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So you want to start a greenhouse but don’t know where to begin? According to Nick Long of Livic Civil, one of your first steps should be contacting a Civil Engineer. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAtech Nick and I discuss the importance of contacting a Site & Civil Engineer as early as possible to avoid headaches down the road, the crazy world of permitting, and how different the process can be depending on your state or region, and the importance of having a clear understanding of your timeline. (It may be longer than you think!)   

Daniel Wells and Glenn Loughridge are on a mission at Auburn University. Not only to empower students to learn about cultivation but to understand best practices when speaking to buyers such as chefs. Topics on this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include the power of local produce and its impact on flavor, the potential for culinary / CEA hubs as the future of local produce production and utility, and future predictions for controlled environment agriculture and beyond.   

Christopher Grallert is the president of Green City Growers and believes we must respect conventional farming and farmers, dispel myths about our food system, and work together not to keep reinventing the wheel or “inventing the whistle”. Topics include creating more circular economies within the food system, the power of local, safe food, and how we must constantly keep an open mind and be on guard to not downplay the complexities of the world we live in.

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing” -Dale Carnegie On this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Luis Trujillo, President of Hoogendoorn America. Topics include the power of user-friendly tools for the success of your CEA grow operation, making work fun and "like a video game" to attract the next generation of passionate talent, and tackling your greenhouse and vertical farming challenges to make your business truly profitable. 

In this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Alaric Overbey, Chief Farming Officer at GreenSideUp.FARM in Las Vegas. Using small-scale indoor farming & vertical farming systems, Alaric and his team are working to combat the food desert issue. Topics in our discussion include the importance of educating the community (teach a man to fish), the outdated stigma of what farming is and can be, serving food deserts by finding your community champion, and the power of grassroot movements to feed these communities. 

Gus Brennan is a graduate of Cornell University with extensive experience within multiple avenues of CEA, including OnePointOne (vertical farming), Holistic Industries (Indoor Farming Cannabis), and now Greenswell Growers (Greenhouse leafy greens) using a Green Automation grow system with assistance from Crop King. Through these experiences, Gus instills some knowledge about the power of automation in all areas of your operation, the importance of giving the grower "superpowers" vs. replacing them, key lessons learned and his thoughts on the future of Controlled Environment Agriculture. 

Is vertical farming the end all be all for controlled environment agriculture and crop production? The short answer: No. But IT IS another addition to the grower's toolbox. On this week's episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Thea-Isabella Otto, who works with the Association of Vertical Farming along with being a vertical farm research consultant. Thea has spent the last couple of years traveling to vertical farms across the globe, interviewing cea business operators for numerous research projects, and gaining an unbiased perspective about the collective industry.  

In this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Allison Driskill of Signify about her past experience running Blue Thumb Farms, which closed its doors in 2021. In this incredibly honest and brave conversation, Allison talks about the lessons she learned from her experience, changes she would of make in the planning stages of the business, and taking what she learned to now assist growers across the country each day at Signify.  I want to especially express my gratitude for Allison doing this recording with me.. The best way to move forward within CEA greenhouse vertical farming hydroponics etcothers' learn from other's experiences and adjust according. By putting yourself out there and talking about your personal wisdom, you have surely caused a butterfly effect. THANK YOU, Allison! 

We often speak about the challenges of operating a vertical farm but what about everything leading up to your first harvest? On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Mario Gatineau, CEO of Potager Farms about his journey leading him to start down the path of vertical farming, the challenges and lessons he experienced during the ongoing planning and construction phases, and what is on the horizon for his operation scheduled to open in 2023 using an IGS system.

"Large-scale organic hydroponics/aquaponics production is so easy!" said no one ever - On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Molly Stanek, VP of Growing & Operations at Superior Fresh all about their organic aquaponic production, some of the key challenges they've overcome and what the future of the CEA industry may look like.

Alex Tyink is the president of Fork Farms, and he believes anyone can be a farmer. With their vertical hydroponic technology, Fork Farms is transforming the way schools, businesses, healthcare facilities, nonprofits, and home users can grow healthy food year-round. Topics in this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include the power of community growth through indoor growing systems, the potential for farming and healthy food to improve mental health, and how recent lettuce price increases are improving the viability of indoor growing methods for institutions. 

On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Tobias Peggs, CEO at Square Roots indoor farms. With a unique partnership with Gordon Foods, Tobias and I discuss growing the business over the years, asking the question, is CEA vertical farming a bubble like the 2000 dotcom bust? and some key strategies to recession-proof your company as we prepare for a potential economic winter. 

Jennifer Waxman has been growing hydroponically for over 20 years and understands what it takes to grow quality produce. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech we talk about some of the critical issues the industry is facing, the importance of keeping the grower experts in the decision-making process, and what the future of the indoor farming industry may look like. 

Growing strawberries in a vertical farm is hard. How do you pollinate? Can you automate your facility with robotics? Can I start my strawberries from seed? Can I use my own cuttings? Alexandre Van Deun, Founder of Urban Harvest and I discuss these questions and many more in this strawberry themed episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech

Jacob Eisenberg is the Director of BioPharma Solutions at OnePointOne, a vertical farming technology company specializing in high tech aeroponic systems. On this epsiode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Jake and I discuss the power of vertical farming for medicine development, his global experience within vertical farms, and what to expect in the coming years within these industries. 

"Growing food hydroponically will save 99.999% water compared to conventional farming!" We've all heard this line, and while hydroponically growing greatly reduces water consumption compared to conventional farming, we must be on high alert to back up our claims with clear data. On this "water" episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech Kyle Lisabeth, VP of Horticulture at Silver Bullet and I discuss, you guessed it- water, the importance of accurate data and predictions for the future of CEA. 

Paul Brentlinger is the second generation owner of CropKing. Being raised in an environment where hydroponics was a constant, Paul has developed a clear, honest and insightful perspective on the current state of the CEA Industry, what to expect in the future and some fundamental lessons learned along the way.

Armando Suarez is one of the first graduates of the University of Arizona's CEA program. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Armando on a wealth of subjects within CEA and the lessons he's learned along the way. Topics include strawberry and cannabis production, tissue culture, the similarities between high-tech greenhouses and vertical farming, along with what the CEA industry may look like in the future.

Rebekah Moses is their VP of Impact Strategy at Iron Ox. With a background of over 5 years at Impossible Foods, Rebekah is helping define what impact looks like within the controlled environment agriculture industry and beyond. Topics on this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech include advice on your grow operations energy usage, potential strategies to reduce impact in the future, and how the vast number of ways to grow continually expands. 

David Farquhar is the CEO at Intelligent Growth Solutions Limited (IGS). With a mission to engineer sustainable solutions to enhance indoor environments across agricultural and commercial spaces, David is driven to not only assist CEA but growers from all arenas. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech David and I discuss hands-free growing, vertical farms assisting deglobalized supply chains and the potential future separation of tech vendors vs. Growers.