!). Casey decided to come back to the family peanut, sweet corn, and timber farm after going away to college and discusses the challenges she's faced as well as her early successes. Casey is incredibly involved in water conservation efforts and shares how she is pushing for innovation, both in the policy sector and investing in technology to improve irrigation. We also dive into her appearance on the Netflix series "Rotten" where she discussed her perspective on the peanut industry. Tune in to find out how it went! Connect with Casey Website | Instagram Connect with The Modern Acre Website| Instagram| Twitter