St. Louis-based Benson Hill has just closed a $150 million Series D funding round led by Wheatsheaf Group and GV (formerly Google Ventures) to scale its commercial operations and its platform food innovation engine CropOS™ across multiple food and ingredients markets. The company’s leading food innovation engine CropOS™ taps nature’s genetic diversity to develop and commercialize healthier and more sustainable …
C-Lock Awards Grants to Help Improve Livestock Production
C-Lock Inc. has announced the award recipients of their inaugural 2020 Research Equipment Grant program, designed to fund projects at institutions around the world that use C-Lock technology to help improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in animal agricultural production. C-Lock received 44 research proposals from 17 countries and the U.S. “We were thrilled with the quality and quantity of proposals …
Alltech ONE July Virtual Experience Session – Ag-Tech
This month the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience focuses on the topic of Ag-Tech. To preview the program I spoke with Robbie Walker, European Growth Officer at Alltech and CEO of KEENAN. Sessions include: The Ag-Tech Effect: Turning Ideas Into Reality; Tech for Tomorrow: Sustainable Ag-Tech; Farming the Future: The Alltech 2020 Ag-Tech Insights Report; Planet of Plenty Award Presentation; Accelerating …
THRIVE Innovation Series – USDA Innovation Imperative
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue joined SVG Ventures CEO John Hartnett today in a virtual (Zoom) fireside chat to discuss USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda and the current impact of coronavirus on American agriculture. The conversation is part of the THRIVE Innovation Series. This one focuses on USDA’s new Innovation Imperative and how it will shape the future of food …
ZimmCast 646 – The Alltech ONE Virtual Experience
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. This week’s program provides a wrap-up of the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience. This virtual experience took place throughout the week with daily keynote speakers and focus sessions and more. All of this was available on-demand and still is. In fact, you can still register and new content will be made available each month until …
USDA SECURE Rule Paves Way for Agricultural Innovation
The final rule updating and modernizing USDA’s biotechnology regulations under the Plant Protection Act was approved this week. The Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE) rule will bring USDA’s plant biotechnology regulations into the 21st century by removing duplicative and antiquated processes in order to facilitate the development and availability of these technologies through a transparent, consistent, science-based, and …
Benson Hill Contracts 30,000 Premium Soybean Acres
St. Louis-based crop improvement company Benson Hill has contracted 30,000 acres to advance its non-GMO soybean varieties through partnerships in the consumer food, animal feed and aquaculture markets. “The consumer food, animal feed and aquaculture markets are demanding innovation that improves the health and sustainability profile of their ingredients,” said Chris Wilkins, Chief Operating Officer of Benson Hill. “Our portfolio …
Alexa Lamm Receives Borlaug CAST Communication Award
Today the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) used Zoom to announced that the 2020 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Alexa Lamm, an Associate Professor of Science Communication at the University of Georgia. With a long list of accomplishments as a scientist, educator, and writer, Dr. Lamm is recognized nationally and internationally as an acclaimed research scholar. Colleagues …
Announcing the new AyrMesh® Hub2x2
While USDA is handing out grants and loans all over the country to help with rural broadband infrastructure you’ve got to work with what you have. If you’re on a farm or other type of rural property then I can personally recommend Ayrstone products. Ayrstone Productivity, headquartered in North Oaks, MN., just announced the availability of their AyrMesh Hub2X2. The …
Global Ag Innovation Program Launched
During the World Food Prize activities this week in Des Moines, America’s Cultivation Corridor™ announced the launch of the Cultivo Global Ag Innovation Program™ for startup companies and entrepreneurs. The new program will bring international start-ups to Iowa for a 10-day immersion experience, training and networking. “Iowa producers feed and fuel the world, making us the perfect host for the …