SkySquirrel Leaps Ahead in Aerial Imaging

Kelly Marshall

When Richard van der Put looked at the potential for his drone company, SkySquirrel Technologies, he found a niche in vineyards, but he also found a niche with his software.

“What you see in the market is, obviously, drones are being utilized more and more by farmers, but all of our competitors are basically using the same technology on the imagining side,” van der Put explains. “They give a generic health product that can tell you a bit of information about whether you have a problem or not in the field, but its not specific to what problem that is.”

SkySquirrel’s program, developed by a team member at NASA, gives very specific disease detection information, helping growers better understand the issues. One farmer in Chile, for example, was able to correct a soil companion issue, earning him big returns.

Working with the Pearse Lyons Accelerator program at Alltech has been a big help to this start-up company, and to vineyards globally. “They have a very good view of how the process works,” van der Put says of their expertise in sales.

Listen to more about SkySquirrel Technologies in Jamie’s interview here: Interview with Richard van der Put, SkySquirrel Technologies

Alltech ONE17 Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Alltech, Audio

Season of 7 Billion Hot Dogs Begins

Jamie Johansen

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that Americans will eat 7 billion hot dogs during this year’s grilling season which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That’s 818 hot dogs per second and more than a third of the hot dogs eaten per year.

New research commissioned by the NHDSC and conducted online by Harris Poll finds that 72 percent of Americans say that the true ingredients of a hot dog are a mystery to them despite popularity and that ingredients are listed on package.

The same research found on average Americans estimate that a standard hot dog contains 210 calories, while 41 percent of Americans say that they do not know. While calories vary by brand, USDA says the average standard beef hot dog contains just 154 calories.

The NHDSC has developed several resources to help address these misperceptions. A recently released guide to hot dog ingredients allows people to search for the ingredients listed on a hot dog package and learn more about what those ingredients are and why they are used. A new hot dog and sausage nutrition guide will debut this summer and here’s a video showing the full process of how hot dogs are made.


AgWired Animal, Food

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • Swanson Russell announced five promotions of current employees: Claire Abelbeck was promoted to senior digital producer, Jack Christie was promoted to associate art director, Megan Woodard was promoted to associate user experience designer, Peter Worth was promoted to associate art designer, and Emma Hulsey was promoted to senior project manager.
  • Charleston|Orwig announced the promotions of Casey Hushon to Senior Account Supervisor in the client services group and Kelli Daly to Senior Art Director in the creative services group.
  • Tractor Supply Company has donated an $825,000 grant to provide resources to 14,000 4-H youth across the country following the company’s four leaf clover fundraiser this spring.
  • USDA is seeking applications for technical assistance and training grants in the Community Facilities program. Communities can use the grants to hire specialized personnel, pay for feasibility studies, retain consultants to prepare financial assistance applications and identify and plan for long-term community facilities needs.
  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced the selection of fourteen George Washington Carver (GWC) Interns for summer 2017. The program offers college students first-hand experience in both the public and private side of operating an international non-profit organization and increase their understanding of the international fight against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.2017 summer .
  • Porter Novelli (PN) announced that it has been named the public relations agency of record for the industry-funded agriculture promotion group, National Honey Board (NHB).
Zimfo Bytes

Lighting Up Poultry Production With LED Sensors

Lizzy Schultz

Steve Parsons has been a part of the chicken industry throughout his entire life, and his company, Greengage Lighting Ltd, is using LED systems to help poultry and swine farmers further improve the efficiency and productivity of their operations. Parsons sat down with Jamie Johansen during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, where he gave a presentation on his company through his participation in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator Program.

Greengage supplies an induction-powered system that makes LED lights and sensors for poultry and swine. It uses patented inductive technology, a magnetic conductive system that converts energy into LED lights on a wave spectrum that has been aligned to the requirements of a chicken.

“We try to replicate sunlight and give the birds the best natural behavior for performance and welfare,” said Parsons. “Lighting has been a bit of a forgotten requirement, the focus has been turned to food, water, and air, but sunlight offers so many benefits, so what we’re trying to do is take the natural phenomena of sunlight and drive that benefit into growing chickens.”

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Steve here:
Interview with Steve Parson, Greengage Lighting Ltd

Download photos from the event here:
Alltech ONE17 Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio

Agrilyst Fulfills Digital Need for Indoor Farming

Kelly Marshall

Two years ago Allison Kopf left her job of finding ways to be innovative in greenhouse spaces to start a company that would fill a gaping need she saw. While she could find many programs for outdoor crops, Agrilyst is a software program specifically created for indoor farming.

The software is very specific, Kopf explains. It can be difficult to control variables in an outdoor setting, but inside data about temperature and irrigation can be exact, and it can be replicated, meaning finding ideal circumstances using data points is a reality that is making a huge difference for their customers.

The Agrilyst software does three things. It’s an API so it can connect to hardware a grower may already have and sync with sensors already in play. It also offers a way to digitize paperwork that used be done by hand, such as when and where things are planted. Last, it can analyze data across the spectrum, making accessible and actionable reports a grower can see and learn from over time.

Although her product fills and empty niche, Kopf credits the Pearse Lyons Accelerator program she’s been a part of for the last three months with helping her get the product into the hands of customers. “The Pearse Lyons Accelerator has been phenomenal for us. In the last 100 days or so we’ve actually doubled our revenue. I think what they did a really good job at doing was choosing companies who were similarly staged, because what we could do was not only learn from Dr. Lyons and the team at Alltech, but also from each other.”

Learn more about Alltech’s Pearse Lyons program and the Agrilyst software in Jamie’s interview with Kopf here:Interview with Allison Kopf, Agrilyst

2017 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Alltech, Audio, data, specialty crops

Bee Losses are Down

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest report from the Bee Informed Partnership (BIP), in collaboration with the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is good news for beekeepers in their efforts to improve the health of their colonies in the United States.

An estimated 21.1% of colonies managed were lost over the 2016-2017 winter, representing an improvement of 5.8 percentage points compared to the previous winter and falling well below the 10-year average total winter loss rate of 28.4%. It’s the lowest winter loss rate since these surveys began.

“Beekeepers, farmers, businesses, and NGOs have made tremendous progress supporting honey bee health. These results show movement in the right direction, but more collaboration and broad-based strategies are needed to further reduce overwintering losses,” said Julie Shapiro, facilitator of the Honey Bee Health Coalition.

Dick Rogers, Principal Scientist and beekeeper for the Bayer Bee Care Program in North America, says this is great news for everyone who cares about bee health. “We are not out of the woods, but there is a reason for optimism, given the industry’s commitment to protect these vital pollinators,” said Rogers. Bayer is a member of the Honey Bee Health Coalition and supports efforts to improve pollinator health through a number of initiatives including Feed a Bee and Healthy Hives 2020.

Bayer, Bees, pollinators

Ag Outlook Forum Planned for Kansas City

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse Communications have joined together to present an Ag Outlook Forum on September 28th in Kansas City.

Those scheduled to appear at the event include Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (invited), John Deere Senior Vice President John Lagemann, and Kansas City Southern President & CEO Patrick Ottensmeyer.

“Kansas City has been growing as a regional hub for hundreds of agribusinesses and this is a great way to showcase some of our best and brightest,” says Agricultural Business Council chairman Cliff Becker of Farm Journal Media. “The event will build on the very successful inaugural session the group held in 2016.”

“We are pleased to partner with the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City to provide participants with a CEO-level perspective on the issues, opportunities, and challenges facing the agriculture industry,” said Sara Wyant, President, Agri-Pulse Communications.

The Ag Outlook Forum will be held at the offices of Stinson Leonard Street in downtown Kansas City, 1201 Walnut. The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will conclude with a networking reception at 5:00 p.m. Early bird registration is $95 for Agricultural Business Council members and $125 for non-members.

Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, John Deere

Feeding the World With Grasshopper Protein

Lizzy Schultz

When Dror Tamir founded Hargol Food Tech, he named it after the Hebrew word for grasshopper, and that isn’t a coincidence. The company, which develops solutions to combat global malnutrition and food insecurity, is pioneering the production and processing of grasshopper-based protein sources. Tamir sat down with our Jamie Johansen during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference to discuss his unique approach to achieving global food security and highlight the presentation he gave during the event as part of his involvement with the Pearse Lyons Accelerator Program.

Tamir explained that the vision for Hargol came to life upon learning that the global demand for protein is increasing rapidly, with estimates that the demand could double by 2050. Grasshoppers, he believes, can help meet the growing demand without the environmental and nutritional limitations facing the animal and plant-based protein sources that are common in traditional western diets.

“There is very high demand for alternative protein and grasshoppers are best suited to meet that demand,” said Tamir. “They provide an amazing nutritional profile with over 72% protein, a complete profile of essential amino acids, and no saturated fats.”

Finding a way to pitch grasshopper protein as an acceptable idea to skeptical western populations has been a major part of the company’s development. His solution only requires some simple food processing: Tamir plans to market a milled grasshopper protein powder. Grasshoppers are neutral in taste and flavor, allowing food companies to easily use the milled grasshopper protein as an additive to products like protein shakes, energy bars, pasta sauce, and even baked goods.

“This isn’t a new development by any means, this is a concept humans have utilized throughout history, and it is a concept that should resonate with supporters of the paleo diet,” said Tamir. “About half of the current world population consumes insects as part of their diet and grasshoppers are the most widely eaten insect in the world. They are in very high demand in South America, the Middle East, and Asia, what we are doing is pioneering the ability to grow them commercially.”

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Dror here:
Interview with Dror Tamir, Hargol Food Tech

Download photos from the event here:
Alltech ONE17 Photo Album

Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Food, Meat

Tevatronic Offers Cutting Edge in Irrigation

Kelly Marshall

Oleg Korol was a software engineer for the Israeli army when he simply tired of the work and decided to run Tevatronic instead. He looked at several companies before finding this technology that measures plant pressure on the soil to decide when to turn irrigation on, and water depth to decide when to turn it off. If we have autonomous cars it just makes sense that we’d have irrigation that can make these decisions as well, he states, and so his decision was made.

But bringing technology to market isn’t as simple as a good idea, which is why Korol has also experienced his fair share of start-up accelerator programs. “The Pearse Lyons program is different,” Korol quips. “I actually learned something.”

As part of the Pearse Lyons program Tevatronics also had the opportunity to present at the ONE: Alltech Ideas Conference this week. Karol spoke about traditional irrigation systems and how they differ from their product. “This is an infrastructure. It’s a good infrastructure. It does a lot of good for the plants, but you need to be able to make the decision correctly, and that’s the difficulty,” he emphasizes.

Learn more about this cutting edge technology in Jamie’s interview with Korol here: Interview with Oleg Korol, Tevatronic

2017 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Alltech, Audio, Irrigation, Technology

Alltech Young Scientists Compete at #ONE17

Kelly Marshall

*POST UPDATE*

Joshua C. Gukowsky

Two bright thinkers representing North America in the 12th annual Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) program in Louisville, Kentucky this week at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference have each won the world’s most prestigious agriscience competition for university students.

The global undergraduate winner was Joshua C. Gukowsky, who attends the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S. Gukowsky was offered a fully funded Ph.D. position and $5,000 USD. The global graduate winner was Jonas de Souza, who attends Michigan State University in the U.S. De Souza was offered a fully funded post-doctorate position and $10,000 USD.

Jonas de Souza

Gukowsky has just finished his undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and competed with his research project that explores detecting unsafe levels of antibiotics in food.  “It actually involves the use of gold nano particles,” Gukowsky explains.  “It sounds very fancy, but really they’re just tiny particles of gold and they change color in the presence of the antibiotics.  It’s very simple actually, and it’s very effective for detecting low concentrations of antibiotics and its a very innovative new method to ensure the safety of our foods.”

Jonas de Souza, originally from Brazil, is working on a PhD at Michigan State University. He has a passion for research and development and is using that drive to find the most productive ways to manipulate fatty acid for maximum efficiency in dairy cows in a way that offers tangible benefits to producers and consumers.  “My career goal is that I want my research to make a difference; I want my research to be applied and be feasible and accessible to everybody,” de Souza says.

Both agree that being part of the AYS program has been an amazing opportunity.  It has been a chance to meet other young scientists working on a variety of projects from a variety of places.  You can get stuck in your research, de Souza admits, but the conference has broadened his horizons and taught him he can do more than he thought with his research.

Listen to more from these bright young minds in Jamie Johansen’s full interviews here:
Interview with Joshua Gukowsky
Interview with Jonas de Souza

Alltech, Audio, Education