Agtech - So What?

Episode

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  Can Tech Make Agriculture Brands More Authentic? With Jim Gall 05.08.2026 43mnt

  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.
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  Why Good Agtech Doesn't Always Get Adopted, with Chad Godsey 22.07.2026 34mnt

  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.
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  The future of food is in taste, with futurist Mike Lee 08.07.2026 42mnt

  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.
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  Why soil health and profitability are deeply connected, with Nic Kentish 24.06.2026 42mnt

  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.
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  Can dairy’s waste stream power beef’s future? with Daniel Carson 10.06.2026 36mnt

  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.
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  Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas: The Monsanto Playbook 27.05.2026 47mnt

  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.
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  Can biomaterials compete on price, not just purpose? with Tina Funder 13.05.2026 34mnt

  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.
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  Better Outcomes, Not Lower Costs: rethinking agtech in horticulture, with Mark Trzaskoma 29.04.2026 33mnt

  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.
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  Business Model Breakdowns with Shane Thomas: Co-Ops and their future in Ag 15.04.2026 38mnt

  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.
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  Halter’s $2 billion question, with founder Craig Piggott 01.04.2026 32mnt

  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.
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  The Seven Year Itch: What We Got Wrong (and Right) in Australian Agtech, with Sam Duncan and Natalie Engel 18.03.2026 26mnt

  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.
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  The Innovation Sweet Spot: Aligning Corporates, Startups and Investors, with Brad Fruth and Frank Wooten 04.03.2026 51mnt

  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.
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  AI as a Competitive Farming Advantage, Paul Windemuller 18.02.2026 29mnt

  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.
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  Beyond Scale: Native Grains and Indigenous-Led Food Systems with Jacob Birch 04.02.2026 39mnt

  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.
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  The Future of Farming is Autonomous, with Brett McMickell of Kubota 21.01.2026 41mnt

  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.
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  Making underwater forestry scalable and sustainable, with Andrew Morgan of Hydrowood 10.12.2025 47mnt

  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.
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  Have we hit the tipping point for autonomy in ag? With Shane Thomas and Matthew Pryor 26.11.2025 32mnt

  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.
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  The Business Case for Electrifying Agriculture, with Cherry Grower Mike Casey 12.11.2025 44mnt

  Tech entrepreneur turned farmer, Mike Casey runs the world’s first fully electric farm in New Zealand, proving that electrification can cut costs and emissions while boosting profitability. In this episode, Mike and Sarah explore the economics, challenges, and opportunities of going electric on his cherry farm (and how easily it can be done in other contexts).
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  The realities of winding up an agtech app, with Nikki Davey 30.10.2025 45mnt

  What happens when an agtech startup with market pull, a clear mission, and global momentum still doesn’t make it? In this episode, founder Nikki Davey shares the story of Grown Not Flown, an app that connected local flower growers with customers, and discusses the challenges of scaling, founding teams and developing a global platform. Nikki also talks about how she's continuing the mission of creating a sustainable flower industry, in a different way.
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  Agtech trends: bundling, unbundling, LLMs and more with Shane Thomas and Matthew Pryor 15.10.2025 32mnt

  This episode explores the recent trend of 'unbundling' in agtech, where companies like Corteva and Farmers Business Network are separating their seed, crop protection arms of their business to create more focused operations. Sarah Nolet, Shane Thomas, and Matthew Pryor discuss the strategic and market implications of this shift, plus the role of AI and LLMs in agtech innovation.