Future Farmer March/April 2021

Future Farmer MARCH/APRIL 2021

COMPLIMENTARY

On The Move With Plug And Play The agtech accelerator welcomes 13 new startups in the fields of precision farming, supply chain, livestock, big data analytics and more.

.

CONTENTS Sponsored Content: LG Seeds ........................................ 12 Sponsored Content: Steffes Group................................ 18 Sponsored Content: North Dakota Farm Bureau ... 20

30

24

13 NEW STARTUPS JOIN THE PLUG AND PLAY TECH CENTER 26 ATMONIA 28 LR ANALYTICS

REVOLUTIONIZING AG TECH

30 PROAGNI 32 FICOSTERRA 34 IZ AGRO 36 BIOPONICS 38 EARTHSCOUT

54

42 GRAIN DISCOVERY 44 KATANA INTELLIGENCE 46 CARBONSPACE 51 PLUTONBIO 54 AGROLOGY

51

56 ATHENA INTELLIGENCE

EMERGING PRAIRIE

74

64

BLOCKCHAIN AG

69

TIPS TO TRANSITIONING THE FAMILY FARM

74

GRAND FARM SUMMER EVENT SCHEDULE

LIKE OUR CONTENT? Check out our website at futurefarmermag.com 6

MARCH/APRIL 2021

MEET THE TEAM

MIKE

NOLAN

KIM

BRADY

CHRISTY

NICK

KELLEN

TOMMY

JENNY

COLLEEN

PAUL

CASSIE

EMMA

BRADY

CORA

JOSIAH

JEREMY

BEN

AL

Learn more about us at SpotlightMediaFargo.com JOHN

8

MARCH/APRIL 2021

March/April 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Future Farmer Future Farmer is published 6 times a year and is direct mailed to farmers throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Find us online at Futurefarmermag.com.

Publisher EDITORIAL Editorial Team Lead

Mike Dragosavich Drago@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Nolan P. Schmidt

Graphic Designer

Kim Cowles

Creative Strategist

Josiah Kopp

Contributors INTERACTIVE Business Development Manager Digital Marketing Lead Videographers Executive Sales Assistant Graphic Designer ADVERTISING VP of Business Development Sales Representative Senior Leader of Digital Solutions Client Relations Client Relations Manager Client Relations Strategist Marketing Designer ADMINISTRATION VP of Human Resources Account Strategist DISTRIBUTION Delivery

Andrew Jason

Nick Schommer NickSchommer@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Emma Bonnet Tommy Uhlir Kellen Feeney Ben Buchanan

Paul Hoefer Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Al Anderson Brady Sprague ClientRelations@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Jenny Johnson Cora Sather Christy German

Colleen Dreyer Cassie Wiste John Stuber

Future Farmer is published by Spotlight LLC, Copyright 2021 Future Farmer. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Future Farmer, and Spotlight LLC, is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on such information. Spotlight LLC, accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

Spotlight LLC 15 Broadway N, Suite 500 Fargo, ND 58102 Info@SpotlightMediaFargo.com ADVERTISING: 701-478-SPOT (7768)

EDITORIAL NOTE

The Future Is Now F

or the first time in my adult life,

Big data analytics.

I feel old and in the way.

Precision farming.

Why? Because for the first time as an adult, I felt uneducated. As is

Supply chain.

customary now, we put together this issue with Emerging Prairie

Agrifintech.

to highlight the 14 new startups in the Plug And Play program.

Now, I'll never ascribe to being the

Usually, this is a great opportunity

smartest man in the room, but

for me and our readers to learn

words like this left me scrambling

more about very high-end agtech

for a Google search. I will also

services, offerings and tools.

never admit to being a genius in the world of agriculture either,

I have always felt that agtech is

but these are disciplines I never

the way of the future. However,

even knew existed before learning

I never thought there would be

about these startups.

a moment where I felt like I was

10

MARCH/APRIL 2021

behind the times. I am only 27,

That is what we want to do with

how can I already be feeling this

this particular edition of this

old? When I read the "topics" or

magazine. We want to educate.

focus areas for these 14 startups, I

Not to the point where you feel

was taken aback.

behind the times like me, but to

the point where you can use this information for the future.

Like I said before, agtech is the future of this sector. The more we can learn now, the better off we will be as months and years go by.

With that knowledge, we will have the opportunity to truly change our world. These 13 startups are trying to change the world of agriculture right now.

Nolan Schmidt

FROM THE FIELD

brought to you by LG Seeds Because your business is more than a farm, LG Seeds is dedicated to being more than a seed company. In a unique approach to the industry, LG Seeds works intimately with a network of regional STAR Partner dealers. By bringing about this team approach, they are able to serve farmers with their leading genetics but also “feet on the ground” expertise.

It’s not enough to provide farmers with leading-edge research and genetic hybrids, the LG Seeds team is dedicated to personalized results. To achieve this, the company enlists STAR Partner dealers. These STAR Partners work closely with the sales team and agronomists, receiving marketing and business support to aid their regional clients. STAR Partners are equipped with the resources to maximize success for farmers. Including a strong agronomic expertise, in-field support, digital ag platforms and regular training on the latest genetics and technologies.

To better understand what LG Seeds provides and how STAR Partners operate, we spoke with Jerred Copp, an LG Seed STAR Partner. Copp, a Minnesota LG Seeds STAR Partners shared what makes him feel like a valuable part of the company’s mission and why they do what they do.

WE MEAN BUSINESS. LG SEEDS 1122 E 169th St Westfield, IN 46074

WeMeanBusiness@LGSEEDS 800.544.6310

LGSEEDS.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/LGSEEDS

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

Jerred Copp STAR Partner Warren, MN

A

sh Grove Ag is a family-owned LG Seeds STAR Partner in Warren, Minnesota.

Jerred Copp, owner of Ash Grove Ag comes from four generations of farmers, and is dedicated to helping farmers grow premium seed, provide unmatched customer service and being a staple supplier for all growers.

top-quality seed, and excellent customer service.

Copp, 40, was born and raised in Warren, Minn., and grew up on the family farm, assisting his father John. Together, they did custom combining for 13 years before son Jerred pursued Ag Business Management at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Copp later worked for an agronomist for nine years, gaining more experience in the world of agriculture and later ventured into the world of ag business sales. His love for farming, community and the seed business led Copp to start Ash Grove Ag in 2015, a family-owned LG Seeds supplier right in his hometown of Warren, Minn. Today, Ash Grove Ag is a family-owned team of four, continuing to build a reputation for

Being a good salesperson is important to building a relationship with farmers and earning their trust, especially when it comes to choosing the right seed.

"Customer service is number one–that's what I've always strived for," says Copp. "If we don't have customer service, we don't have anything." Although Ash Grove Ag has only been around for six years, they are growing rapidly each year, and a large part of that success is attributed to earning the farmer's trust and building upon that foundation.

Copp loves working with the farmers each day. "I love sitting down [with the farmers], putting a plan together, and watching that plan come together," says Copp. "That's why I started the business; I like to see what LG Seeds crops have to offer."

To Copp, some of those attributes of being a good salesperson include sitting

down with the customer, building that relationship and talking with them all throughout the growing season, not just during sales time in the spring.

When it comes to growers, Copp believes LG Seeds has superior quality as well as the right tools for placing crops on the best acres for maximum return. Some of Copp's favorites are the Mix Matters Tool™ and Mix Maker™ hybrids from LG Seeds.

These tools help Copp strategize with the farmers, learn more about their needs and helping them choose the best seed varieties for their acres.

"We run 24 hours a day with the farmers just to keep up and get them ahead," says Copp. His dedication to keeping farmers supplied and receiving the very best of customer service is Copp's number-one priority.

And Copp's hard work in management doesn't go unnoticed; Ash Grove Ag has built a reputation for great customer

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

service, and it's not uncommon for Copp to receive notes and slips from farmers saying 'thanks for keeping us going!' and other expressions of gratitude. Copp and his team at Ash Grove Ag pride themselves in upholding that great customer service, and continuing to deliver that for years to come.

Every farmer and grower wants great seed and a reliable product to use, and LG Seeds is no exception. Not only is Copp amazed with the quality and genetics of LG Seeds, he is also impressed with the support LG Seeds provides. "They're great people to work with," says Copp. "They sit down and work with you...I consider them hometown people."

The more you learn about LG Seeds, the more you'll realize this is a common trend–

their teams have built a solid reputation for having amazing customer support, being personable and having great research and data to back it up. "I consider [LG Seeds] to have some of the best corn genetics in the industry," says Copp.

During this time last year in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly across the globe. Businesses everywhere were being affected and needed to quickly learn and implement new ways to adapt to the 'new normal.' For Copp, however, sales were not negatively affected, and the family-owned Ash Grove Ag adapted to the changes extremely well. "We adapted to [the pandemic] really well," says Copp. "We just made more phone calls, and sales just took longer in general, but it didn't hurt us at all."

Despite a dry start to the 2021 spring season, Copp has high hopes for growers and crops this year, and with reliable products like LG Seeds, farmers can be optimistic about the coming year. In addition, Copp wants growers to know that no matter what the year brings, Ash Grove Ag will be with you every step of the way.

In his free time, Copp enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his wife Tara and two children Ryker and Tynley, who also help out with the family business. Copp and Ash Grove Ag wishes all growers out there a happy and safe growing season.

Technical Team Agronomist

Area Agronomy Manager

Marketing Coordinator

Product & Agronomy Services Manager

Marketing Team

Marketing Manager

Site Manager

Business Lead

Dealer Development Lead Customer Care Specialist

Sales Account Manager Team

Area Sales Manager

Teaming Up For Success Every LG Seeds STAR Partner dealer has a team of experts backing them up.

Whether its agronomy support, marketing ideas or business advice, the LG Seeds team exists to support the business success of STAR Partners - who stand at the center of the team. Bottom line - it’s all about helping growers yield bigger, better results.

Business Manager

Team 27 Jerred Copp's Team Daniel Grefsrud - Sales Account Manager Mark Benson - Sales Account Manager Zachery Bohn - Sales Account Manager Tim Beninga – Technical Team Agronomist Sherie Doering – Customer Care Specialist Michelle Frost – Marketing Coordinator

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

Using the Mix Matters Tool Mix Matters is all about planning for results and growing your bottom line when that plan pays off.

The Mix Matters approach puts LG Seeds’ research, innovation and hybrid expertise to work for your farm, so you can make the most of your entire farm, not just your highest performing fields.

LG Seeds offers the custom Mix Matters Tool, combining science and technology to determine the right product for every field and the right mix for every farm. The program uses location-driven information (such as crop history, topography and historic weather trends) to understand your environment and then combine that data with your insights. The result?

Creation of custom hybrid recommendations. By using the Mix Matters Tool to create a field-by-field plan, you can be sure that every hybrid is placed on the field where it’s most likely to succeed. That way, you can be confident you’re getting the most out of your inputs.

To take advantage of this tool, visit

www.mixmatterstool.com and follow these steps:

1.

Log in or make an an account. You can use the web interface or download "Mix Matters Tool" from the app store.

the program, let the LG Seeds team know 2. Within about your farm. Use your local averages or provide more detail for better recommendations.

3. Identify which of your fields you want to plan for. the tool to identify unique hybrid 4. Use suggestions, especially for you. Combine LG Seeds' science with your experience to create a custom hybrid strategy, without all the tedious analysis.

Want to learn more? Head to LGSeeds.com/MixMatters to learn why #MixMatters.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Why 2021 Is Predicted to Be A Great Year To Sell Farmland

18

MARCH/APRIL 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

Derived from our knowledge and expertise, we know 2021 is a great year to sell farmland. As was predicted in the Steffes Group 2020 Spring Auction Catalog, prices on farmland remained rock solid throughout 2020 and we continue to see robust demand and strength in the new year. Demand, interest, and bidder registrations skyrocketed on farmland auctions starting in August 2020. This trend has continued with many more registered bidders than anticipated and was reflected during a recent auction of 732± acres in Walsh County, ND which saw 44 registered bidders.

Late 2020 Brought Us a Fourth Indicator

The Three Industry Indicators We Rely On

However, an unpredicted fourth factor emerged late in 2020. Many producers and agribusinesses took advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program in addition to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). USDA now reports government payments will account for 35% of net cash farm income in 2020. This fourth factor, paired with an unexpected rally in commodity prices, record low interest rates, and average to above-average yields throughout the Midwest, propelled farmland auctions into a strong fall market which has continued into 2021.

Prices attained at auction sales have reflected this uptick in demand with some tracts of farmland collecting at or well above record prices. “Commodity prices, interest rates, and local yields are the three leading indicators we believe most closely influences farmland and other farm assets. All three have been favorable lately,” says Max Steffes, Site Leader.

“For investors, land is a safe investment and wonderful hedge against inflation.

For farmers, it is safe, familiar, and part of their livelihood. So, when it becomes available, they are taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase” says Max. In 2020, Steffes Group has seen nearly 4,500 acres of farmland that has changed hands.

Predictors That Auction Teams See The auction method of marketing is a cash today environment. It is the ultimate expression of the free enterprise system in which auction companies are often the first to see the ups and downs, since the market cycles that we see today are what is published 3-6 months from now. Auction companies have the best in-the-moment snapshot view of what the market is doing and can offer the best predictors for what is to come in the next season.

For more insight into what’s on the market today, or if you’re interested in seeing what your land is worth, contact a local representative near you at steffesgroup.com.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

19

SPONSORED CONTENT

EXPANDING HORIZONS An agronomist by day and a farmer by night, Paul Subart credits North Dakota Farm Bureau for providing him opportunities to help his family and the state of North Dakota.

WITH NORTH DAKOTA FARM BUREAU

aul Subart is a man who has his priorities straight.

An agronomist by day and a farmer by night, Subart puts in hours upon hours in the field and on the road. Why? So his family can live happily and comfortably near Robinson, North Dakota.

Agriculture has always been in Subart's life, too. His family farm is the crown jewel of the Subart bunch and has been for generations. Subart's dad was the one who originally introduced him to North Dakota Farm Bureau. At a young age, Subart was whisked away to NDFB's annual conventions and meetings. It was this exposure to the organization at a young age that motivated Subart to be involved in NDFB for years to

20

MARCH/APRIL 2021

come. Currently, he serves on NDFB's Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

"My parents were involved in Farm Bureau and so I kind of grew up going to these conferences when we were really little," Subart said. The young farmer says that guided him to take on special roles within his local chapter. "I started being sent by our county Farm Bureau board to participate as a delegate for annual meetings and working with policy. That is when I truly started to enjoy being involved. I very much enjoyed working with the policy side of things. I've been our county's president for the last two years, which has been rewarding in its own way."

Subart attended North Dakota State and achieved a degree in crop and weed science.

Agronomy was not necessarily in the cards

for Subart, initially. He had planned on farming, but agronomy became a necessary step for Subart and his family.

"I didn't necessarily plan on being a full-time agronomist when I first picked the crop and weed science for my major. I ended up coming out and getting a job at Elite Ag Solutions in Dawson and I found that I really enjoyed it. I've stuck with that now and kind of run the day-to-day there," he said.

"What I found is that farming makes me a much better agronomist. I think that has been really important for me to understand the financials that go into an operation like this. I would have had some of that anyway from growing up farming. Having skin in the game makes me a better agronomist. I do enjoy farming, don't get me wrong, but the agronomy sometimes repairs my farming habits too."

SPONSORED CONTENT

Paul Subart (left) with wife Rachel and son Harrison.

TWO PINES PHOTOGRAPHY

Part of the reason for Subart's two full-time jobs is the opportunity to diversify his family's income. Subart learned the importance of diversifying thanks to resources from NDFB. He learned that agriculture has its ups and downs, but having multiple sources of income can help brunt the blow when the unexpected occurs.

a really hard year for all farmers. It was an incredibly wet year and it felt like the fall was endless. It was good to take a break for a few days and go to the NDFB conference and find out that everybody else is in the same boat that you are. It can be isolating for people out on their farms, not really knowing what others go through," Subart said.

"Our family farm is not big enough to support two full-time families much less three with my younger brothers. Coming out of college, knowing that I had a job and that the farm would support our income, it was a pretty easy decision to make," Subart said about remaining close to home and diversifying his income.

"The second thing I have always liked is the policy side of things. I do enjoy the impact that NDFB has on the North Dakota legislature proceedings and the regulations that come out to the state ag department.

I think we do have a positive impact on farmers and ranchers due to our annual convention and our policy debates."

On top of his agronomy business and farming, Subart is also in the North Dakota National Guard where he is a 10-year veteran. Paul's wife Rachel also works in Bismarck. He credits her with helping the family bring in different revenue streams.

Both are members of NDFB and find their experience invaluable to their everyday life.

Subart believes those policy discussions are vital to the future of NDFB and North Dakota agriculture as a whole. Ongoing conversations about diversifying assets and income for young farmers and ranchers are also important. Subart believes this to be a key cog in the future.

"My wife has been fantastic and has really helped me in a lot of ways in this. Her fulltime job is good for us as well because we couldn't do it without her," he said. "Farm Bureau has been a good thing for us in the long run. We've just enjoyed our time there and have enjoyed the opportunities it's given us."

Subart says some of the most important things he has learned from NDFB comes not from annual conferences or meetings.

The most important lessons have come when members have downtime at those conferences and meetings. For Subart, that is part of the magic of being a member of NDFB. "One of the things I think that gets overlooked is the downtime at conferences when you get to talk to other people from around the state. The networking that is involved is so important for me. 2019 was

"I do believe that diversification of revenue streams is not only good for a family operation, but it's also good for state and local communities every day. We employ a couple of people here and we put a lot of money back into the community. What NDFB has been able to do is help encourage young farmers to find different sources of revenue.

Looking back now, Subart has a few pieces of advice for the future farmer. Based on lessons he has learned in life and through NDFB, Subart offers a slice of important farm advice for the next generation of farmers.

"Find a job that pays for health insurance and pays for your family's cost of living. The farm can be separate. At the end of the day, you're farming to keep your family fed, right? There are bad times in agriculture and we've had several of them in the last couple of years here," he said. "You should have a source of revenue that keeps your family at 100 percent regardless of what the farm does or supplement your farm income in some way to help make up for those bad times. In this high capital farming arena that we're playing in now, it takes so much capital to get up and running. That is a pretty easy way to bury your family if you're not careful."

While Subart's primary focus is his family and making sure they are provided for, he could not help but throw in a shameless plug for this agronomy business.

"If anyone needs seed, they can call me in Dawson," he said, chuckling.

Learn more at ndfb.org.

“Once you have that, use that revenue stream in your own community," Subart said. "That's the only way we're going to keep these small towns up and going. That money has to stay in those communities.

We can advocate for favorable incentives or a favorable tax policy for them to help keep that money grounded in these small towns.

In turn, that helps young farmers find the funding opportunities that are out there. I do not think I ever realized the importance of that until I got older."

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

21

On The Move With Plug And Play 14 new startups join the ever-growing agtech accelerator.

By Andrew Jason, Emerging Prairie/Grand Farm 24

MARCH/APRIL 2021

NOTE: While 14 startups were welcomed into the latest Plug And Play group, only 13 were able to participate in this story.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

25

Guðbjörg Rist CEO

atmonia Atmonia Elevator pitch.

Atmonia is a fertilizer research and development company based in Iceland, developing a groundbreaking ammonia production process. Our system requires only water, air, and electricity to produce readyto-use nitrogen fertilizer in liquid forms. It's not only a zero emissions process, but is furthermore optimized to be used directly with renewable and intermittent energy sources like solar or wind, pairing low energy prices with affordable fertilizer tailor made for local production and usage.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

Atmonia started as a research project in 2012 led by Dr. Egill Skúlason, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Iceland.

The work began as theoretical calculations combined with digital simulations of complex chemical reactions to identify potential catalysts for ammonia production. When that work yielded positive results, experiments began in collaboration with the Innovation

26

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Center Iceland. In 2016 the founding members of the Atmonia team took part in the Startup Energy Reykjavík accelerator. There, the business was conceived, and the company was formally established as a result.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

Being based in Iceland, it is always exciting to have opportunities to take our work to new audiences and markets. We recognize the value of establishing relationships with partners in agriculture across the globe and understand how important engaging early with regional agriculture sectors to truly understand the needs and conditions of local producers.

This makes the North Dakota Agtech program particularly exciting, considering the size and scale of farm production in the Midwest.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

First off, our technologies would immediately cancel out millions of tons of CO2 emissions from existing industrial standards for ammonia production, reducing the industrial

carbon footprint massively. Of equal importance, our systems are designed to operate in less centralized ways, which would allow for more regional independence for farmers for nitrogen fertilizer production, reducing costs for transportation and limiting overall environmental impact of supply chains, industrial processing, and distribution. In the same way, the Atmonia systems can operate in remote areas when coupled with local energy production such as solar or wind, such places where electricity grids may not be fully developed. This will allow greater access to affordable nitrogen fertilizer in typically more underserved rural areas and developing economies.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

Being closely in tune with growers is vital to any company working seriously in the fertilizer industry. Our team includes members who have worked in agriculture as well as an agronomist advisory positions. Understanding the real pressures and challenges farmers face from personal experience gives us a stronger foundation to focus our technical solutions on real life problems. It can be difficult to

transition research from the lab to the farm, but having people with the right real world experiences in both areas makes it so much smoother. In the end, our primary goal is to provide today’s growers with low-cost, locally produced, sustainable nitrogen fertilizers.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Ideally, in ten years we would be seeing our technology completely integrated into modern fertilizer production, supplementing if not completely replacing the older highly energy intensive forms of nitrogen fertilizer production. In the coming decades, feeding a growing global population on increasingly precarious arable land will depend on new technologies like those under development

by Atmonia. In the perfect scenario, we envision farmers having their own Atmonia systems on site, allowing them to produce their own nitrogen fertilizer in a way that not only protects the environment but also saves money.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North

Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

that today’s farmers won’t have to face the challenges and pressures of modern agriculture alone.

While our technologies can be used anywhere, the Upper Midwest has a strong tradition of agriculture with an even brighter future that we would be proud to be a part of. Existing fertilizer application strategies for nitrogen in this region also lend themselves to a much easier transition to our technologies than areas dependent on solid or pelletized fertilizers.

Anecdotally, Atmonia’s horticulturist completed his undergraduate work in Wisconsin, spending many days working in the student garden as well as attending agricultural conferences in the region, maintaining ties to the region to this day.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

With the experience of our team of scientists, engineers, and agricultural experts from all over the world - decades of collective experience in chemistry, marketing, and real life work in the field - Atmonia will ensure

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

27

LiveRoad

Analytics, exposure to growers, industry, and the AgTech startup community.

Elevator pitch.

LiveRoad Analytics combines meteorological data with IoT sensors for improved hyper local weather forecasting. Our high resolution historical data solutions can deliver field level historical data for use in machine learning applications for building predictive models such as forecast yield, or predicting crop/pest hazards.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

Meteorology is not an exact science, but the increase in additional ground truth data through new IoT technologies open up a new data frontier. This additional data provides opportunity for local training of models for improved forecasting.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

Plug and Play's North Dakota AgTech program provides a great opportunity to jump into a data rich environment with many great technologies and sensors gathering data. We are excited to demonstrate our capability with

28

MARCH/APRIL 2021

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Improved weather forecasting helps farmers better manage risk, operate more efficiently, and improve yields to better feed the world.

Improved forecasts for pest or disease modeling can prevent costly unnecessary application of chemicals which is ultimately better for the food and the environment.

Consumers would benefit through the availability of high quality and reasonably priced food.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

We help growers make more informed decisions and avoid potentially costly decisions such as whether and when to irrigate or apply fertilizers/pesticides/fungicides to ensure the application is completed during favorable conditions to avoid waste of resources and money.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Improved forecasting can increase yields requiring less land. Efficiency in farming is very important to feeding the growing population and protecting the environment. Our goal is helping to create a sustainable and healthy future in Agriculture.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

LiveRoad is located in Michigan and is proud to be part of the Midwest startup community.

We hope that this program enables us to demonstrate our capability in going beyond the capabilities of traditional weather providers through integrating additional IoT data in these new data rich agricultural environments.

We hope to build relationships that not only benefit the region, but agriculture globally.

Murray Armstrong President

Inc. This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

LiveRoad Analytics is a next-generation weather provider integrating IoT sensor data and hyper local modeling for improved weather forecasts, and improved historical data purposely built for machine learning applications to increase decision support and efficiency.

Harriet Chen-Pyle Co-Founder

Proagni Elevator pitch.

It all started with Kangaroos. ProAgni has identified stranded science we commercialising that is a step change for agriculture. Our technology has removed the need for antibiotics as growth promoters in feedlots, reduced the transition time from grass to grain by 75% for those cattle being inducted into feedlots (28 days down to 3) all with an increase in ROI for farmers. This same technology potentially can significantly reduce methane emissions from ruminants.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

In 2015, Rob Bell attended a feedlot conference where Prof. Athol Klieve was a guest speaker and he has spent professional life studying macropods. He started his talk with Kangaroos don't burp methane.For 20 million years Kangaroos have thrived in one of the harshest climates on earth.

They are the gold standard in feed efficiency, produce little or no methane and without any antibiotics.

30

MARCH/APRIL 2021

To put some numbers on this, Kangaroos require about 5 kg of grass to put on 1 kg of red meat. While in the same paddock sheep and cattle need about 20kg of grass just to do the same thing.

ruminants, do it with limited resources, remove the use of antibiotics as growth promoters and not blow the economics of farming out of the water?

Sheep, cattle and kangaroos are foregut fermenters.

So how would it be if red meat producers had the tools to decrease methane emissions and antibiotic use?

So, what if sheep and cattle could mimic kangaroos?

What if those tools also made producers more profitable?

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

How quickly could we create meaningful and sustainable change to an entire industry?

As an Australian startup, we are both humbled and proud to be selected in what is one the most important global pitch competitions.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? What problems of theirs are you specifically trying to solve?

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

The problem is food needs to be affordable, abundant AND have a smaller environmental footprint. By 2050, we will need to produce 70 percent more food without producing 70 percent more greenhouse emissions and using 70 percent more antibiotics. Can farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions from

Firstly, ProAgni launched our first product to the Australian market, ProTect, a patented vitamin and mineral premix for feedlots free of antibiotics.

ProTect provides 20 percent faster growth on 20 percent less feed without using in feed antibiotics and lowers farming’s contribution to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance.

It is disruptive technology that does not require behavioural change on the farm.

Farmers love it because it's a simple switch out.

It has the same inclusion rate, delivered the same they always have done and can be used in small and large feedlots around the world.

methane before it leaves the animal.

To date, this technology has reduced the transition time for cattle from grass to grain by 75%, 21 days down 3. With the animals healthy and putting on weight.

that bring leverage to that launch.

For farmers, this speeds up production and saves nearly $100/head, without antibiotics.

ProAgni are making the tools that make producers more profitable and quickly create meaningful and sustainable change to the beef industry.

The best part is that virtually no-one buys ProTect because it is antibiotic free.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Farmers buy it because they make more money.

ProAgni could quickly create meaningful and sustainable change to the red meat industry, increase the returns to producers and maintain our social license.

Now, it has sold over $3.5m at retail, fed over a million animals and…… removed over 1000kgs of antibiotics from the feeding system.

Secondly, as part of our technology stack, we have taken strict obligate anaerobes, cultivated them commercially, removed the need for cold chain storage, extended their shelf life & reduced the overall volume needed to get results.

The ability to commercialise anaerobic bacteria is unique and can be applied to bacteria we’ve identified that - manage lactic acid, improve feed efficiency or literally eat

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

ProAgni is seeking to collaborate and partner with farmers and distributors in the upper midwest to launch ProTect into the feedlots lots by June of 2021. We are also currently raising capital and are seeking relationships

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

31

FICOSTERRA Elevator pitch.

Ficosterra produces innovative fertilizers and biostimulants extracted from marine algae and microbial complexes. We are unique due to our extraction techniques, which can be customized to meet customers requirements.

Why to invest in FICOSTERRA: - Participate in a competitive AgTech company with clear value proposal - Ideal timing to anticipate the biostimulants market growth - Investment in primary sector | risk adjustment portfolio How did you get the idea to start your company?

We adapted ancient principles in agronomy to the new bio-technologies to combine both in a single rocket.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

A great door to understand the US agro market.

32

MARCH/APRIL 2021

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Increase in crop production while reducing environmental impact of agrochemicals.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? What problems of theirs are you specifically trying to solve?

Increase crop yield and improve resistance to abiotic stress by use of organic inputs.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Serving farmers worldwide and understanding their problems to find the best sustainable solution.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

Try, compare and if you find something better, buy it!

izagro experience working with technical assistance with farmers in developing countries.

Elevator pitch.

We were born to deliver freedom for the farmers!

IZAgro is a free platform where users can ask for quotations of inputs, agricultural services, technical tips, and consultation.

The company offers an avenue where farmers, technicians and students can consult registered product information for pest, disease and weed control, as well as information on the symptoms and some control means available for more than 10 crops.

The user can also evaluate the product used and comment on its use, leaving a valuable tip for other users, as well as receive agricultural tips from agronomists of IZAgro network How did you get the idea to start your company?

The idea to start IZagro came from a previous

34

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Visiting and helping family farmers we realize that there is a lack of knowledge about agronomic practices, and when farmers adopt the right practices, this helps them improve their crops and their lives.

At the same time, these farmers and Agcompanies are struggling to connect to each other and the use of smartphones are rising. So we use smartphone apps to deliver information and promote connections that benefit farmers around.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

It means growth and advance for our users!

Learn with Plug and Play specialists, based on a state reference at agriculture in the USA...

Building these collaborations between agtechs, farmers, corporations, VC's, will help us to perform better on our main goal: Deliver "Freedom for the Farmers."

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Bring agriculture to another level and diffuse knowledge to every producer!

The impact we want to have is helping farmers make better decisions and have access to the best products they need to improve their farm and lifes.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

In Brazil, we have 4,2 million farmers that have less than 100 hectares (237 acres smallholder and medium farmers). Eighty percent of these producers do not have any technical assistance Margins are getting short and to survive in the profession that we love, we have to improve our activity! Seventy five percent of these growers have internet. We use the digital to help these growers to access quality information and technical assistance to

Murilo Bettarello CEO & Co-Founder

choose the inputs they really need.

Today, we have 60,000+ users, accessing agnostic knowledge and getting better decisions focused on sustainability for their business.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Our goal is to expand to tropical agriculture countries and help them to do what Brazilian agriculture did in the last 30 years.

In the last 30 years, Brazil has imported a lot of food. Today, our agriculture feeds almost 1 billion people.

In the last 30 years Brazil has imported a lot of food. Today, our agriculture feeds almost 1 billion people.

Using the tropical agriculture technology we develop here, we can help farmers in Africa/ Asia to improve their farms and lives, and collaborate to feed people around the world as well.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

to test and pilot in small areas in your farm.

Adopt the ones that give you freedom and competitiveness.

It will be a great experience to understand a new region and connect to local partners that have the same goals as us!

To expand the operation in the upper midwest?

Why not?!

If farmers need us and we can help them to be more profitable, they can count on us!

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

Be hungry for information and innovations!

Farmers need to always go for efficiency.

Choose 1-2 technologies (startups) per season

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

35

bioponics gritting our teeths to create a better and more sustainable future.

Elevator pitch.

BIOPONICS utilizes cutting edge biotechnology to unlock the potential of bacteria to be used as a sustainable source of bio-fertilizer. We bio-manufacture organic based nutrients and carbon that brings significant cost savings to farmers and also revitalizes soil health.

Our solution is both scalable and sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere making it a truly disruptive upgrade to traditional chemical fertilizers.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

Our CTO Dr. Akhilesh Chaurasia has spent more than a decade doing high institution research to successfully create our line of optimized bacteria. At BIOPONICS we are taking all his hard work and finally making it available to your everyday farmers.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

Being part of the program has been a real privilege. We have been connected directly to key stakeholders at high impact and reputable firms. The deep insight, advice, and business opportunities we have gotten through the program is invaluable. The quality of our fellow cohort members is also of very high caliber.

Interacting with them has taught us a lot and also humbled us. We are really grateful to be part of a group of like minded entrepreneurs

36

MARCH/APRIL 2021

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Wow, what a question! We would live in a world where we do not have to choose between feeding ourselves and damaging our environment in the process. We would have better quality crop produce where its nutrients originated from an organic and natural source. Last but not least, from an economics standpoint, crop prices would not be directly chained to the prices of ammonia.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

The burden of proof is heavy whenever it comes to disruptive agtech solutions. We plan to incorporate growers to help conduct small plot tests for us to gather more data results and for the growers to see firsthand what our solution can do for them. We would be helping growers to lower nutrient input costs, revitalize soil health, minimize nitrate leaching and shift towards a more organic and sustainable source of fertilizer.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

We would be going around the world taking localized microbes and optimizing them to produce nutrients, natural pesticides and wastewater treatment to name a few use

cases. We would even take our technology to help regrow entire swaths of rainforests. We need to lessen our dependence on artificially created chemicals and move towards biomanufacturing. The shift has already begun, and we are glad to be part of the movement.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

We hope to make farmers, who are the ultimate end users, to be aware that alternative fertilizer solutions exist, such as ourselves! We would absolutely love to expand our operations to the upper midwest when the opportunity presents itself. Innovation takes risk, and we really need all the help that we can get.

EarthScout, GBC Elevator pitch.

EarthScout is a Precision Farming Remote Sensor Technology that monitors growing environments above and below the soil, providing growers with reliable data from their field in real time to their desktop or mobile app. The agronomic data works across all crops, all growing environments and all management practices. EarthScout data is effective for helping growers make smarter cropping decisions leading to increased yields, better managed input costs, and enhanced land stewardship.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

EarthScout was created as a way for our leadership team to use their skills in engineering, technology, and design to give back to the agricultural community.

Every member of our leadership team at EarthScout grew up on farms or rural farming communities, and some are active farmers themselves today. The process of creating

38

MARCH/APRIL 2021

EarthScout has revolved around learning more about what farmers need to improve efficiency on their farm, increasing their margins and reducing their environmental impact.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

We are excited to be recognized by Plug and Play North Dakota. It feels validating to be included in this batch because we have been working hard to develop a technology that is accessible for all farmers. This is an amazing opportunity for gaining feedback and encouragement from corporate partners, other startups, farmers and others in our industry. Through our participation we feel part of the larger community working together to revolutionize agriculture and how we feed the world.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

If all farmers utilized EarthScout, we believe it would reduce input costs, optimize operational decisions and set a new benchmark for on

farm ROI. EarthScout puts the power of data back in the farmer’s hands, helping them better understand their in season agronomic needs. The more growers using EarthScout around the world would mean a deeper understanding about growing by region and by crop. There is power behind large amounts of long-term data collection because it helps farmers to better correlate cause and effect relationships to improve yields, lower costs, and reduce risks.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

The origin of our product centered around farmers and continues to this day. Our focus is to learn about what problems growers are facing and then finding solutions to those problems. EarthScout is always trying to help growers make decisions that are backed by data to help optimize both time and money.

We are specifically focusing on areas of opportunities involving time management, pest management, plant disease, and irrigation efficiency. We hope our efforts work to help take care of the people who are working tirelessly to feed our communities

SERVICES:

Call for

a

FREEE QUOT

Residential Paving Commercial Paving Sealcoating Driveways Parking Lots Seasonal Lots

BUCK’S PAVING 723 3rd St S Breckenridge, MN 56520 701-204-1587

buckspaving.net

and families. Farmers deserve to have more time to spend time with their loved ones while increasing their profit margins.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

We hope to have EarthScout units monitoring fields and greenhouses globally in the next 10 years. We currently have units deployed in the US, Nepal, and Canada, with plans to expand to the European market by 2022. Farmers around the world can learn so much from each other and as we expand our market, we see that as an opportunity for more power and knowledge in the hands of the farmers.

with new farmers in the Midwest and begin new partnerships.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

EarthScout makes your in season agronomic data easily accessible, field by field.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

EarthScout is happily based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have been working closely with many farmer operators in Minnesota since inception and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our local growers. We hope that our participation in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program will allow us to engage

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

41

Grain Discovery

Elevator pitch.

Creating a digital ecosystem focusing on price discovery and traceability within the agrifood supply chain. Digitize the handshake deal and streamline time consuming manual processes of buying and selling grains.

The platform has a built-in end-to-end traceability solution that creates a “digital passport” for a commodity as it moves through the value chain.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

After working in multiple roles throughout the supply chain across the world over the past fifteen years, I saw firsthand the inefficiencies

42

MARCH/APRIL 2021

and how some practices wouldn't look out of place when our grandparents were farming.

Whilst changing consumer demands on traceability would mean a rapid uptake of digitizing of the supply chain in the future.

money. The ability for consumers to interact and learn more about their food origin story.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

Making it easier to interact with their local grain buyer and simplifying and digitizing the handshake deal. Being proactive to changing consumer demands regarding traceability.

The chance to interact with other startups from around the world. Learn and be mentored by other leaders in the agricultural space.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Simplifying and streamlining supply chain paperwork saving the supply chain time and

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Modern agriculture is undergoing an important shift: away from a commodities business, where each bushel is identical, to an ingredients business, where customers demand distinction. Grain Discovery is looking to digitize the supply chain, this not only

saves time and money, but educates the consumer on their foods origin story.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

Interact with the supply chain for traceability projects.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

The grain sector over the next decade will undergo an important shift - from a

commodities business where each bushel is identical, to an ingredients business.

Katana Elevator pitch.

We make healthy clean food a trusted reality while boosting grower incomes and protecting the environment. We develop and enable easy-to-use, next-gen, clean crop protection and fortification solutions by supercharging bioinputs with our patent-pending ecosafe nanoscale activation technologies. We also surround these formulations with digital technologies to capture, verify and monetize these clean agricultural methods for the entire supply chain. Following strong success with these products in South America, we look forward to launching them in North America during the 2021 growing season.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

The idea of our company's solutions came from the previous global pandemic - SARS. Team members who worked for multinational

44

MARCH/APRIL 2021

corporations saw the use of toxic chemicals and heavy metals to keep objects clean and safe with dismay. While the approach was good the execution was not. Our team believed they could engineer cleaner and safer versions of these solutions to be effective while also safe for people and planet.

Upon reaching this great achievement they developed solutions for several industries to keep human environments clean and healthy, including protecting Olympic teams and Tour de France cyclists. Our agriculture team launched as a separate company in 2020.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

The program is a great source in helping startups by bringing together people and companies with an interest in advancing the industry. The ability to not only make great connections, but to get the support of these connections, is something else entirely. The Upper Midwest is a great area to build and grow an agriculture business and this shows in

the quality of the people and the relationships.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

The use of our solutions would have a great impact on many United Nations SDGs - we count 12 of the 17 being impacted. This would include elevating growers incomes and safety, making people healthier through abundant, high-quality food, cleaning and protecting our environment, and many more. Our solutions change the reality from either quantity or quality to having both, and in ways that are completely safe and sustainable for people and the planet.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

Growers are why we do this. With our grower roots, we have great respect for their role in feeding a growing world and the achievements made in doing so during the 20th century. We

AgriScience know that it is much more difficult to make a good living as a grower, while at the same time the world is putting great pressure on growers to be the solution to global environmental challenges. Our solutions make the grower the hero to the world, their families and their communities as they can meet all these demands and be even more prosperous should they use our solutions.

of our country.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

We are a global team with our agriculture operations based in the Americas. Our R&D center and global management team is based in St. Paul, MN. We strongly believe in the Upper Midwest to deliver on agtech innovation and know we need to see more. Programs like this is how we do it. We see developing a strong global base here in the Midwest and hope to add a Fargo location to support our global technology and infrastructure team.

We see ourselves as the "Intel" of the agricultural world, enabling a new ecosafe clean food production and supply chain, verified and trusted. Our technologies can create a new food reality where all foods are clean and healthy, we have no hunger and environmental concerns in our rear window. If we don't succeed the grower will continue to struggle, environmental concerns will continue to plague us, and consumers will demand their food be grown in vertical warehouses, not by the great growers who make up the heartland

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

There is a lot of pressure on farmers right now to produce more with less both locally and nationally. It may seem like people are blaming farmers when you are doing the best you can with the tools you have. ***Our mission is to be the team that is going to bring you next-gen, dependable solutions to see the day when you can be the proud and prosperous farmers of your parents' and grandparents' generations.*** The answers are coming and that day will be here soon.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

45

CarbonSpace Tech Inc. Elevator pitch.

CarbonSpaceTech is developing a carbon footprint monitoring platform to bring a new level of transparency to the companies in the global food system. The CarbonSpace platform provides actionable insights about farm, field, and forest carbon emissions (or sequestrations) to facilitate climateresponsible decisions and to unleash the carbon offset potential of our customers.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

It all started with a paradox. It’s been a few years since the Paris Agreement set a clear goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

While reliable instruments to monitor direct emissions from industrial processes were developed, agriculture, forestry and other land use (which are responsible for almost a quarter of global emissions) lacked effective tools to estimate their carbon footprint.

Our core team believed that to fight climate change the global community should engage

46

MARCH/APRIL 2021

as many stakeholders as possible. So we came up with the idea to design a tool, which could provide actionable insights into the carbon status of farms, fields and forests. The last thing turned out to be especially important for the growing number of offset projects and the companies, who wish to participate in carbon markets. So, we saw a scalable opportunity here and started CarbonSpaceTech.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

Being part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program is being part of the community, which is shaping the future of agriculture. As we feel the trends better, so the others learn from our vision. It’s an inspiring synergy of ideas, products, and dreams.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

1. The land would be used in a more optimal way and agriculture would be more sustainable.

2. Agricultural companies would participate in the carbon markets.

3. Consumers would be able to make dietary choices with less carbon footprint.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

First, carbon regulation is becoming stricter, and it’s becoming harder and more expensive to comply with it. Second, the growers’ bottom line is under pressure from unstable commodity prices and increasing costs.

CarbonSpaceTech is looking to provide growers with a solution, which will help them understand their carbon profile and take relevant action; and on the other hand - show new opportunities of monetizing their land assets, e.g. by participating in carbon markets.

Oleg Demidov CEO

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

We are working to become a global leader in carbon footprint data and making our technologies a new standard for carbon footprint monitoring. With our insights, the world could get reliable tools for estimating nature-based carbon footprint and leveraging land’s sequestration potential.

Prior to joining the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, we’ve already had a project on the estimation of the carbon footprint in Kossuth county, Iowa. So, the Upper Midwest is a priority area for us. Our goal is to learn more about customer needs and to find new partners here.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

Growing for carbon sequestration may be as rewarding as growing for food consumption - CarbonSpaceTech will help to figure that out.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

49

Pluto Biosciences Elevator pitch.

If you can imagine it, a microbe already does it. We sift through the trillions of species of microbes found in soils to bring transformational products to the market. We employ the latest in computational biology and sequencing methods to isolate unique microbes with extraordinary properties.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

I ran microbial pipelines for global agriculture companies Monsanto and Indigo Ag. Working in large companies is great but requires “alignment” to make any decisions. I felt the only way I could make transformational change to how we discover truly revolutionary products required that I do it inside my own company.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

The Plug and Play AgTech program provides us with access to companies and individuals that understand the needs of growers. It is one thing to make a product. It is another to make a product that impacts growers lives positively.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

We are developing a “microbial cover crop” to fight climate change via a soil amendment applied during the shoulder seasons. It’s a low-price natural microbial consortia designed for the grower to improve their soil health today, take carbon out of the air and make money when the carbon market matures.

If our product was used globally, growers would make more money and we would scrub

gigatons of carbon dioxide from the air year-in and year-out.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

We are trying to develop products that help growers improve their bottom line and increase soil health. We are using the latest technologies and leveraging natural organisms found in soil to do that. The soil microbes we isolate are like plants in that they use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide to sugar.

Similar to the Rhizobium associated with soybeans they also take nitrogen from the atmosphere and put ammonia in the soil.

This two-fer will reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and improve soil health. We also need to understand how growers will use these applications. This knowledge will enable us to produce products that more easily fit into how a grower does their job. If the effort is too difficult, takes too much time,

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

51

We Speak Agri-Busines s requires new equipment, or is too expensive, it will not be embraced. We are talking to growers to make sure that the next-generation products we make will make life better for growers.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

We want to be a supplier of climate solutions to growers around the world by finding the best microbes to deliver novel grower and climate-focused solutions. Growers already provide climate solutions by helping to feed the world in sustainable ways. We are adding next-generation products and enabling growers to access the carbon market as it expands in a way that increases the grower bottom line. We are committed to simplifying and decreasing the cost for the grower by providing our Microbial Cover Crop that removes carbon dioxide and nitrogen from the air while increasing SOC. We feel by supporting this work we can make an endurable company.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

We are inherently a discovery company. We can find all sorts of great product leads, but our products must gain consumer acceptance to have the environmental impacts we are aiming for. Only by understanding the supply chain and the growers’ needs can we hope to deliver the right products at the right price. By working with the Plug and Play Agtech program we can meet with growers and other parts of the supply chain to develop the right kinds of products.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

wr.cpa | Fargo, North Dakota

Pluton is a next-generation product development company that develops natural solutions from soil microbes to improve the soils, increase grower revenue, and protect the environment.

Agrology Elevator pitch.

We are scaling agronomy by bringing the tools Big Ag uses to small and mid sized farms. We use ground truth data and machine learning to continuously scout your fields and predict problems before they emerge. Our grower customers own their data, and our system encrypts it so it can never be shared or resold.

And we are already helping specialty crop growers and we look forward to expanding to row crops.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

We refined our idea through a long series of conversations with growers who helped us

54

MARCH/APRIL 2021

understand the challenges they face applying agronomic principles to their fields.

product delivery, and everyone could take pride in their environmental stewardship.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

We see this as a chance to validate the work we've done on our products and build partnerships with growers and the ag supply chain that will make everyone stronger.

No one can scout 24/7. Our products will help you and your crop consultants and agronomists predict problems and intervene before yield-reducing damage occurs.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

Growers would see higher profits through increased yields, agronomists would get more guidance to more customers, the ag supply chain would achieve new efficiencies in

We'd like to get our products into the hands of growers everywhere, without any upfront cost. All growers would have access to agronomic guidance tailored to their farms to help them make the best decisions possible

to increase profitability. We would share good outcomes during profitable years, and not be a burden during challenging years.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

We want to accelerate our expansion to row crops, and work with specialty growers in the Upper Midwest. Please reach out to us if you are interested in a pilot project.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

You feed the world. Helping you is a privilege.

Athena Intelligence Elevator pitch.

Athena is a technology services company that breaks down the barriers between environmental intelligence and commercial systems. Our unique Voice of the Acre technology drives new levels of insights for risk mitigation and supply optimization for the ag production, insurance risk management and emerging environmental derivatives markets.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

It was an epiphany around a catastrophic event that produced the idea of a practical need. Living in California, the drought several years ago really highlighted the fact that industrial systems weren't prepared to operationally adapt to shifting climate factors. Entire communities faced incredible unemployment because of the huge number of acres that were put out of production, and in some cases these communities went weeks or a couple of months without water. In an age where you can simply search for just about anything in the world, it dawned on me that we need to have the same kind of access to Earth's essential data (land, food, water, energy data). So now the "Voice of the Acre" is now involved with the commercial discussions and decisions made at industrial enterprises such that the relationship between commercial and environmental systems can be balanced and optimized.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program?

It's a great opportunity to be considered and participate with an organization like Plug and Play with its legacy. The ND Agtech program

56

MARCH/APRIL 2021

specifically has been a wonderful opportunity to connect with some incredible individuals from around the world and form unique strategic relationships with that otherwise I'd have no way of connecting with.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone...globally...what impact would that have?

Athena has broken the myth that operational profits and environmental sustainability are at odds and has demonstrated this at industrial scale. So we see a path where industrial systems can continue to produce supply and drive economies at scale, but does so in a manner that not only minimizes its footprint but in some cases in a regenerative manner.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan?

Athena's initial market targets are the food brands, processors that purchase the growers crops. However, the growers benefit because we make it easy for their story and strategic value as a key part of a supply chain to be recognized. In turn they are empowered to be able to be commercially valued. They are also provided access to the same level of intelligence the food brands have allowing them to be more in control of how they are positioned in the marketplace.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

That the ag and food system is the key industrial system that serves as a foundation for a more sustainable, resilient human existence. As such, the value from this would be realized by those responsible for providing this level of security and resiliency....the actual operators on the ground (farmers).

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish?

Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

We absolutely are looking to expand our services to the upper midwest region.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers.

In one sentence, what would you like to tell them?

Farmers have a direct interface with the voice of the acres worldwide, and Athena wants to make it easy for them to leverage that voice to the benefit of themselves and civilization.

BOOK PICKS

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Food Bullying: How To Avoid Buying BS

By Michele Payn Food Bullying upends the way you think about food and gives you permission to make eating choices based on your own social, ethical, environmental, and health standards rather than brand, friend, or Facebook claims. Michele Payn, one of North America’s leading voices in connecting farm and food, takes a startling look at the misrepresentation of food and sheds light on bogus nutrition and environmental claims to help you recognize and stand up to the bullies. Food Bullying guides you through understanding food label claims and offers insight on “the hidden world of farming”. Armed with science and a lifetime on the farm, Michele provides a six-step action plan for you to overcome food bullying, simplify safe food choices, and even save time in the grocery store.

58

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

By Dee Brown First published in 1970, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee generated shockwaves with its frank and heartbreaking depiction of the systematic annihilation of American Indian tribes across the western frontier. In this nonfiction account, Dee Brown focuses on the betrayals, battles, and massacres suffered by American Indians between 1860 and 1890. He tells of the many tribes and their renowned chiefs—from Geronimo to Red Cloud, Sitting Bull to Crazy Horse—who struggled to combat the destruction of their people and culture. Forcefully written and meticulously researched, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee inspired a generation to take a second look at how the West was won.

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History

By S.C. Gwynne S. C. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches. S. C. Gwynne’s account of these events is meticulously researched, intellectually provocative, and, above all, thrillingly told. Empire of the Summer Moon announces him as a major new writer of American history.

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

By Douglas W. Tallamy With Bringing Nature Home, Doug Tallamy changed the conversation about gardening in America. His second book, the New York Times bestseller Nature’s Best Hope, urged homeowners to take conservation into their own hands. Now, he is turning his advocacy to one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree. Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

59

POD CASTS

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Young Farmers Podcast

Young Farmers Podcast Food Safety Subject Matter Interview - 34:00

The internet is flooded with food photos, recipes and diet advice, partisan news, and farmerinspired fashion, but who is listening to the farmers themselves? Farmers grow your food and manage nearly half of all land on Earth. It's time to pay attention to the policies, programs, and events that are shaping the future of agriculture. Our host, Lindsey Lusher Shute, co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition, provides a fresh, farmer-centric take on food and farm policy.

We talk with policy makers, experts and advocates, and, of course, farmers, about the most critical issues facing farming in the U.S. and globally.

60

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Farming Today

Call Of The Land Call Of The Land Preventing res at winter burn sites

Farming Today Cheese Producers in Lockdown

- 9:00

- 13:00

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside from the BBC.

Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast

A daily broadcast with stories about agriculture and rural news, including up-todate market reports. The show is based in Alberta, Canada, but focuses on general ag topics, too.

Farmer To Farmer With Chris Blanchard Farmer To Farmer With Chris Blanchard Jean-Martin Fortier of La Ferme de Quatre Temps on intensive production - 4:00

Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast Why is banking is difficult for hemp farmers?

- 23:00

Lancaster Farming newspaper editors talk to farmers and experts about industrial hemp.

The organic and sustainable farming movement has its roots in sharing information about production techniques, marketing, and the rewards and challenges of the farming life.

Join veteran farmer, consultant, and farm educator Chris Blanchard for down-to-earth conversations with experienced farmers - and the occasional non-farmer - about everything from soil fertility and record-keeping to getting your crops to market without making yourself crazy.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

61

SPONSORED CONTENT

The weather is getting warmer, which means the Grand Farm is almost ready for another busy summer. In each issue of Future Farmer, Emerging Prairie offers up insight into what's new and notable in the cross-section of start-ups and agriculture.

The summer is on the horizon this month as we get a glimpse into Grand Farm's event schedule in 2021. We also learn about blockchain agriculture and its place in the future of the industry.

The folks at Eide Bailly also provide a three-step process to transition your family farm.

62

MARCH/APRIL 2021

CONTENTS Solution Open Food Chain

Farm

Quality dept Batch 123 Claims are connected to batch

Auditor

Processor

transporter

Retailer certifier

Blockchain Agriculture

Exploring the collaboration of blockchain technology in the ag industry

69 3 Steps To Transition The Family Farm Transitioning your family farm to the next generation is an involved process. It helps to get ahead of it by several years – even a decade or more. Planning far in advance and working with industry professionals will ensure you reap all the potential benefits, avoid risks, line up a healthy retirement, and leave your farm and heirs in great shape. To help you envision the road ahead, we’ll outline the three key steps to successfully transition your agricultural operation.

64

74

69 64

Consumer

74

Grand Farm Events Grand‌ ‌Farm‌ ‌is‌ ‌built‌ ‌around‌ ‌solving‌ ‌the‌ ‌biggest‌ ‌problems‌ ‌in‌ ‌agriculture‌ ‌by‌ ‌ encouraging‌ ‌innovation‌ ‌through‌ ‌collaboration.‌ ‌That’s‌ ‌why‌ ‌there‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌60+‌ ‌events‌ ‌ held‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Farm‌ ‌this‌ ‌summer‌ ‌ranging‌ ‌from‌ ‌Grower‌ ‌Roundtables‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌Space‌ ‌ Agriculture‌ ‌Conference.‌

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

63

By

s blockchain the problem or the solution? How will it impact the ag industry?

What exactly is blockchain?

These are all questions that were discussed in the “Blockchain in Ag” event, hosted on February 26 by Genesis Feed Technologies and The Grand Farm.

The idea for the event came to Peter Schott, CEO and co-founder of agtech startup Genesis Feed Technologies, after hearing conflicting theories about the impact of blockchain in agriculture.

“I have a lot of very smart friends saying blockchain is the way of the future for the supply chain, and other friends that say blockchain is a solution looking for a problem to solve,” Schott said. “I wanted to have an honest conversation around what this technology is, what are the ways people are looking at using it, and what are different problems and opportunities to be solved.”

Schott approached Andrew Jason, Director of Ecosystem at Emerging Prairie, and together they arranged a two-hour lineup that included two panels, two keynotes,

64

MARCH/APRIL 2021

and a series of company and investor pitches, featuring leaders in agriculture and technology from “Bangkok to Bozeman,” as Schott remarked.

Excitement around the event built almost immediately, and over 250 people across the globe tuned in that Friday morning.

The chat lit up with discussion as speakers shared use cases, projections for the impact of blockchain in agriculture, and debated if it’s even necessary at all.

Solution Open Food Chain

Farm

How and why is blockchain used?

The first session, moderated by “Future of Agriculture” podcast host Tim Hammerich, tackled questions about how blockchain is being used in the ag industry. Blockchain, as Schott describes, is basically “a fancy leger system that tracks and verifies a transaction, and can’t be broken.” What benefit does a leger system like blockchain bring to agriculture? During the panel, many

Quality dept Batch 123 Claims are connected to batch

Processor

Exploring the collaboration of blockchain technology in the ag industry

of the answers centered around two things: traceability and data management.

“We thought the value prop was connecting data together,” said Rory O’Sullivan, founder and CEO of Grain Discovery in Ontario Canada.

“But the real value prop is the feedback loop that we’re getting from the growers.”

Supply chains already capture so much great data, he explained, but often the systems don’t

talk to each other. Using blockchain allows information to be passed along the supply chain participants, creating what O’Sullivan called a “more informed feedback loop.”

Brandon Hunnicut, a 5th generation farmer in Nebraska and board member with the National Corn Growers Association, added that this kind of data tracking can be used to create “smart contracts”— immutable proof based off

Auditor

“We could use checkboxes to say, ‘Yeah I did this, so I met this goal.’ But if I can now have more data, and a smart contract that...proves what I did out there — if that’s worth 10 to 15 cents more a bushel, that becomes significant money,” Hunnicut said.

Dragan Boscovic, founder and CEO of Vizlore group in Arizona, was quick to point out that, “blockchain is as good as the data that goes into the blockchain.” The benefit is that once the data is recorded it’s very difficult to change, creating immutability—however if garbage data goes in it is useless, Boscovic said.

transporter

Retailer

blockchain verification that your product has met the necessary requirements for quality and production.

Consumer

Nevertheless, the entire panel shared excitement at the potential for using blockchain to increase efficiency and sustainability in agriculture. Hunnicut encouraged other farmers to take a look at blockchain technology, drawing a parallel to

certifier FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

65

“A lot of people backed away from those early technologies because we were trying to understand what it was. But the early adopters could see the vast potential,” Hunnicut said. “I think that’s where we’re at right now with blockchain.”

Food value chain

how computers or new tools such as Auto-Steer were first met with skepticism, but now have transformed the ag industry.

Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, founder of the New Fork in Amsterdam, started her keynote by emphasizing one key message: “There are different types of blockchain, as with all technologies,” she said. “We want to make the case for an open public blockchain.”

A private blockchain, she explained, would mean there is a group of parties who orchestrate the blockchain. If you want to join that, you would have to be granted permission. This would also mean that you could be charged transaction fees for transactions within the blockchain — as she is already seeing with private blockchains such as IBM Food Trust.

Wildt founded The New Fork in 2017 with the goal of achieving global food integrity through blockchain technology.

They are currently working on a public blockchain solution called “The Open Food Chain,” and have already established S.O.S., Sustainable Open Soy blockchain that is free for farms and offers scalable blockchain tracing for soy attributes. This,

66

MARCH/APRIL 2021

data

Call for an open, public blockchain

Seed manufacturing

Grower

G rowi n g con di ti on da ta

D a ta fro m soi l sen s o r s Wea th e r rel a ted d a ta

IoT/sensors

blockchain data storage pool

Wildt argues, is the ideal way blockchain should be set up for agriculture.

“In agrifood, supply chains are long and complex,” Wildt said. “We think that a necessary requirement is that everybody should be able to join the blockchain, ideally on their own account, and create the most decentralized government we can have.”

The other benefits of an open blockchain, Wildt goes on, are; there are no transaction

costs; autonomous onboarding, allowing even smallholders to join; open-source code, allowing the technology to be enhanced by everyone while remaining independent from one tech company, and supply chain owned solutions.

“At the New Fork, we don’t own the solution and we don’t want to,” Wildt said. “We believe the solution should be owned by the supply chain itself.”

Processing

Distribution

Retailer

Consumer

Temperature data, Food safety inspection data

Te mpe rat u re data, Qua l i ty co ntrol da ta

Tem pera tu re da ta Compl i a n ce da ta

Scans QR code to g e t th e com p l e te tra cea bi l i t y of foo d

network analytics | ai prodictions

Blockchain: A hammer looking for a nail?

implementing blockchain solutions and see it as part of the future of agtech.

Other speakers throughout the event were cheerleaders for blockchain—Bharath Lingam, CEO at [x]Cube LABS, posited that blockchain would help build bridges across diverse global farms and establish supply chain integrity. Investor pitches from Yield Lab, Cultivation Capital, and Bread and Butter Ventures stated they are interested in

But what about the other side of the coin?

Connie Bowen, Director of Innovation and Investment for AgLaunch in Memphis, TN, moderated a final debate on the pros and cons of blockchain. Emma Weston, CEO and Co-founder of AgriDigital, argued the case for the benefits of blockchain. JP Rhea, a 5th generation farmer who farms over 10,000

acres in northeast Nebraska (not far from previous speaker Brandon Hunnicut), argued as a skeptic of blockchain.

“To me, blockchain is a hammer in search of a nail,” Rhea said. “In organics, we have to have boots on the ground for traceability. If we don’t have trust in the people putting info into the blockchain, it doesn’t work. I’m not antiblockchain, I just don’t see it as a solution that is truly solving the issues we’re facing.”

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

67

Weston challenged the thinking, saying that rather than searching for problems, blockchain is “a diverse technology that is opening up new questions about deep and entrenched problems.”

right technologies to bear, rather than making a case for a particular technology over the others.”

“I want to take us back to the internet and how we thought about its application to the food system,” she said. “The reality is, we didn’t.”

The general buzz around the topics, from the speakers and the 250+ participants, validated that what Schott and Jason had organized was something people are excited about. In fact, Schott said, they are already planning follow-up events such as a conversation on Clubhouse, and future virtual or in-person meet-ups.

Weston argued that blockchain has potential not just for connecting data points but connecting the data to monetization. Smart contracts, for instance, are an efficient way to automate workflows by taking a series of nonsequential steps and turning them into one transaction, she said. This can create incentives to connect payment for data and create fruitful behavior around traceability. As for “bad actors” messing up the data in the blockchain— “that is a much bigger problem than the utility and value of blockchain,” she said. “What we can do with blockchain, is incentivize good behavior— so that bad behavior is invalidated by the supply chain itself.”

In conclusion, Rhea summarized that while he is not anti-blockchain, he does hope that the conversation can pivot towards problemsolving and less about blockchain hype.

“As farmers...we have problems that we want to solve,” he said. “I would much rather hear widespread conversation around how to solve these problems and then bring the

68

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Keeping up the blockchain buzz

“I was blown away with the success of the event. It was such an exciting conversation, and amazing to see people tuning in from everywhere, at all different time zones— Australia, India, Germany, Thailand, all across the U.S., and more,” Peter said.

“We’re definitely planning to continue the conversation, and continue exploring the different applications of blockchain in agriculture.”

Transitioning your family farm to the next generation is an involved process. It helps to get ahead of it by several years – even a decade or more. Planning far in advance and working with industry professionals will ensure you reap all the potential benefits, avoid risks, line up a healthy retirement, and leave your farm and heirs in great shape.

To help you envision the road ahead, we’ll outline the three key steps to successfully transition your agricultural operation.

Steps to Transition the Family Farm FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

69

Get Your Finances in Order and Ensure Viability First, assemble an accurate set of financials, preferably with an Agribusiness Finance Specialist. Expert guidance will help you make faster, more efficient progress in lender meetings.

Ahead of these meetings, you must organize and analyze your financials, learn what your key ratios are telling you, and determine how you’ll use those ratios to improve profitability for future success. That way when you meet with your lender you’re prepared to focus on next steps.

Mike Schaefer Tax Manager mschaefer@eidebailly.com

70

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Other important aspects that lay the financial groundwork and ensure the family can keep farming include:

• Determine the size and scope of the family farm.

• Determine how many heirs you can successfully transition to.

• Ensure cash viability for both generations.

• Gauge readiness of next generation in terms of management and decisionmaking.

Conduct Estate and Wealth Planning Next, develop your estate plan and prepare for transition planning, preferably with a Wealth Transition Advisor. For this step, you must: Take a holistic approach. Your objectives in estate planning should be to: • Preserve your wealth and minimize your taxes.

• Ensure the attainment of your personal goals and your family dynamics match your business exit objectives.

• Coordinate your business succession planning wishes with your estate plan.

Understand the current estate planning environment. Currently, the Federal Gift Estate Tax Exemption for 2021 is $11.7 million at an estate and gift tax rate of 40%. It’s available for Gift, Estate and Generation Skipping Tax (GST). The 2021 Annual Exclusion is $15,000 per person.

The current environment also involves: • Suppressed values of a number of marketable securities for some familyowned businesses.

• Historic low interest rates.

• A government deficit and massive federal bailout, and we must consider how our government will pay for that deficit.

• Concerns over asset protection and access to funds.

• Future adjustments to estate tax exemption.

Consider portability. With portability, if you don’t use your exemption on your death, your personal representative could file an estate tax return and elect to make your exemption portable to the surviving spouse.

Portability can make planning more complex, and it comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some individuals prefer to wait until the first spouse passes away to determine the right next step.

Review established plans. Consider new options if you currently have planning techniques like Credit Trust/Marital Trust or Family Trust/Marital Trust. These options aren’t as flexible and don’t give beneficiaries a chance to have a second step-up compared to techniques like Disclaimer Trust or Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust (QTIP).

Plan charitable giving. There are many benefits to charitable planning for farmers.

A few options include: • CARES Act charitable deductions • Gift of farm commodities • Gift of farm machinery

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

71

Consider the role of life insurance. Life insurance is a great filler in estate planning.

You could use it for liquidity to pay estate taxes or debts, for the purchase of the farm property by the farming children, or for distribution to off-farm children.

ramona johnson Tax Partner rkjohnson@eidebailly.com

Consider a Farmland Partnership. Farmland partnerships work very well to maintain the successor’s operation. You could put restrictions on that farmland in the partnership, giving a farming family member first right to farm. Additionally, farming children can operate it and non-farming children can benefit from, for example, land being rented to the farm operation.

Consider various trusts, loans and refinancing. You might refinance your existing loans for lower interest rates or consider one of the following options: • Inter-Family Loans • Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) • Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) • Defined Value Clauses Plan for farm vs. off-farm children. This can be a difficult step to navigate. What is fair versus equal in terms of your heirs? This will be different for each family. You could, for example, distribute funds to off-farm children by having farming children purchase farm assets with preferential terms.

Conduct Transition Planning Transition planning is the final step in the process. To be successful, everyone involved needs to have a good attitude, understand the process and have clear goals in mind.

There’s no one-size-fits-all with transition planning, and this process will take time – anywhere from two to five years or even longer. The key is to define and tailor a plan that fits your family and stick to it.

Understand the roadblocks.

Transition planning tends to be more emotional than people expect it to be. Be prepared for emotional challenges, as well as financial ones. You want to

72

MARCH/APRIL 2021

be sure the transition supports your retirement and continued farming operations, and you want to be prepared to pay a certain amount of income tax.

Establish cashflow needs for retirement. Determine how much the first generation needs to live on for a year and where the financials stand right now. Then, you can decide what needs to be sold, paid off, etc.

Ensure owner objectives are met. The best way to approach this is to determine the end goal, then fill in the

holes along the way to make the objective work.

Determine method of transition. Will your transition be to a sole proprietor, general partnership, corporation or family limited partnership?

be understood about the intricacies of a farm transition.

Working with advisors and experts who have a great deal of experience in agriculture will help ensure you make the best decisions for your family’s farm.

Have your estate in order. Make sure the first and second generation have their wills updated in case of a premature death.

Make sure your wishes are communicated to family members. Determine how you’ll deal with farming vs. non-farming children.

Assess – and strengthen – your financial wellness.

Bank debt plays a key role in some of the strategies you can use. It could be machinery or deferred crops. Do you need to sell that to the second generation to make retirement work? Can the second generation come in and buy higher-basis land from the first generation to alleviate debt?

Work with your accountant on tax planning strategies.

Your accountant can help you determine the best route to tax planning. They’ll help you understand your options for: • Farm income averaging • Retirement plans • Charitable remainder trust There’s a great deal to

travis vandyke Tax Partner TVanDyke@eidebailly.com

Eide Bailly is a Top 25 CPA and business advisory firm in the nation, serving the agriculture industry since 1917.

Learn more at www.eidebailly.com.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

73

Grand Farm Announces 2021 Event Schedule Grand Farm is built around solving the biggest problems in agriculture by encouraging innovation through collaboration. That’s why there will be 60+ events held at the Farm this summer ranging from Grower Roundtables to a Space Agriculture Conference.

All the activity is meant to encourage energy, discussion and momentum around the work being done in agriculture.

“In 2020, we were able to successfully (and safely) host 21 events that shared expertise from our partners, which included a great lineup of 90 speakers,” said Andrew Jason who leads Grand Farm’s event team. “ This year, we can't wait to ‘double down’ and host 60-plus events. We’ll again bring people together to discuss the biggest problems in agriculture, then drive connections and conversations to solve those problems.”

Learn about all the events happening below or go to grandfarm.com/events to see the most up to date schedule and information.

Note: Grand Farm is actively monitoring the COVID situation and will be following all CDC guidelines to ensure all attendees safety. Events are also subject to change so watch the website for the most up to date information. 2021 events are planned MaySeptember, usually on Thursdays. Most events will take place at Grand Farm’s Innovation Site, located east of Horace, North Dakota.

74

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Grower Roundtables Grand Farm puts the farmer at the heart of everything. We recognize that if we’re not solving growers' real problems, then we’re wasting our time. Industry has to be producing solutions that will be adopted by growers and this means that those innovations must be easy to implement, increase yield and productivity and, probably most important, be profitable.

But what are those pain points growers face every day?

That’s what we hope to identify through these Grower Roundtables. By bringing together growers with industry, Grand Farm will lead a discussion around pain points facing growers in specific topics.

How this will work is we’ll bring growers and industry together, have a group discussion on scoping out the topic and then break everybody up into groups for facilitated discussions. These discussions will be led by a group leader who will track pain points. The groups will then come back together, discuss the pain points identified and document the biggest problems. Those pain points will then be put in a report, shared with industry and media and used to guide the direction of Grand Farm.

THURSDAY, MAY 6

Farm of the future design

As agriculture changes, so too does the needs of the farm. The Farm of the Future will be high tech and needs will range from strong connectivity to how autonomous vehicles are incorporated into the farm to how sustainable practices are built into the operations. As this change begins, what do growers want to see out of the Farm of the Future and how can industry begin to address these pain points?

THURSDAY, JUNE 3

Labor shortage & Skills Gaps

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, almost 70 percent of growers are over the age of 45 and almost 30 percent are over the age of 65. Over the next 10 years, there’s going to be a great transfer of knowledge that needs to take place in order for the next generation of growers to succeed. However, simply put, there’s not enough people going into agriculture. What problems is this creating on the farm and how can the industry start to think through this shortage?

THURSDAY, JULY 1

Crop & Soil Management

Because of the fertile soil in our region, North Dakota has been a leader in agriculture but as growers are expected to produce more with less, how can we be good stewards of our crop and soil?

The need to properly manage what’s in the ground is going to increase. From new technology like

sensors and soil analytic trackers to new varieties of seeds, advances are being made but what problems are growers facing right now and what do they want to see out of industry to properly manage our crops and soils?

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

Autonomous Systems

What was once a fledgling industry for hobbyists a decade ago has become an essential part of agriculture. Add in the fact that North Dakota is a leader in drone and autonomous technology, drones and unmanned aerial systems are widely incorporated today and more use cases are being developed everyday. As we’re at the advent of wide-spread adoption of autonomous systems, how can this technology address our growers pain points?

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Sustainable practices

Everybody recognizes that sustainable practices are essential to the future of agriculture. However, what does being sustainable even mean? From the FDA to the regular consumer, everybody has a different definition of this buzzword. How are growers incorporating sustainable practices into their operations? Is it affordable to use fully sustainable practices? What do growers want industry to know as the shift to sustainable agriculture increases? All this will be discussed as we look toward identifying the pain points with sustainable practices.

Grand Farm Field Days Grand Farm is nothing without our partners. These leaders of innovation are driving the industry forward through their innovative products, solutions and ideas. To celebrate these partners and the work they’re doing, Grand Farm will be celebrating them at our Field Days. Come and witness the work they’re doing through demonstrations and presentations.

This is a great chance for anybody interested in learning about Grand Farm, our mission and our partners as this is open to the public and is a low barrier to entry to get involved.

THURSDAY, MAY 13

Soil Health Monitoring

The Red River Valley’s fertile soil has made us a leader in agriculture and it’s of dire importance that the health of soil is maintained. New technology is making monitoring the soil health easier. From soil sensors to satellite imaging to clear understanding of the microbiome, Grand Farm is excited to show off the work being done by our partners to keep the agricultural industry healthy and thriving.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10

UAS/UGS

Drones and unmanned aerial systems are a common sight on farms today and unmanned ground systems are a quickly growing industry. From data collection to harvesting, these autonomous systems are changing the way farming is done and many of Grand Farm’s partners are on the cutting edge of developing this technology. Come see the work that these partners are doing to push the industry forward.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12

Sensing/Identification of Plants

The amount of data collected on the farm is staggering and is only going to increase as technology becomes advanced enough to track information down to each plant. From the collection of data through sensors, artificial intelligence, drones and other technology to processing that data, learn how Grand Farm’s partners are thinking about how we gather information on the farm.

76

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Grand Farm Innovation Days If there’s one word to describe Grand Farm, it’s innovation. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do as we look to solve the biggest problems in agriculture with our partners. Between increased environmental strain, a growing population, labor shortages and countless other struggles, the agriculture industry is under a lot of strain. The only way out of this is through innovation.

Come celebrate those innovators who are making a difference in thinking through the future of the industry. From autonomous drones on the farm to how we’re tracking all the information on the farm, we’ll be celebrating the companies and individuals who are tirelessly working on finding solutions.

THURSDAY, MAY 20

Crop & Soil Management

Because of the fertile soil in our region, North Dakota has been a leader in agriculture but as there’s an increased focus on doing more with less and adopting sustainable practices, how can we be good stewards of our crop and soil? The need to properly manage what’s in the ground is going to increase. From new technology like sensors and soil analytic trackers to new varieties of seeds, advances are being made.

We’ll celebrate those making these exciting innovations.

THURSDAY, JUNE 17

Information Flows

The amount of data in agriculture is staggering.

As tech companies attempt to track everything on a farm down to the individual plant, how is that information passed along and what’s the backbone for the flow of this information?

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26

Farm of the Future Design

As agriculture changes, so too does the needs of the farm. The Farm of the Future will be high tech and needs will range from strong connectivity to how autonomous vehicles are incorporated to adopting more sustainable practices. Listen to how leaders in the industry are thinking through the farm of the future.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

Rural Connectivity

A robust and effective connectivity is the backbone of all the technology being developed for agriculture. If farms and rural communities suffer poor connectivity, new technologies can not be adopted and innovation slows. As North Dakota continues to be a leader in rural connectivity, how are internet companies, government leaders and industry making sure the connective backbone is strong?

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

77

Harvest Hours EVERY THURSDAY FROM 4-5:30 At the heart of Grand Farm is the idea that we can solve the biggest problems in agriculture by coming together. None of us are as smart as all of us.

That’s why Grand Farm wants to create a space for startups, corporate entities, growers, academia, policymakers and the public to come together to celebrate the innovators in the industry, connect around ideas and create bonds that will move the industry forward and solve the big problems.

Every Thursday from 4-5:30 p.m., Grand Farm will host a happy hour. This is open to the public and will feature a different speaker talking about the important work they’re doing. This will be followed by a chance to network and grow relationships.

We invite you to come out and think big.

Grand Farm has three larger conferences planned for 2021 (attendance TBD based on COVID safety protocols):

SPACE AG CONFERENCE will explore the future of space agriculture, potentially with global leaders already working in outer space. Space Ag Conference will advance collaboration and communication among those currently working on space agriculture, sharing their progress and plans to feed 10 billion people by 2050 with the world.

CULTIVATE is one of our most-popular annual conferences, bringing together farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs to share the stage (and share their frustrations) with agtech leaders and agtech venture capitalists. The event features a full day of presentations and real-world demonstrations.

AUTONOMOUS NATION connects the autonomous industry with local, state, and national policymakers and thought leaders, with the goal to make North Dakota the most autonomous-friendly state in the country. The event identifies obstacles and creates solutions to share with policymakers, and features demonstrations throughout the day.

Updated events and registrations added soon at: grandfarm.com/events

78

MARCH/APRIL 2021

2021 Grand Farm Event/Program Schedule Recurring

• Grower Roundtable - First Thursday of the month from 12-1:30 Audience: Growers • Thursday, May 6 - Farm of the Future Design • Thursday, June 3 - Labor Shortage & Skills Gaps • Thursday, July 1 - Crop & Soil Management • Thursday, August 5 - Autonomous Systems • Thursday, September 2 - Sustainable Practices • Field Days - Second Thursday of the month at 12-1:30 Audience: General Public • Thursday, May 13: Soil Health Monitoring • Thursday, June 10: UAS/UGS • Thursday, August 12: Sensing/Identification of Plants • September: No Field Day because of Autonomous Nation • Innovation Days - Third Thursday of the month from 12-1:30 Audience: Corporate, startups, research institutions, government, growers • Thursday, May 20 - Crop & Soil Management • Thursday, June 17 - Information Flows • July - No Innovation Day because of Cultivate • Thursday, August 26 - Farm of the Future Design • Thursday, September 23 - Rural Connectivity • Harvest Happy Hours - Every Thursday at 4 pm • Audience: Anybody interested in agriculture • Grand Farm Tours - Tuesday at noon

Conferences

• Space Ag Conference - Thursday, August 19 • Cultivate Conference - Thursday, July 15 • Autonomous Nation - Thursday, Sept 16

ABOUT GRAND FARM

Grand Farm will create the farm of the future by 2025 and will

be the global leader in solving challenges to farming worldwide, unleashing the potential for technology for the greater good. It will do so by growing and inspiring regional businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to collaborate globally in developing technological and human solutions for farming in a new era. Grand Farm is an equal opportunity provider.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

79