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

USFRA Promotes Agricultural Sustainability at Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) is at the Sustainable Brands Conference in Detroit this week to showcase the sustainability of farmers and ranchers and unveil the first-ever Agriculture in America Sustainability Report.

The sustainability report builds on key insights from USFRA’s annual research that aims to identify and gain a clearer understanding of consumers’ perception of sustainability in U.S. food and agriculture. Through this research, findings conclude that consumers struggle to define sustainability. Moreover, the topic is best understood by consumers when farmers explain the tangible ways they are improving the water, soil, air and habitat on and around their farms.

USFRA is engaging attendees at the national event for brand leaders “who create environmental and social purpose to drive innovation” with the SMART Farm booth, allowing event goers to experience USFRA’s 360-degree videos highlighting how farmers use new technologies to enhance animal welfare, efficiency and sustainability.

Real smart farmers are also on hand to talk about modern food production. USFRA Chairman Brad Greenway of South Dakota and CommonGround volunteer Hilary Maricle of Nebraska, both crop and livestock farmers, are presenting at the conference about raising farm animals humanely, environmentally-sustainably, and profitably.

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Sustainability, USFRA

Moocall Text Alerts Connect Farmers to Their Animals

Lizzy Schultz

Emmet Savage was an Irish entrepreneur with business ventures in the areas of fashion importing and construction when he first got the idea for Moocall, a company that holds the power to revolutionize the challenges of calving season and bring a new form of smart farming technology to cattlemen all over the world. The creation and launch of Moocall sent Savage straight into the world of agribusiness where he decided to participate in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator Program. Savage sat down with our Jamie Johansen during ONE: Alltech Ideas Conference, where the final phase of the accelerator took place, to discuss his innovations and the ways his business has benefited from the resources provided by Alltech’s unique startup assistance program.

Moocall is a mobile device that attaches to a cow’s tail and has the potential to change the game for beef and dairy farmers during calving season. The device measures contractions on the onset of labor and uses advanced algorithmic technology to send a text message directly to farmers one hour before the calf is due to be born. Savage said the resources and expertise that were made available to him through his participation in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator has been instrumental in the growth and development of the company he has invested so much in.

“The Accelerator has been massive for Moocall as a business, and for me personally,” said Savage. “The program offered us tutoring, training, pitch coaching, and they’ve opened up a world of contacts to help spread Moocall around the world.”

Savage said Moocall has expanded to 38 countries around the world since it’s launch in January of 2015, and he is currently in late stage negotiations with four or five different countries that are interested in having Alltech sell Moocall products to their customers.

Listen to Jamie’s full interview with Emmet here:
Interview with Emmet Savage, Moocall

Download photos from the event here:
Alltech ONE17 Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Dairy, Technology

Simplicity and Mobility with AgriWebb

Kelly Marshall

The Pearse Lyons Accelerator program is a tremendous opportunity for a start-up company, says Kevin Baum, co-founder of AgriWebb. He and other members of the program were at the ONE: Alltech Ideas Conference this week to pitch their ideas in the final phase of their support training. For Baum that meant the chance to share about his digital farm management app designed for the red meat industry.

“AgriWebb is a simple app that farmers can use in the field, on the go, while they are doing their work and record things. Then we take that information- it’s cloud based- and then we can use it to create decision support tools and reports, as well as help people with their accreditation needs,” Baum said.

The app had to be simple and mobile, Baum notes, because no one wants to come home and input data on the computer after the day’s work is done. It’s also very visual and based on a farm map, with no nested drop down menus the first farm management software programs relied on. Instead producers enter the data from their mobile devices and then receive reports on everything from suggestions for optimizing grazing to a personalized calendar.

Learn more about AgriWebb in Jamie’s interview with Baum here: Interview with Kevin Baum, AgriWebb

2017 Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Apps, Beef

Ag Groups React to Trump’s Budget Proposal

Kelly Marshall

Despite Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s positive perspective, farm groups are reacting to Trump’s proposed 2018 budget in the opposite way. With more than $4 billion to be taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget, the Trump’s plan isn’t going over well with a whole host of ag organizations.

Several organizations point out the significance of such a cut in today’s economic climate. “Weakening crop insurance and making it more difficult for farmers to bounce back during tough times will jeopardize rural jobs and will find little support in rural America or on Capitol Hill,” say the Crop Insurers. “The rural economy is already suffering through a period of low prices and a multitude of spring weather disasters. Yet, the Administration’s budget proposal targets the primary tool farmers use to handle these risks.”

Agriculture has done its part to reduce the national debt repeatedly, reminds American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “The American Farm Bureau Federation and its members are concerned about the federal budget deficit. However, we also know that agriculture has done its fair share to help reduce the deficit. Going back to the early 1980s, agriculture often has been targeted to generate budget savings, from the reconciliation bills in the late 1980s and 1990s to farm bill reforms as recently as 2014.”

“Targeting the federal crop insurance program is extremely shortsighted,” the National Corn Growers Association said in a statement. “It is especially harmful during an extended period of low commodity prices. NCGA members consistently tell us that crop insurance is their most important risk management tool. This public-private partnership helps farmers manage their risk, and it saves taxpayers money in the long run by reducing reliance on ad hoc disaster assistance.”

“Thirty six percent is the most extreme proposed cut to crop insurance I’ve seen in my 40 years on the farm,” said Ron Moore, American Soybean Association President. “This is a program that exists to sustain farmers who suffer catastrophic losses. Coupled with the arbitrary caps the budget would impose on premium subsidies, it’s clear that this budget was written without input from farmers who would be severely affected.”

Cuts to conservation is also a sticking point for the groups. “We are very concerned that the president’s budget calls for privatizing conservation planning,” National Association of Conservation Districts President Brent Van Dyke said. “The need for conservation assistance is so immense across the country, it will take every dollar from both the public and the private sectors to get the job done.”

Ag Groups, Crop Insurance, Farm Bill