Future Farmer July/August 2020 by Spotlight Media

BONANZA AGRONOMY SERVICES

ELECTRICITY: THE NEW BIG CROP

DIVERSIFYING HEMP

PLUG & PLAY'S INAUGURAL STARTUPS

Future Farmer JULY/AUGUST 2020

COMPLIMENTARY

MEET

AMY SMITH RANCHING, MARKETING, FAMILY, OPERATIONS & LIFE ON RORVIG RANCH

CONTENTS PEOPLE

Editorial Note ......................................... 10 From The Field: LG Seeds ................. 12 People First: Bonanza Ag .................. 18

Asset Planning with Ag Country.... 40 Books to Read ........................................ 76

THE MULTIFACETED LIFE OF TIM HOEFER

7TH GRADE SCIENCE GOES GLOBAL

PRAIRIE SKY UAV

SOLAR ELECTRICITY WITH NOVEL ENERGY

FEATURED SOFTWARE: ARVA INTELLIGENCE

TECH

AMY SMITH OF RORVIG RANCH

EMERGING PRAIRIE

DIVERSIFYING HEMP

MEET PLUG AND PLAY Agron Solutions ......... 82 Aker ................................ 83 Ceres .............................. 84 Continuum Ag ........... 85 FluroSat ........................ 86 Groguru ......................... 87 InCeres .......................... 88 Olho Do Dono .............. 89 Rabbit Tractors ........... 90 Teralytic ........................ 91 Ukko Agro .................... 92

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

OUR TEAM NOLAN

NICK

KIM

KELLEN

KIRSTEN

COLLEEN MATT

ZACH

BEN

Learn more about us at SpotlightMediaFargo.com

JULY / AUGUST 2020

MIKE

BRADY

ALEXANDRA

CHRISTY

LAURA

TOMMY

JENNY

PAUL

CASSIE

JOHN

July/August 2020 Volume 1 Issue 4

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 Director Editors Graphic Designer Contributors

INTERACTIVE Business Development Manager

Mike Dragosavich Drago@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Alexandra Martin Alexandra Martin and Nolan Schmidt Kim Cowles Lee Schwartz at Emerging Prairie J Alan Paul Photography Nicole Midwest Russ Tweiten Nick Schommer nickschommer@spotlightmediafargo.com

Digital Marketing Strategist

Tommy Uhlir

Inbound Marketing Strategist

Kirsten Lund

Videographer Executive Sales Assistant Graphic Designer ADVERTISING Senior Sales Executive Sales Executives

Client Relations Client Relations Manager Marketing Designer ADMINISTRATION VP of Human Resources Account Strategist DISTRIBUTION Delivery

Laura Alexander, Tommy Uhlir Kellen Feeney Ben Buchanan Paul Hoefer Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

FULL SERVICE TILE YARD TILE PLANNING CALL TODAY!

For ALL Your Tiling Needs! Including Culverts, Intake Guards, Intake Flags • Soil-Max Tile Plows • TILE PLANNING • Culverts in stock from 6-36” • ADS Tile & fittings in stock • from 4-24”

Zach Olson Zach@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

clientrelations@spotlightmediafargo.com Jenny Johnson Christy German Colleen Dreyer Cassie Wiste John Stuber

Future Farmer is published by Spotlight LLC, Copyright 2020 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)

DRAINAGE SPECIALISTS: Jared Kram Mike Bengtson Bob Schmit Barrett (320) 528-2526 Hancock (320) 392-5100 Callaway (218) 790-2862

EDITORIAL NOTE

No Stone Left Unturned

n your hands, you hold only

by themselves. That is not for a lack

Hoefer has been in the ag world for

the fourth edition of Future

of talent or fervor to succeed either.

almost four decades. Not only is he

Farmer. While it may seem like

Quite frankly, this is outside of our

a generational family farmer, but he

our publication is in its relative

wheelhouse and truthfully, as a writer,

also provides financial assistance

infancy, those of us who work on the

stepping outside your comfort zone

and advice to fellow farmers as

magazine daily might say otherwise.

can be extremely difficult. However,

Vice President at Dakota Heritage

The past eight months have been a

we as a team know the potential this

Bank in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota.

whirlwind in what makes a successful

magazine has and we are willing to

Needless to say, there is no shortage

magazine. Perhaps more importantly,

get uncomfortable for the sake of our

of things to learn with that amount of

we've learned what does not make a

fine readers.

experience.

We want to take a page from our

"Know and use your consultants.

We have no doubt seen our fair share

own book and focus on collaboration

Farming has so many different facets

of growing pains with members of

in these issues. The best way to

to it that all farmers need to know.

our team taking on tasks they may

do that for our readers and those

It's impossible to be an expert in all

not be educated or experienced in.

in the agriculture world is through

areas though. The farmers that are

We've had to roll with the punches

fellow experts in the field. A little

successful have their key consultants

(and there have been plenty of

slice of life or tips to help the future

that they rely on in those specific

haymakers on this journey) and we've

farmer succeed in an ever-changing

areas," Tim said. "In that sense, they

had to simply put our head down

landscape can go a long way. We have

don't have to try to be experts in every

and work our tails off to get this

a tremendous amount of knowledge

area of production or crop sales and

magazine print-ready every time.

in these following pages and all of

everything in between. Have key

them offer forth enlightening details

people that you can rely on for your

on how to succeed in this industry.

expertise."

magazine is all about collaboration

Perhaps Tim Hoefer summed it up

That is invaluable advice for anyone,

when it comes to our team at

best in one of this month's profiles

regardless of what industry they

Spotlight. Not one person on our

and we believe it best encompasses

are in. Replace the word with

staff could complete these issues

our approach as an editorial team.

"farming" with "writing", "design" or

successful agriculture publication.

What has allowed us to be successful thus far is collaboration. This

JULY / AUGUST 2020

"photography" and you have the very situation we are in here at Spotlight. As an editorial team, we have to rely on fellow agriculture professionals to help us make content that is valuable to you. They are what make our content valid and valuable at the end of the day. There is something to be said for a good old fashioned team effort. This issue is indicative of that statement. Collaborate. Innovate. Stay Positive.

The Spotlight Editorial Team.

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 STAR Partner dealers. By bringing about this team approach, they can serve farmers with their leading genetics but also “feet on the farm” expertise. It’s not enough to provide farmers with leading-edge research and 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 farm customers. STAR Partners are equipped with the resources to maximize success for farmers, including 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 three STAR Partners, Jake Erickson, Bryan Kenner and Luke Dubbels. These three LG Seeds STAR Partners shared what makes them feel like valuable parts 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

Jake Erickson STAR Partner, Jake's Feed & Seed Rutland, ND

ake Erickson is a fifth-generation farmer living on his family’s farm near Rutland, ND. He took over a seed dealership from his uncle 12 years ago as his full-time job, along with farming on the side with his father and uncle. "I always wanted to be a farmer, but my dad said we didn't have enough land for me to come back to, so I went to college at NDSU and majored in marketing," Erickson said. "I enlisted in the air national guard in my junior year of college. After graduation, I went to Fort Leonard Wood, MO for tech school training to be a heavy equipment operator.” Once that training was completed, he moved back north and worked in Oakes, ND at Wheat Growers as a sales agronomist. After about a year of working in Oakes, Erickson's uncle, Mike Kulzer, retired and sold his seed dealership business to him. Since taking over the dealership, Erickson

has expanded to provide even greater services to his customer base, including the addition of bulk soybeans and wheat. A seed treater also added an extra layer of service to his customers. Additionally, Erickson built a large warehouse to store seed, livestock feed and livestock supplements, as well as host customer appreciation events. "Once you've grown up around farming it's something that you can't get away from," Erickson said. "The saying about ‘if you love what you do you never work a day in your life’ is true. The long hours in the season never bother me and I look forward to them all year long." Erickson is proud of his role in the community and loves working with growers to find the right products for their operations. "You get to become part of your grower's operations and really better understand their fields and goals," he said. "The most enjoyable thing about my job

is seeing so many farmers do so many things differently. It's made me really realize that there is no right or wrong way to do something. If you're able to make it work on your operation, then do that and don't worry about what others think." In his years with LG Seeds, Erickson has learned there's more to a bag of corn or soybeans than meets the eye. "There is so much research, development and testing that goes into that bag," he said. "I enjoy seeing all the data and how different varieties do on different soils and across growers’ farms." From a drought environment one year, to a wet environment the next, Erickson enjoys how things can change in the blink of an eye. No two years are ever the same on the field, which allows for creative adapting and strategic choices. Because of LG Seeds extensive research and unique products, he can feel confident knowing his seed will keep up with these changes.

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

Bryan Kenner STAR Partner, BK Seeds Maddock, ND

rom humble beginnings, BK Seeds owner Bryan Kenner started selling corn seed as a way to help pay for college. This initial experience with the industry led him to want to continue to expand into a business, which came to fruition in 2002. From there, he expanded into producing wheat and barley seed then eventually carrying a full line of seed and crop protection products. Kenner's business is an LG Seeds STAR Partner dealership, including a the full lineup of both seed and crop protection products and the expertise of his LG Seeds team. With a degree in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University and the LG Seeds team by his side, Kenner found a recipe for success. While Kenner first began BK Seeds in Maddock, ND in 2002, its full launch wasn't until 2005. From his early experiences selling seed, he knew he enjoyed it and wanted to continue on that path. But why LG Seeds for Kenner? It all comes down to

the people. "Most of the staff I work with at LG Seeds I've known for years. They are good people that I can call directly anytime," he said. On top of this accessibility, Kenner notes that LG Seeds does an excellent job of finding genetics that fit his specific customers. At the end of the day, it's about finding the right product for the right people, and that's exactly what this STAR Partner dealership does best. Alongside Kenner at BK Seeds is a full-time sales agronomist, Jeff Larson. Both Larson and Kenner actively sell while also running a farm operation, Kenner Farms. As with many LG Seeds Partners, Kenner grows the same products on his farm that they sell to their growers. Leading by example, his growers are confident that they are making the right decisions. It's one thing to make suggestions based on data and numbers, but Kenner gives his growers peace of mind by showing them that he himself uses the product.

Even in the rural area, Kenner has seen the impact of COVID-19 in the community. This has welcomed a change in day-today operations and how he interacts with his growers. One way he's worked to shift accordingly is by sending out emails to alert customers to keep them aware. Because face-to-face and personal interactions are so important to the industry, coming up with these new approaches is an area of opportunity and to reimagine "the way we've always done it." As the cultural climate and technology shift and change, some things remain the same. Honesty, trustworthiness and knowledge will always be on the front line, and Kenner doesn't intend on veering from those principles. To learn more about Kenner and BK Seeds, reach out to him at kennerfarms@hotmail.com

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

Digital Ag Field Specialist

Technical Team Agronomist

Area Agronomy Manager

Marketing Coordinator

Product & Agronomy Services Manager

Marketing Team

Marketing Manager

Site Manager

Business Lead

Dealer Development Manager Lead Customer Care Specialist

Sales Account Manager Team

Business Manager

Teaming Up For Success Area Sales Manager

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 - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about helping growers yield bigger, better results.

Brought to you by LG SEEDS

Luke Dubbels STAR Partner, Dubbels Seeds Randolph, MN

uke Dubbels is a shining example of what the STAR Partner program at LG Seeds is all about. At age 22, he has a crop and soil science degree under his belt and has returned to his family farm in Randolph, MN to farm the land, help run Dubbels Seeds and to kickstart his own LG Seeds dealership. Growing up on a 1,000-acre farm, Dubbels knew he always wanted to continue to work the land. While studying crop and soil science at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Dubbels interned for LG Seeds in his junior and senior years. With a desire to return to the family farm and his foot already in the door at LG Seeds, starting his own STAR Partner dealership was a natural next step. "[When] I was looking at jobs and going through interviews in October of my senior year, a lot of companies wanted me to move out of state. That was not an option for me, as I wanted to be a farmer and help my family's trucking business. So I needed a career that was going to keep me around the home and keep me farming and this [job] is exactly what I needed," said Dubbels about his decision to launch an LG Seeds STAR Partner dealership. "The reason why I love my job so much is that it doesn't actually feel like a job. I get to go out

and talk to growers all day long and look at crops. The amount I have learned from growers about farming, their operations and life, in general, has been incredible." While still in college, Dubbels successfully began this STAR Partner Dealership, finding success in using his family's farm and trucking business's contacts and enjoying the additional connections he was making along the way. Especially in the farm business, personal connections and relationships are just as important as business practices and pricing. When growers choose to work with Dubbels, it's not solely because they want LG Seeds products. It's because they know him and his family. They've seen him grow up and they know he is trustworthy and willing to do everything he can to help them out. "I'm not out there looking for the dollar for me, I want to help each of my growers succeed in the best way by becoming part of their operation and providing them with the best products. When a farmer is happy with the results in the fall, that is what keeps me going and drives me to keep making myself better," he said. Dubbels benefits from his knowledge of not only the product he carries but this connection to the community he serves.

Showing that he's not all talk and sales tactics, each year he has a designated day where he invites farmers out to his own land. Here, growers can walk through the hybrids, discuss the agronomics behind them and see for themselves real field data. This special day also involves door prizes and a dinner altogether, further showing Dubbels' comradery and commitment to the growers. Being one of the youngest on the LG Seeds STAR Partner roster, Dubbels is supported by his family-like team. While he could have completed his internship with LG Seeds and moved on, his connection to the company and his coworkers led him to continue the relationship. From here on, we are sure he will continue to share the joy that comes from his farmers and their successes. At the end of the day, it comes down to relationships. And with Dubbels just getting started, the Randolph community is set up for success. To learn more about Dubbels and Dubbels Seeds visit them at gdubbelstrucking.com or facebook.com/gdubbelsfarmstrucking

SPONSORED CONTENT

People

First

Meet Bonanza Agronomy Services and learn how owner Chris Hoffmann has dedicated his career to putting the farmer first, enlivening rural North Dakota and embodying what it means to be a family man. By Alexandra Martin Photos by J Alan Paul Photography With a population of just a few hundred, Chaffee, North Dakota is no booming metropolis. And that's just what Chris Hoffmann, founder of Bonanza Agronomy Services, loves about it. Hoffmann founded Bonanza Agronomy Services about six years ago and to this day is proud to be a local company with local values. In fact, you're more likely to find Hoffmann and his employees out in their field than nestled behind a desk. Bonanza Agronomy Services specializes only in row crops, corn and soybeans, ensuring that the customer receives complete expertise from Bonanza staff. Dedication to the customer is a core value at which 18

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Bonanza Agronomy Services is proud to be built on. "I don't sleep well if my customers are not sleeping well," said Hoffmann. "Every purchase and recommendation that we make has to be farmer first, then Bonanza. I'm not always happy financially with the recommendation that I put forward, but I sleep great at night." Coming from a family farm background, Hoffmann knows the ins and outs of the business. He resonates with farmers' hearts for the trade and their stewardship to the land. He shared, "Part of the reason that Bonanza exists is that it impresses me the passion that an American farmer has for his land, for his family and his career."

SPONSORED CONTENT

Chris Hoffmann Owner

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

A Family Man Chris Hoffmann didn't intend on ending up back in the Red River Valley to plant roots. But with his independent ag retail business Bonanza Agronomy Services thriving in rural North Dakota, this path just makes sense. Hoffmann was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and raised near Chaffee, North Dakota. He initially went to North Dakota State University for psychology, as he didn't see farming as his career path at the time. Hoffmann was fascinated by psychology, but two years into the program he dropped out to return to the family farm. Then a few short years later, he decided to return to college, this time for crop and weed science. The two competing career paths in Hoffmann's life might appear in opposition, but his career in ag sales and marketing marry the two degree programs perfectly. Knowing how the human mind works and speaking to customers as people, not just clients, he creates meaningful connections in every interaction. In college, he interned with Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva) in the research and development department. Upon completion of his degree, he set out to work for some big names in the seed manufacturing industry, soon entering their sales and marketing departments. For 10 years, he worked at Syngenta as Marketing Manager and then District Manager. These roles landed him in Wisconsin but required a lot of travel, including international travel. And after almost a decade, he was ready to do his own thing and plant roots for his family of five. Thus, Bonanza Ag was born. While he was successful in his career with the big-name companies, he wanted the stability and values that came with owning and running his own business. Hoffmann is strong in his personal beliefs and he operates best when all of those values are in balance. "I really felt like I needed to root down to raise my family. I know, that's a real Midwestern thing and not everyone's going to even agree with me on that, but I felt it was important," he said.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Ryan Sinner - Location Manager Chris Hoffmann - CEO Austin Haas - Sales Agronomist

Independent Ag Retail Hoffmann came across the concept of independent ag retail when he met Dave DeLong of the DeLong Company in Clinton, Wisconsin. "The DeLong Company was a huge influence on my life. Seeing independent ag for the first time and seeing it as family values and a family-owned business," said Hoffmann. "I was asking myself, 'How do I leave a legacy?' I couldn't identify a good way before this." Rather than going through a manufacturer, independent ag retailers carry a variety of brands and products, truly offering their clients the best outcome. This comes with a level of authenticity and genuine care that sometimes the big box retailers overlook. With an idea in mind, Hoffmann discovered and addressed an unmet need in North Dakota, specifically Cass County. This unmet need was independent ag retail. To have a true partner in your supply chain and one that values the community you operate in is something many in this region were missing.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Chaffee Proud Just over 30 miles west of Fargo sits Chaffee, North Dakota, a destination many would consider a ghost town. But to Hoffmann, there's just something about a small, rural town that gets him excited. When driving through this region he grew up in a few years ago, he stumbled on a pasture on the edge of town, just across from the town elementary school. Covered in grassy, swamp-like terrain, a "for sale" sign caught his eye on the conventionally unattractive plot. Feeling sentimental over the elementary school he grew up going to and moved by a sign over the youth baseball diamond reading "every child has a dream," Hoffmann put in an offer for the land that very day. Hoffmann said with a laugh, "I know it's corny, but that day I bought that land. It just started clicking, everything started falling into place. I think this was an opportunity to ground me and ground my family. And it just happens to be that it's in the backyard of where I grew up, which is really the cool part of that." With land purchased, the first step in launching an ag retail business alongside his own farm was in place. Beyond a personal connection to the region, Hoffmann is also dedicated to keeping rural American cities healthy and their local businesses alive. Bonanza Agronomy Services walks the walk, investing in the community, sponsoring local events and being engrained in the town's patchwork. "I don't believe that Chaffee should be a ghost town. I believe in rural America, I believe in rural communities. I think there's a segment of young people that really want to live rural, that want to raise their families rural. And I think it's important to have rural development, to have small towns," he said. If people resonate with those sentiments, Hoffmann is confident they will also find value in him and his company's core values. "Bonanza Ag was a calling. It was a calling to come back home and give back everything I've learned. And I had learned a ton and I had so much to give. And it's fun, I'm having a blast!" he added.

Ag was a "Bonanza calling, to come

back home and give back everything I've learned.

The Farmer's Farmer Wholly dedicated to the farmer, confusing technical terminology and formulas have no home at Bonanza Agronomy Services. Instead, Hoffmann and his team are committed to communicating in plain English and customers can have peace of mind knowing the recommendations are truly what is best for them. Hoffmann is a firm believer that farmers need partners. Especially with the rising demographic of farmers working on succession planning, the next generation of farmers are stepping in and they need advice from someone who is on their side, who knows the land. The next generation of farmer needs a partner that is an expert in the day-today all the way to financial planning, and Hoffmann aims to be just that. Bonanza Agronomy Services' bull's eye of a client is the farmer of tomorrow. Hoffmann aims to work with the individual taking over the family farm, the one who doesn't want to keep doing things the way they've always been done. "They need somebody that is going to guide them, that's going to help them with succession planning, that has a flair for finance, but also has a flair for production agriculture and how they can do things differently than mom or dad or grandma or grandpa did it," he said. Taking what he has learned from his years of experience â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in college, manufacturing and distribution spheres â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he's back home and back in retail, working with the very people he once was.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

Bonanza Agronomy Services www.bonanzaag.com 14893 44 ST SE Chaffee, North Dakota chris@bonanzaag.com

Continual Learning Hoffmann notes that falling into a rut is the biggest challenge for his business, and others in the agricultural industry too. In the tough agricultural time we are in, it is easy to slip into the gutter. "The answer is not hoping that prices go up. Hope is not a strategy," he said. In this field, one cannot just wish for the best, they must make moves and switch up their strategy. To do this, Hoffmann and his team work to stay educated and up to speed on all the technologies at their disposal. How do they properly place such technologies with the right farmers? How can they identify what is best for each square foot of land? Addressing and identifying these details is what Bonanza Agronomy Services strives to achieve. Along with learning the ever-growing pool of resources, Hoffmann knows the importance of networking and learning from other experts. Rather than being a jack of all trades and a master of none, the company is comfortable relinquishing control in a certain field if it means the customer will see the most success. Bonanza Agronomy Services' mastery comes with knowing their client and their product inside and out.

The Bonanza Legacy In the 1960s hit television show, Bonanza, we follow the Cartwright family as they navigate their thousand-acre Nevada ranch in post-Civil War America. The show received many accolades, becoming NBC's longest-running western and earning a number of Emmy awards and nominations. What made the show stand out among other popular westerns of the time were its storylines dealing more with interpersonal tales from the family than simply ranch-life. Following in the footsteps of the series sharing its same name, Bonanza Agronomy Services also shares the sentiment of focusing on people and their stories first. Whether on grounds of Ponderosa Ranch or in quiet Chaffee, North Dakota, this dedication to people-first is a timeless recipe for success. 22

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Prairie Sky UAV: A New Frontier

Ryan Johnson Founder/CEO Prairie Sky UAV

A life-changing pivot has led Ryan Johnson and his company, Prairie Sky UAV, into the bustling ag-tech sphere. By Nolan Schmidt Photos Provided By Prairie Sky UAV

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Most humans are set in their chosen career path from a young age. In most cases, we will choose a college major and educate ourselves on a specific topic to attain a degree in that field. From there, many of us will use that education to professionally succeed in our selected field. Then what happens next? We will likely spend the majority of our lifetimes striving for that success in our field. That is human nature. For Ryan Johnson, that timeline was applicable to his life. He attended North Dakota State University where he majored in mechanical engineering. Johnson was able to find a job in the field upon graduating from NDSU. However, over the course of his 20-year career as a mechanical engineer, he discovered new interests. It was this, coupled with his upbringing, that led him to drone technology. More specifically, it led to the founding of Prairie Sky UAV, a company Johnson created by himself in 2016.

Beginnings Prairie Sky UAV is still a relatively new company in the vast landscape of the drone industry. While they offer everything from oil and natural gas services to construction or inspection services, Johnson sees his biggest interest in agriculture. Growing up on a family farm near Enderlin, North Dakota, Johnson has always had a heart rooted in agriculture. Part of this led to his interest in drone technology which ultimately led to the founding of the company. However, the beginning of Prairie Sky UAV did not go as smoothly as Johnson had hoped. Changing regulations delayed the company from actually being able to do business. "The initial filing with the state for the corporate structure was in February of 2016. Due to the changing of the regulations in the drone environment at that time, we actually didn't start doing business until late 2016. Right about in that June timeframe, the FAA changed the old rules, which were basically modified manned-pilot stuff, to new regulations created specifically for UAS," Johnson said of the company's creation. "We had filed under the old policy and were waiting in the queue to have our paperwork to be approved and then they switched over to the new regulations which put us behind from our original plan.. Of course, any new government regulations take time and it wasn't until later in the year before we got going." In the early going, Prairie Sky UAV was only going to be a part-time gig for Johnson, who still held a full-time job as a mechanical engineer. While Johnson knew his future lied in the drone industry, he knew that transition could not happen overnight. Prairie Sky UAV became Ryan Johnson's full-time job in the spring of 2019. As he phased out of his career as a mechanical engineer, he met his new project head-on. "We started out as just a part-time organization. I am a mechanical engineer by trade, graduated from NDSU. I spent 20 years in the industry, working in different areas of that industry. With the engineering background, I was always interested in the new technology of things. It was around that time when then-Governor Hoeven was pushing to bring the drone stuff into the state," Johnson said when asked what got him interested in the drone industry. "I got to following some of that technology and it seemed like something I would like to do. I've always wanted to have my own company and this seemed like a great opportunity at that point. So we started out part-time, working my regular job while I got things up and running. As of April of last year, I took it full-time and have been doing it on a full-time basis since."

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Transitions That transition from mechanical engineer to CEO of a drone company came with its own set of challenges for Johnson. While mechanical engineering and drone technology can sometimes cross-reference one another, being a business owner was a new experience for Johnson. "One of the biggest challenges is that now this is my company, everything falls on my shoulders. I have to put in a lot more time and effort to make sure that the money comes in. As an engineer, a lot of times there was not a whole lot of dealing with people," Johnson said of the differences between both jobs. "We would be sitting at a computer in my cubicle and you occasionally would work with others on big projects, otherwise you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a whole lot of dealings with people outside the company. The biggest challenge would be learning the business side of things more than anything else. Learning sales and marketing tactics, that really was not in my wheelhouse, it made this a trial by fire so to speak." Yet, there were some skills that Johnson possessed that transferred well to his newfound career path. Mainly, it was his natural ability to solve problems. In an industry like drone where much of a company's business revolves around solving issues, Johnson fits in nicely. "As an engineer, you have the problem-solving ability and that is a lot of what this business is because it is still relatively new. Especially when you start looking at agriculture, the technology is so new," he said. "Some of the projects we take on may not have a lot of history behind it from a drone standpoint, it might be a new idea. My technical background and problem-solving ability help me do that to be able to come up with a viable solution."

A Farmer By Trade Johnson also believes his company has a leg up in the agriculture sphere especially. Growing up on a family farm 65 miles Southwest of Fargo-Moorhead near Enderlin, Johnson understands what it takes to run a successful farm. He also continues to help on his family farm when time allows. "Farmers are a distinct breed of character. Most of them know that when someone comes up to them and starts spouting big words and trying to talk over their heads to make yourself sound smart, they're going to know really quickly if you know what you're talking about. Having that background with what happens on a farm and the work ethic involved in running a farm, it is important," Johnson said about relating to farmers and their issues. "That knowledge

"As an engineer, you have the problemsolving ability and that is a lot of what this business is because it is still relatively new. Especially when you start looking at agriculture, the technology is so new." - Ryan Johnson

and being able to talk intelligently and show that I know what I'm talking about with farmers goes a long way. If I come in spouting off big words and not knowing what I'm talking about, they are going to see through me right away. They are going to watch me drive off down the road and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never hear from them again."

The Importance Of Precision Agriculture One of the keynote services Prairie Sky UAV offers farmers is their precision agriculture services. This is done through aerial mapping to help analyze crop health. This precise data can help farmers improve their yield and productivity by pinpointing specific areas where fertilizer or herbicide needs to be applied. Prairie Sky UAV's precision agriculture service can also assess storm damage for potential insurance claims as well. For Johnson, precise data is a cornerstone of his business becoming successful in the world of agriculture. "Precise data is absolutely critical. Everything nowadays is that we need information in real-time. On a construction site or something like that, it may not be as critical because there may not be a big change from today until next week. In agriculture, if you look at a crop today, it could be completely different three days from now," Johnson said. "Things change that much and when you take in this aerial data and doing a crop health analysis, it helps to pinpoint things. Before, when you apply your pesticides or herbicides, you may have done the entire field at the same exact rates. Now with precision crop analysis that we can do with the drones, you may determine that you only have to treat 30 acres of a 100-acre field. Your other 70 acres is fine and you're looking at thousands of dollars worth of savings in unnecessary herbicides and fertilizer application."

With Prairie Sky UAV's precision agriculture service, farmers can help their bottom line. According to Johnson, that is one of the most important things for local farmers. "It's all about the bottom line for farming. Getting the best data they can, as quickly as they can in order to solve their issues," he said. "That way, you can solve those issues right away before it starts affecting their yields. All it can take is a day or two to drastically impact a field and these farmers need to be able to combat that as early as possible." "Drone technology is becoming more accepted now because they have been around for a while. The public is more accepting of this work, but when drones first started coming out, people thought they were cool, but it's just a toy. The common opinion was that people didn't think it could benefit them. I don't think you can meet with someone and say that a certain drone service will cost 'x' amount of dollars," Johnson added. "They don't want to hear that. You have to sell them on what is going to save them and not what is going to cost them. When you start showing them the benefits of these services, they are more likely to listen to you and the cost is secondary. It's all about the benefit to the customer, not the benefit of the company."

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Prairie Sky UAV's new sprayer drone could become the future of drone in agriculture.

It is Johnson's relatability to the client that allows him and Prairie Sky UAV to be successful. Not only does this apply to agriculture, but Johnson can relate to something in every industry Prairie Sky UAV works in. "My biggest thing is that I relate to a lot of the stuff we're trying to do. I have had experience with growing up on a farm and I still help out on the farm too. I still have a lot of friends that are farmers and keeping up with the new technology there. Even on construction sites, I have worked construction before. I have actually done a lot of the stuff that we're trying to work with now," Johnson said. "Being able to speak intelligently towards a particular industry is extremely valuable. When you prove to people that you can relate and know what you're talking about, they are more likely to listen and work with you."

GPS on tractors or combines or even automation like the Grand Farm is researching, it's invaluable." "This is the wave of the future and it has to be this way. The world population is growing and we need more food. There is only so much land so you have to do something to be able to meet this increase and become more efficient. These technologies are what will help farmers meet those increased demands."

"I want to sit down and find a way to help a potential customer. Even if it means taking on a job we've never done before." - Ryan Johnson

Growth And New Technology Growing up on a family farm has given Johnson the opportunity to see agriculture technology evolve as time has gone on. He believes that it will only continue to grow and become the way of future farming. "Farms today are getting bigger and bigger all the time. As the older generation retires, you have more consolidation and fewer people working more land. With that growth, the technology has to grow with it because realistically, it's hard to find good labor to work on farms a lot of times," he said. "Either they did not grow up around it or they can't find someone knowledgable enough to do it. Using drone services to

So how is Prairie Sky UAV factoring into the future of agriculture? One of their newest service offerings is drone spraying in North Dakota. Johnson recently purchased a sprayer drone that he feels will be the future of the company in the ag sphere. The new sprayer drone can help apply pesticides to crops without having to manually do it, without damage caused by a ground sprayer, or spraying larger areas than are necessary.

While the technology is still in its relative infancy, Johnson sees a future in that sector of agriculture technology. "Our intent is to make that a focus. It is never going to replace manual crop spraying in the near future just because these sprayers are only going to carry so much. We'll use it for precision and applying to specific areas of a field. That is where this niche will be in the beginning," Johnson said of the sprayer drone technology. "Although a lot of places don't have the regulations for this technology yet. We're on the ground floor and one of the first FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

The world population is growing and we need more food and be more efficient. There is only so much land so you have to do something to be able to meet this increase. These technologies are what will help farmers meet those increased demands. - Ryan Johnson

in the area to be offering this when it comes out. As things progress and people get into it more, you will be able to take on bigger areas of a field. For now, it has its niche with precision agriculture and as technology advances, it's only going to get better." Johnson believes this will also allow Prairie Sky UAV to expand their reach across the United States. To date, the company has worked in just North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, mapping 2,5003,000 acres from August to September of last year. However, Johnson foresees the company reaching into new areas of the country and eventually nationwide. "In the last four years, this has gone from an idea to a business that is now sustaining itself as a full-time operation. It's just like every startup, there are pitfalls and ups and downs. With the COVID-19 situation, it throws a wrench in everything too. To see the growth from our infancy is pretty remarkable," Johnson said. "In the next four to five years, my plan is to see this company having multiple pilots. I want to expand our reach into other areas, different states. Bringing in new service offerings and growing what we already offer to our clients." While crop health analysis will continue to be one of their pillars in the ag world, Johnson is willing to take on any new opportunity that comes his way. Prairie Sky UAV is always looking for new challenges to tackle. "I want to sit down and find a way to help a potential customer. Even if it means taking on a job we've never done before," he said. "When they succeed, we succeed." 30

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Up until recently, Johnson has built Prairie Sky UAV on his own. While he has used contractors from time to time, he has placed the success of this company solely on his shoulders. "I'm the CEO down to the janitor," Johnson joked. He has since hired an employee to help him with marketing and sales, but Prairie Sky UAV continues to be Ryan Johnson's brainchild. After 20 years in one field, a field he believed was his calling, Ryan Johnson took a step back. A keen interest in drone technology guided him to his own company, Prairie Sky UAV. With years of experience in the field, Ryan Johnson will continue to be a stalwart in the evergrowing agriculture technology field. Sometimes, human nature is curious. That natural curiosity led to a new career and company for Ryan Johnson. Learn more prairieskynd.com 701-428-2882

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Farmer. Ag Lender. Husband. Father...all these titles and commitment to the industry has kept Tim Hoefer in agriculture for nearly 40 years.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

im Hoefer is many things. He is first and foremost a father and a husband. Hoefer is also a notable ag lender in the Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, area. Spending nearly four decades in the industry, he has spent his professional life helping farmers succeed financially. He is also a farmer, growing up on a small daily farm near Red Lake Falls. Today, Hoefer lives on that very same farm where he farms corn, soybeans, wheat and has a herd of 150 beef cows on 500 acres of land. Up until about five years ago, Hoefer ran that small farm by himself. However, if you were to ask Tim Hoefer, he would begin by saying what he is not. "I'm far from unique," Hoefer said when discussing the different facets that make up his life. He is quick to note that there are plenty of people who do exactly what he does. While that may be true on paper, very few people like Hoefer have seen what he has seen. Since joining the ag lending industry in 1983, he has aided farmers and driven them to succeed both in practice and financially. There is something to be said for that amount of experience. It is that experience that makes Tim Hoefer unique whether the knows it (or wants to admit it) or not. We spoke with Hoefer about everything from his humble beginning in Red Lake Falls to his near four decades in the ag lending industry.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

"I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN ANY NUMBER OF AG-RELATED PROFESSIONS COME OFF THE FARM. IT HELPS IF YOU GREW UP DOING IT AND KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON DAY-TO-DAY ON A FARM." - Tim Hoefer What is your background and how did that lead you into the ag lending sphere? I grew up in Red Lake Falls with my parents farming on the farm I live on now with my wife. They moved onto the farm in 1950 and they retired and moved into town in 1990. That is when my wife and I moved onto that farm and we've been living there ever since. My parents milked and had a small dairy farm which was really common back then. There were still a lot of dairy farms all over up in this area. I think now there are only three remaining in Red Lake County, but at that time, there were close to 50 dairy farms in Red Lake County. My parents milked cows until 1976 just before they retired. I grew up on a small farm like a lot of people in this country have. I went to school in Moorhead at Moorhead State and then finished out my degree at NDSU in 1982. From there, I worked a couple of different jobs and started out in banking in Red Lake Falls in January 1983. I was at that bank until October of 2019 which was just under 38 years and then I moved into a different location here in Red Lake Falls and I've been here for just over six months. Was there something in your college years that attracted you to banking over farming? I was really undecided for a couple of years when I was in college. I got interested in the agriculture school over at NDSU and I started seeing some of the possibilities outside of actually farming. At that time, my parents' farm was being rented along with my uncle's farm, so there was not much room on the farm for me at the time. I started seeing opportunities in other parts of the agriculture sector. The big perks were in banking with ag sales and services.

You have now been in agriculture banking for close to 40 years. What was so interesting to you about that side of the agriculture industry? I don't think it was one single thing. For me, coming to the realization that there were jobs out there in rural areas in that industry. I always had the idea of moving back home at some point and banking opened the door to move back closer to home. Of course, I didn't realize it was going to happen right away a year after school. Also, I was comfortable with those types of classes and that type of work too. Growing up on a family farm, what kind of influence did that have on you when deciding on your future profession? I would say the majority of people who are in any number of ag-related professions come off the farm. It helps if you grew up doing it and know what is going on day-to-day on a farm. There is something to be said about staying in one industry for nearly four decades. What has kept you in the ag lending business? When you're working with farmers, you're working with some of the best people in the world. You get to know the farmers and build relationships with them. For me, it never became old or boring because I kept doing a little bit of livestock farming with a small beef herd from the beginning. That expanded into some more crop stuff later on, but that kept me busy and interested in other things. I never really had time for things to become boring because I was too busy both at work and at home. I get to work with some of the best people in the world. The farmers in this country at the bread and butter of the United States. It's hard to say it any other way really.

I never really had the opportunity to go in 100 percent on my family farm and at certain times it just was not feasible. It's hard to walk away from a decent job and start a small farming operation. I kept dabbling in it over the years and have done more with it in the last half a dozen years as time and situations have allowed. It's definitely kept things

JULY / AUGUST 2020

You stated that you were at one branch for 38 years of your career. What drew you to make a change and join the team at Dakota Heritage Bank? Dakota Heritage is still a family-owned business in small-town communities. Their biggest locations are all similar to the size of Red Lake Falls. The bank I was coming from was going through some growing pains and putting a big push on growing. Also, the ownership was transitioning and they merged three separately owned banks into one charter.

"FARMING HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT FACETS TO IT THAT ALL FARMERS NEED TO KNOW. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE AN EXPERT IN ALL AREAS THOUGH. THE FARMERS THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL HAVE THEIR KEY CONSULTANTS THAT THEY RELY ON IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS." - Tim Hoefer

Now, you took on a small farm operation outside of your work in banking. Obviously, you were living on your family farm, but what did you get back into the field?

interesting and it helps with my in-town job too since I'm doing some of that same stuff at home.

That caused some pretty severe growing pains and that made the decision pretty easy for me. Things had changed and it's similar to a lot of places where you go from a familyowned or solely-owned business and they get bought out or merged. When that happens, you lose a lot of your local control and you see that in a lot of banking situations. It wasn't really the direction I wanted to be going. I am sure there are plenty of rewards to this line of work and they probably outweigh any challenges. What are some of your greatest rewards of this job? The rewards are working with people. A lot of them are start-ups or young couples that are starting to farm. Seeing their progress over the years is very rewarding. The ones that have some luck and do things right can make some pretty significant financial progress. The challenge is just the general farm economy and the weather too. Those challenges don't seem to change much because both of those things can change at any moment.

What kind of customers do you typically service? Is it those younger generation folks looking to start out or take ownership of a family farm? Or is it still the older generation of family farmers? The majority of our customers are ones who have been farming for many years. Some gradually find that they don't need the borrowing end of a bank as much, but some do because they are continually growing or expanding with updated equipment or machinery.

THE BASICS OF AG LENDING OPERATING LOANS Short term loans used by farmers to operate their farms on a day to day basis. Usually, farmers are given a line of credit over the course of a year. TERM LOANS Traditionally, term loans can last anywhere between five to seven years. Primarily, farmers will use a term loan for new machinery or equipment and other high-end farm technology. FARM REAL ESTATE LOANS Long-term loans provide farmers a stable source of capital on their rural land.

Farms can expand faster than they can internally build for capital sometimes. Even farms that are doing really well financially continue to need and use financial resources like banks or lending institutions. The farmers who are doing really well oftentimes do a lot of borrowing. It is rewarding to see those farmers do really well too. Unfortunately, the younger ones are a little less prevalent. There are a lot of opportunities for young people and farming is a calling. Those who are called to go into farming, do it. It's always a process to get farms going and help them get to a stable financial position for these young guys. Unfortunately, there are not too many young guys out there who farm, but that is just the way it is. In this line of work, I feel like it is important to have a set of core values that align with your customers. What are your core values? I learned a long time ago that there is a lot to be said about perseverance. It's all about hanging in there because it doesn't matter who the customer is or what type of farming they do, there will always be ups and downs. The ones that can hang in there and keep it going are the ones that seem to be successful long term. There is no substitute for just getting the job done day in and day out. That is really what you have to key in on. Now for someone who may not know the ins and outs of ag lending, what kind of loans do you offer farmers? I know varies case by case, but there are usually three types of loans you deal in, no? Farmers are usually buying or owning land and that is your long term type of financing. There is also machinery and the need to stay up to date with equipment and that is the intermediate level of financing. Most machinery is on a five to seven-year schedule of financing. There is also the annual operating credit for working capital to pay the annual expenses on the farm which are typically given as a credit line over the course of a year. We work with the FSA for guaranteed loans when needed to help supply dollars to farmers. Whether there is some type of credit weakness or whatever, it would not disqualify them from eligibility, but the guarantee allows us to help provide dollars where normally we wouldn't be able to. Agriculture is always changing and the environment is always so fluid where things can change at any moment. From your position, do you feel any pressure knowing that things can change so rapidly on the farm? It's not like it used to be in that regard. With federal crop insurance, it alleviates a lot of that risk for a bank. There is still a risk of losing money in a tough situation, but the risk of losing it all in one year is not as severe as it used to be. 45 years ago, when federal crop insurance wasn't nearly as developed as it is now if you had a monsoon in the fall or a hail event without hail coverage, it was devastating for operations. Now, the crop insurance is much more developed so it does allow a much better safety net than in the past. Of course, farmers use those tools to help alleviate that because, without that, things would be much more difficult.

WE'RE REALLY JUST STARTING TO SEE THE START OF THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE. TO SEE ALL THESE BUSINESSES START-UP AS A RESULT OF THIS ADVANCEMENT IS GOING TO BE HUGE FOR THE FUTURE OF FARMING. IT WILL ALLOW FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE SIZE OF FARMS AND THAT IS GOING TO HELP FARMS BECOME MORE PROFITABLE. What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in agriculture over the past four decades? One of the biggest changes would be the round-up of technology that came in quite a few years ago. That was the first big game-changer. Follow that with the large-scale planting equipment and those two things combined allowed operations to expand much larger than they had in the past. Now, we're really just starting to see the start of this new technology in agriculture. To see all these new businesses start-up as a result of this advancement is going to be huge for the future of farming. It will allow for the expansion of the size of farms and that is going to help farms become more profitable. If you could give a piece of advice to a younger farmer or fellow ag lender, what would it be? Know and use your consultants. Farming has so many different facets to it that all farmers need to know. It's impossible to be an expert in all areas though. The farmers that are successful have their key consultants that they rely on in those specific areas. In that sense, they don't have to try to be experts in every area of production or crop sales and everything in between. Have key people that you can rely on for your expertise. Learn More About Dakota Heritage Bank onlinebanking.dhbanknd.com 218-253-2265

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

BUSINESS TRANSFER OR ASSET TRANSFER

By Russ Tweiten Vice President Succession and Retirement Planning, AgCountry, FCS

—What is the Plan? According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture report conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, there are about 2.04 million farms and ranches in our country. The average age of those involved in production agriculture is 57.5 years. These statistics show that we will see many producers retiring or transitioning over the next 10 years. Hopefully, they have a plan or are working on one. Generally, planning considerations when preparing for your farm’s future are much different if there is a successor, versus no successor. Plans involving a successor must include a plan to transfer an ongoing business, at its forefront. If no successor, the focus is to consider how assets are sold to others or transferred to your family. Let’s begin with the easier of the two—no successor. A three to five-year time frame

JULY / AUGUST 2020

is often best (although not required) to give yourself time to consider options for tax control, how best to unwind and if there is debt, what is the plan to manage or pay off debt. The primary issue for most retiring producers is tax control. During your farming and ranching career, taxes were often controlled with input and production costs, depreciation on machinery and equipment, deferring income into future years and deducting health insurance. When you retire, these opportunities to manage taxes may go away. For example, in the last year of farming, next year’s input costs are gone and there is a high probability that assets that can be depreciated are fully depreciated. Taxes can be controlled by deferring income into future years. The risk here is the financial health of the elevator and also the risk of tax rates increasing. Although not for every farm, a retirement plan such as a defined benefit pension, SEP IRA or 401(k) can be

used to reduce the amount of tax paid in the final years. The idea behind the use of a retirement plan is to reduce taxes (not eliminate taxes) and to provide another source of non-ag related assets to produce retirement income. The contribution to a retirement plan is deductible. In some cases, the use of a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) can be used to help control income taxes. The circumstances must work for you and these are complex tools. In general, they work by having assets such as machinery and perhaps grain transferred to the CRT and the CRT then sells them. The CRT can be set up to pay a fixed or variable amount of income to the producer each year. Although this income is taxable, the sale of the assets in the trust are not taxed which is the primary reason for using a CRT. At the end of the trust, the charity receives what remains in the trust. The downside is you need to give up control.

Finally, the estate plan for a retiring producer is often much different so the younger producer can incrementally increase their acres. than a producer with a successor. With no successor, Moving a lot of acres too quickly can raise management and we are not as concerned about a business transfer financial challenges (working capital for example) and but more so how assets goes to heirs. Land is a may impact crop insurance. Land is often transferred "Give yourself three to cherished asset and many times a plan is set to the next generation via the will or trust because five years to plan your exit. up to keep the land together. land is often the senior generation’s primary source The main issues are going of retirement income. Talk to your landlords, too. to be tax control (especially Now on to the more complex Many times landowners are supportive of a younger in the final year or two of circumstance—bringing in a successor. farmer taking over their land as a way to help them farming), debt management No two farms are alike and thus no two get started. (if there is debt) and what kind succession plans are alike. Age, health, of after-tax cash flow they debt, financial strength, the number of An estate plan where there is a successor needs to will have in retirement." successors, is there an entity and who owns be designed to transfer a business. This is where the the entity, willingness of the senior farmer(s) to fair versus equal discussion starts. Equal meaning if give up control and how well the next generation three children and one farm, the farmer inherits 1/3 of can manage all determine how a transition plan the estate. Fair is more common and is where more comes together. We like to see a five to 10-year time frame for of the farm-related assets go to the next generation transition. There is not sufficient space in this article to get farmer, who may ultimately end up with more of into all of the tools available to help with the transition. the estate—the idea is to keep the business "Learn all you can about With that understanding, if there is one tool we together. If land or machinery goes to a nonfinancial management and suggest be used regularly, that is communication. farmer consider having an option in favor of technology. Learn how to get Good communication is vital to the success of a the farmer to buy assets from non-farming along with people, mostly your transition plan. Goals from both the senior and junior siblings. Make sure there is a pricing formula family. Learn how to clearly generations need to be clearly defined. Write them for the option. Communication with all communicate and understand down and visit them regularly. We also suggest children (when it can be done) is important that communication is the one to many farms and ranches to consider a weekly when estate planning for succession. item that can make or break meeting and then either once or twice a year a more you on the farm." thorough planning meeting also. This is where an To summarize, give yourself time if possible, experienced planner can add value to help you stay on communicate regularly, share your plan, engage track and keep everyone focused. professionals and ask a lot of questions. In most cases, you’ll have one shot at doing this right! Machinery is often the first asset to transfer because it turns over on a regular basis. We often use a combination of gifting, selling and in some cases leasing to move "Start the planning equipment. As pieces need up-grading they can be process early and gifted to the next generation having the younger communicate often about generation trade them off and pay the boot. We what you are planning to have also seen an increase in the number of do with your farm. For the leases as a transition tool so that parents derive younger producers just income from the machinery while the junior getting going communicate farmer takes over control of machinery and at "Know your numbers and your goals early of often." the end of the lease, the junior farmer pays the work with your creditor/lender. residual value and owns the machinery. Leasing can If they are not advising you on how be a tax-efficient way to transfer not only machinery but to manage your farm and engaging buildings and bin sites as well. in a difficult conversation or two then An entity can be set up to own the machinery and then have the entity maybe it is time to find a new lender. It transferred to the next generation, but it adds complexity. If there is an may also be time to look at the balance entity that farms we need to see if it makes sense to keep it together— sheet and ask if it is time to downsize especially if two or three brothers farm via the entity and only one has or get out. An older farmer needs a successor. Any entity needs to be thoroughly vetted before being set to examine why they are staying in up or continued. Entities can sometimes be efficient ways to transfer a farming especially if they are farm.

risking a loss of their equity."

For land, we typically see the senior generation give up acres over time

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

JULY / AUGUST 2020

PHOTOS BY: J Alan Paul Photography

RORVIG

AMY SMITH Amy Smith, nee Rorvig, is the 4th generation at Rorvig Ranch, and is currently raising the 5th generation. The ranch consists of a few different cattle ventures including raising cow/calf units, backgrounding calves, a yearling grazing operation and marketing bred commercial heifers. Ten years ago, Smith was heading off to college with had no idea what her future would look like. Initially, she did not have any intention of moving back home to the ranch. Whatever those postcollege plans were, the ranch was not on her radar. But sometime during her college career and multiple college major changes later, she made the decision to finish out school and head back home, not really knowing what her next few years would hold. Sitting here today, she can say without a doubt in her mind that she made the right choice coming home to be a full time “cowgirl.”

RANCH

SKILLS TRAINING

IN OVER

50 FIELDS!

91B

WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC

CALL OR TEXT TODAY! SFC DEREK HJELSETH 701-319-2048 SFC KEITH GEIGLE 701-793-8354 SFC DANIEL SMITH 701-238-9739 SSG MATTHEW BRUSCH 701-730-6802 SGT JASON COPLEY 701-516-7794

Who is a part of your team? What does that operation mixed with work-lifebalance look like? I work alongside my father (Dan Rorvig), my husband (Taryl Smith) and our long-time employee/ friend (Jeff Iverson) all day, every day. Not many people could stand so much family time

McVille, North Dakota

but, it never seems to be a problem for us and I think this is a rarity not many people/operations could say. Recently, my husband and I received new titles - Mom and Dad. Trying to balance work life and parent life can be hard at times and one of the struggles of this lifestyle is that ranching is not a job, it’s our way of life. Sometimes it’s challenging trying to make time for work and play and I find myself at work thinking

/Rorvigranchco rorvigranchco@gmail.com

about how I should have more time with our little one, but then there are times I’m sitting at home with the baby thinking I should be at work. With time, I know everything will balance out and become easier. There is a saying I like which relates exactly to this question: “Ranching is a hard way to make a living, but a good way to live.”

Give us an overview of your operation. • Top quality Red Angus and Red Baldy heifersfor sale • Bred to low birthweight EPD Red Angus bulls for April calving

We run a cow/calf operation, meaning we have a bunch of mature cattle around here that will calf in the spring and we will keep their calves around here. The cows that are heifers (females) we will keep and breed, so they will become bred heifers which we will eventually sell. When we sell these bred heifers, we are adding value to our calves. We put a lot of time and money into our bred heifer program. Our ranch has been marketing bred heifers for the last 30 years,

The Smith family: Amy, four-month-old Kade and Taryl.

so we like to think we know what we are doing. We make sure to breed our heifers to low birthweight EPD Red Angus bulls and all heifers are on a solid health program. We will market our bred heifers through private treaty sales with the heifers shipping off the ranch starting in the fall. We also have a stocker operation. Stockers are the calves that don't make the cut as for what I call "fancy" or "high quality" product that doesn't make the cut to become bred heifers. The stockers are where we sell them at an older age and sell them to someone who will finish them out to become your product again. So we kind of dabble in all aspects. We focus on our cow/calf program, but maybe we need to switch gears and focus on our stocker program some more. You gotta think about diversifying or trying different enterprises such as stockers versus cow/calf.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Farming and ranching is more than just crops and livestock, it's a business. How do you see your operation as a business?

product. I follow some other ranches on Instagram and I

When you think of ranching, people think we wake up,

pickups and they are everywhere now. And that's just

jump on our horse and play cowboy all day. But I believe

another marketing thing. I'm sure their cattle sell at a

to be a profitable/legit ranch company, it is so much more

premium now just because they are King Ranch.

follow them because they have phenomenal pictures and something to offer besides just their cattle. They have something that sticks out. For example, King Ranch down in Texas are a huge ranch, and now their logo is on Ford

than playing cowboy. You need to know your finances and you need to know your break-evens. Playing cowboy is just

I do it because I'm young. My dad is not going to do it, he

the show of it, it is so much more than that. Honestly most

is lucky if he sends the right email to the right person!

days we don't even get to play cowboy. You're fixing things,

Everyone right now is so into telling your story or showing

you're sitting at home filling out paperwork, you're looking

your ranch or knowing how your cow was raised so you

at catalogs trying to figure out how to improve things,

know your beef. When you ranch you have a beautiful

you're looking at what other ranchers are doing that makes

landscape, a landscape people like to see. So that's what

them profitable and learning how you can incorporate that

I like to do with my pictures. I like showing the lifestyle,

into your own operation. The days you get to play cowboy

the dirty cowboy hats or the beautiful sunsets or the early

are the reasons you stay in this, but it is so much more than

morning fog. People like seeing those pictures.

that. It is a business.

What is a top challenge within your control right now? One challenge we face is the changing consumer. Consumers are hearing new information and, subsequently, asking new questions and having new product demands, depending on their news source and personal ideals. Whether their opinions are correct or false is a whole different topic. One way we are trying to turn this obstacle into an opportunity is to start direct marketing our beef. When selling our beef straight to the consumer, we add value to our operation while the consumer has the opportunity to purchase locally raised ranch beef.

You've got some strong marketing, which is less common in the ranching business. Why do you market the brand? Pretty much everything we have, all livestock, is for sale at one point. So you want to be marketable. We market bred heifers all fall and winter long. I'm pretty active on social media so I feel if someone sees our brand they can see the connection to Rorvig Ranch

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

With low farm mortgage rates…

Farm Credit offers options and benefits • Long term fixed rates with rate conversion options • Financing for farm purchases, terms 5 to 30 years • Refinancing that can save you money over time • Farm debt consolidation with one annual payment • Returned profits through patronage programs

FARM CREDIT AgCountryC Farm Credit Services 800-450-8933 FARM REDIT

Farm Credit Services of Mandan 800-660-6487 FarmofCredit North AgCountry Farm Credit Services 800-450-8933 • Farm Credit Services Mandan Services 800-660-6487of • Farm CreditDakota Services of800-264-1265 North Dakota 800-264-1265

What are those tools or organizations you would like to highlight that have helped you operate more successfully?

The father-daughter duo, Dan Rorvig and Amy Smith, survey their ranch. Rorvig Ranch was started by Dan's grandfather in the 1930s. This makes Dan the 3rd generation on the operation and Amy, the 4th generation.

Two organizations I would like to highlight are NCBA YCC (National Cattlemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beef Association Young Cattlemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference) and the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. Over the last few years, I have been able to participate in their leadership programs. While attending these educational opportunities and lectureships, I was exposed to many new aspects of the industry and have met many new people. Some of the greatest benefits from the programs are the connections I made and what I have learned from these industry experts from around the country. Just meeting those people and hearing what they do makes your brain start thinking and turning. You start asking yourself, "If they can do that, what can I do?" A great source for anyone is just reading about other places and what they are doing and what they can do to make them more profitable. I think looking at other operations can really open your eyes to how you can do something

When the going gets tough and the pressure turns to stress, how do you keep motivated? When the going gets tough you have to keep going. You can't shut your doors and you can't leave for a week. There are animals that have to be fed or hay to be put up. When the pandemic hit and everything was closing, it was like, nope we can't close! We have animals to feed. Something about keeping going makes you feel good. Doing that makes you realize how much you need to be there. On the other side, every once in a while you feel your fire is burnt out and you need to get the fire going again. Going to lectureships or classes, listening to other people or being around people with some of the same problems gets your fire burning again. You come home kind of recharged with all of these new ideas.

better or different.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Let's talk about you as a female in a male-driven industry. Do you have any challenges/ experiences that are notable you'd like to share?

Do you have any advice for other women those looking to get into agriculture, ranching or farming? If I have any advice to give, I would say get out there, go

I wish I had a good answer for that. I grew up in this

see other places, go meet new people, enroll in lectureships

lifestyle/industry and there's always been women around. I

and go do things which make you grow and learn. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had

don't feel like I notice much difference in day-to-day work.

the opportunity to take part in a few lectureships and

I think women are expected to, and they do do, the same as

classes which introduced me to some great, interesting

anyone else.

people. Meeting these people opened my eyes to see all the different segments the cattle industry has to offer. Within

One of the things I had trouble with is when we came home

these groups, I have also met some incredible women in

from the hospital after having our son. I was pretty good

the industry and not one of them have the same job/role;

throughout the pregnancy, I was out there doing as much

from marketing and sales, to advertising and design, to cow

as I could up until the day we went in to have him. But one

and horse women, to a vet, they are diverse, experienced

thing I struggled with coming home with Cade was that

and experts in their respective areas of the cattle industry.

it was right at the beginning of calving and that's one of

There is so much more to ranching than just cowboys,

my favorite seasons. And you can't really do much with

horses, and cattle, and I am thankful to live, work and raise

a newborn, you're kind of stuck at home, so I had a hard

a family on Rorvig Ranch.

time. I knew sitting at home was where I needed to be, but I felt like I was missing out or not contributing in a way I would have liked to. So sitting at home while everyone was working all day long was challenging for me.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

We Speak Agri-Busines s

widmerroelcpa.com | Fargo, North Dakota

Why Electricity is the New Big Crop By Alexandra Martin Photos provided by Novel Energy Solutions

5 things to know about solar energy harvesting 52

JULY / AUGUST 2020

In 2012, Cliff Kaehler returned home from a successful career on Wall Street to pursue a new dream: Novel Energy Solutions. Beginning as a small, familyrun business, Novel Energy Solutions is now one of Minnesota's leading providers of solar energy to farmers, businesses, municipalities, non-profit organizations and individuals. Representing the fifth generation to live and work on the family farm near Saint Charles, Minnesota, Cliff was enlivened by the idea of bringing small-town values back into his life and introducing solar energy solutions to his home state....and eventually all of agricultural America.

Ralph Kaehler We spoke with Ralph Kaehler to learn more about the future of solar in the upper midwest. Ralph Kaehler is the father of Novel Energy Solutions' CEO, Cliff Kaehler. At Novel Energy Solutions, he works in Business Development and is proud that his family's land is transitioning to the farm of the future. Passionate about mitigation of climate change through viable, practical and scalable methods, he is furthering his mission by running for MN Senate District 21. If elected, he will be the only elected official with ownership of a renewable energy business. Putting his words to action, Novel Energy Solutions is actively building solar arrays and creating jobs, over 100 of them, in fact.

how it works

Before you can decide if solar energy is a direction you want to pursue, you have to know how it works. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels work by absorbing the sun's energy throughout the day and converting it into direct current (DC) energy. Conversely, most standard homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity. To make this compatible, the DC electricity gets passed through an inverter to convert it to usable AC electricity. The amount of power your solar energy system can generate is dependent on sunlight. When it's cloudy, your solar panels will produce slightly less energy and at night, they will produce no energy. However, even if you live in a cloudy area, solar is still beneficial, as it doesn't take much to offset existing high electricity costs

2.cost

^ 22.55 kW panels in Pine Island, MN

Perhaps one of the most important questions to be answered when considering new technology...what does it cost? When it comes to solar systems, a great way to think about it is in terms of renting an apartment versus buying a home. When you pay an electric company for your electricity, it's like you are renting a home: you pay and you get a service, over and over. But with owning solar arrays and producing your own energy, you pay for the cost of the system and then reap the benefits of producing your own electric power. No more paying month after month and accumulating no assets. Doing this takes the money you're already spending and paying for the new system with that. With Novel Energy Solutions, you can own your own solar array for zero dollars upfront. They will design, install and maintain a solar array on your property risk-free. You own your own solar array and use the energy it produces, and you can even sell the excess to your utility company, thereby lowering or eliminating monthly bills. Novel Energy Solutions also offers 100 percent financing in addition to financing it to your property tax or traditional financing options. When done properly, it's zero dollars of new spend. To add some numbers into the mix, ten kilowatts of solar will produce about 12,500-kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. Think of kilowatt-hours as bushels and kilowatts as the acres. So if your electric bill averages at $400 a month at $0.10 per kilowatt hour; a 40 kilowatt array would produce ~ 100% of your electricity needs on an annal basis, 40 kilowatts-hours rate to offset your electricity. FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

applic

3.ations Novel Energy Solutions offers several ways to implement solar energy and save money. Here are a few:

1. Own your own personal array A particularly industry-disruptive option, owning your own personal array gives your the power to produce your own electricity. Ralph commented, "You can now 'own your electricity' and still be connected to the grid, or put in batteries and be able to disconnect; because you have control of one more line item in your business". With no upfront cost and all risks of production, maintenance and warranty shouldered by Novel Energy Solutions, starting down this route come at a minuscule risk. This option is ideal for adding solar panels on your roof or on a smaller portion of your property.

2. Own a community solar garden (CSG) Depending on your tax liabilities, owning your own community solar garden may be the most financially beneficial way to go solar. A community solar garden is a large solar array that generates bill credits for participating subscribers. Unlike a personal array, it is located off-site from the customers' locations, so the electricity produced goes into Xcel's grid and Xcel then compensates the subscriber with a bill credit. Like owning a personal array, owning a community solar garden has zero upfront costs and you will be able to receive your power at a low rate (set by you) and collect payments from subscribers for their use of your power. This option is better for larger acreages.

^ 25 kW panels in Renville, MN

JULY / AUGUST 2020

3. Subscribe to a Community Solar Garden (CSG) A subscription to a community solar garden lets you produce local solar energy without putting panels on your property. For now, this option is only available to Xcel customers. Having your electricity meter continue to run as it does now, one can subscribe to a community solar garden and receive credits to your Xcel bill. By doing this, you will save approximately 10 percent on your monthly electricity bill. However, it is important to note that these subscriptions are capped at 120 percent of your annual energy use.

4. Sell or lease your land Not ready to introduce new practices but are open to helping out? Novel Energy Solutions will buy or lease your suitable land to build a Novel Energy Solutions-owned community solar garden. You then can benefit from the community solar garden by becoming a subscriber.

FARM MACHINERY | CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT BUSINESS LIQUIDATIONS | LAND SALES PLEASE VISIT .COM RESOURCEAUCTION NG MI CO UP NY MA R FO S QUALITY AUCTION 20 20 IN

Decades of Knowledge, Steady Innovation and Top Results We specialize in converting your agricultural land, farm, construction, or commercial assets to working or bankable capital. Whether you have land or equipment to sell, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have our promise of commitment and attention to detail.

GRAND FORKS AREA CONSIGNMENT EVENT JULY 2020 - AT THE ALERUS CENTER

Live on-site with simulcast online auctions or timed online bidding

resourceauction.com 2702 17th Ave. S, Grand Forks, ND 58201 | 701-757-4015

advantages "Electricity is an ultimate conservation crop. When you produce electricity, you generate about four times what you do with corn and soybeans, but you don't have any input costs, and you've got a 25-year conservation plan for that acreage," said Ralph. Because of this, Ralph asserts that solar electricity makes more money than any other crop in agriculture right now. Imagine making money off of doing nothing. We love and admire our hardworking citizens, but including solar into your crop rotation is an easy way to add extra revenue. Novel Energy solutions isn't necessarily suggesting that you take prime ag land and turn it into

The competition: ignorance And Misinformation

^ 38.6 kW panels in Springfield, MN

fields of panels, but taking a percentage of your acreage is a good start. In an 80-acre field, take 10 acres and turn that into an extra $8,000 - $10,000 a year, the rest is cash flow. In addition to personal advantages, going solar has a huge, positive environmental impact. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, and results in fewer air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which can cause health problems.

There's no denying that solar is the way of the future. The farmers of the future are Millenials, a generation Ralph admires for their deep care for the world and their dedication to taking care of the planet. This age bracket cares about sustainability and they care about doing things right, not just doing things "the way they always have been." With this growing shift, the biggest competition for Novel Energy Solutions is ignorance and misinformation. Over the years, solar has become much more affordable, dispelling the myth that they are an unattainable and expensive entity. Additionally, being made of durable tempered glass, solar panels are much more durable than people think. "The panels can take a one-inch steel ball coming in at 50 miles-per-hour without cracking. And when you mount the arrays in the ground properly, they are warrantied for up to 90 mile-an-hour winds. And they are very fire resistant. So from a safety standpoint, they're great," said Ralph. Plus, there is no extra cost charge for maintenance. Novel Energy Solutions takes care of all operations and maintenance required by the system, which is minimal to start with. With wind energy also trending, solar has begun to overtake wind turbines thanks to affordability. Overall costs are lower, and with no moving parts, there's less to maintain. "Costs have come down considerably. When we started [Novel Energy Solutions] eight years ago, people would say they didn't know if they needed solar or not. And now people are saying, 'Yeah I know I need to look at solar, it's just a matter of if I have the tax appetite. Can I use the tax credits? Do I wait another year or do it now?' The conversation has shifted," said Ralph.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

We say our farm is our past. That's the history that gave us the foundation to start Novel Energy. And now Novel Energy is one of the fastest growing solar companies in Minnesota. That's our future. It's a new crop for agriculture. Instead of corn, soybeans and alfalfa, we can now add electricity." - Ralph Kaehler

Getting Started

To get started and start taking advantage of the benefits of solar energy, there are a few things to asses. The first is usage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so that it can be sized appropriately. The second is space available and location. In farm situations, the space available tends not to be an issue but can be crucial in cases of installing on your home's roof. Once the needed space is secured, you must take location into consideration, determining if you want a root mount or a ground mount. A great resource for determining your system size, annual production and what the rough estimate of system cost/savings is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) PV Watts calculator, which can be accessed here: pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php Next, the financial bit comes into play. You must consider your tax appetite, or what your ability is to fully use the tax credits and depreciation in 5 years (can use from 1-20 years). In Minnesota, the 30 percent federal investment tax credit (ITC) allows you to deduct 30 percent of the cost of your solar energy system from your taxes.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

terms to know when talking about solar energy Distributed generation (DG): DG refers to electricity that

is produced at or near the point where it is used. A distributed solar energy generation system can be located on rooftops or can be ground-mounted, and is typically connected to the local utility.

â&#x20AC;&#x2039;D istributed Systems: Systems that are installed at or near the

location where the electricity is used, as opposed to central systems that supply electricity to grids. A residential photovoltaic system is a distributed system.

Energy Audit: A survey that shows how much energy used in a home, which helps find ways to use less energy.

Grid-connected system/â&#x20AC;&#x2039;G rid-interactive system: A solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) system in which the PV array acts like a central generating plant, supplying power to the grid.

Kilowatt (kW): A standard unit of electrical power equal to 1000 watts, or to the energy consumption at a rate of 1000 joules per second.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh): 1,000 thousand watts acting over a period of one hour. The kWh is a unit of energy. 1 kWh=3600 kJ.

Photovoltaic (PV) array: An interconnected system of PV

modules that function as a single electricity-producing unit. The modules are assembled as a discrete structure, with common support or mounting. In smaller systems, an array can consist of a single module.

Photovoltaic (PV) cell/solar cell: The smallest

semiconductor element within a PV module to perform the immediate conversion of light into electrical energy (direct current voltage and current). Also called a solar cell.

Photovoltaic (PV) module: The smallest environmentally

protected, essentially planar assembly of solar cells and ancillary parts, such as interconnections, terminals, (and protective devices such as diodes) intended to generate direct current power under unconcentrated sunlight. The structural (load carrying) member of a module can either be the top layer (superstrate) or the back layer (substrate).

Photovoltaic (PV) system: A complete set of components for converting sunlight into electricity by the photovoltaic process, including the array and balance of system components.

Solar energy: Electromagnetic energy transmitted from the sun (solar radiation). The amount that reaches the earth is equal to one billionth of total solar energy generated, or the equivalent of about 420 trillion kilowatt-hours.

Local. Legal. Legit: Diversifying Hemp By Alexandra Martin Photos by Nicole Midwest

Let's talk cannabis. For a long time, this plant has stirred up its fair share of controversy, prejudice and negative connotations. Its availability has been voted on in upper levels of government and possession of it has even landed some extended stays in prison. We're accustomed to seeing the cannabis species used for a specific set of purposes. We've seen it showcased as a stoner staple, thanks to pop culture phenomenons like That 70s Show, Afroman's hit "Because I Got High," Cheech and Chong and The Big Lebowski. But as the nation becomes more and more accepting of the crop, not to mention the legality of growing it has shifted, more uses for its implementation are coming into play. Could cannabis be the next crop your field sees profit with? After 77 years of prohibition in the United States and with supply, awareness and innovation for the crop growing, we think so. We spoke with two local experts in the field, Brett Erpelding and Andy Richards, to learn more about what possibilities this crop holds for the farmer of tomorrow. Erpelding is a chemist, formulation expert and the owner of Minnesota-based Alpine Hemp and Northland Vapor and Richards is a CBD consultant for the companies. Together, they are helping change the upper midwest's CBD landscape.

Local Case Study: ALPINE HEMP CBD comes in numerous varieties. You can consume it in oil tinctures, rub it on your body in salves, can smoke it in a vape format...the options are ever-growing. This list of options continues to grow thanks to innovators such as Alpine Hemp. Since its founding in 2016, the Moorhead, Minnesota-based company has been dedicated to producing the highest quality hemp oil and CBD products. Now, they are excited to be expanding their reach even further by diversifying their product selections and locations of stores and even offering white-labeling opportunities. More and more people are opening up themselves to the opportunities that CBD presents. However, most people don't want to ingest a tincture or even smoke it on a daily basis. But who doesn't love eating a gummy or drinking a coffee? When ingested in food, CBD carries the same properties as when taken in other methods, which opens up possibilities of introduction to a wider audience of customers. The team at Alpine Hemp knows that once people get their feet wet in the world of CBD, they will see the benefits and be open to exploring more and more what the miracle plant can do for them. In expanding their offerings, Alpine Hemp most recently partnered with Bully Brew to can CBD-infused cold brew coffee. Bully Brew was already in a partnership with Half Brothers Brewing out of Grand Forks, North Dakota, canning a coffee brown ale together. When the team at Alpine Hemp was connected with Bully Brew about adding CBD to their cold brew cans, things fell into place about canning it and releasing it to the masses. In two short weeks after initial discussions, the Alpine team was at Half Brothers Brewing, canning and labeling their special blend. And within the first week, the product was available, they were impressed with the demand for more.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

One way Alpine Hemp ensures they exceed customers' expectations is including QR codes printed on all of their labels, including these Bully Brew Cold Brew cans. When you scan the code with your phone, it pulls up the third-party test results from that specific batch.

As to not get carried away and rushed to replicate this project, they aren't adding CBD into just anything. Erpelding and the product development team ensure that each product contains not just high-quality raw CBD ingredients, but in the most beneficial fashion. For instance, when it comes to coffee, adding CBD reduces jitteriness and other negative side effects that come with caffeine. "You have the sustained energy and mental high without any of the negative side effects as just coffee, which adds the positivity of drinking coffee and enjoying it. Taking it in this method gives the same benefits as a tincture does," added Richards. While it could be easy to infuse CBD into just about anything, the Alpine team is strategic, ensuring consumers get the most benefit possible.

Isn't Growing That Illegal? Commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, every five years, Congress passes new legislation that sets agriculture policy (along with nutrition, conservation and forestry policy). In 2018's Farm Bill, industrial hemp and the products derived from it were removed from the Schedule I list of drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that industrial hemp is no longer illegal at the federal level, giving new life to hemp and CBD-related industries. As long as the hemp contains no more than 0.3 percent THC (also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant), hemp-derived products and travel across state lines. This opens up a lot of doors for nationally distributed food and beverage products, as well as medicinal, textile and material use. However, if the hemp contains more than 0.3 percent THC, it constitutes as illegal marijuana. How do you know if your hemp complies with this limit? Most often, CBD manufacturers use third-party labs to obtain a Certificate of Analysis (COA) to test that the product contains equal-or-less-than three parts of THC for every 1,000 parts of oil (by weight.)

Likewise, Richards shared that they've seen a lot of support for CBD's uses in the retired or soon-to-be retiring community, so they are carefully crafting formulas to appeal to that sector. "The long term goal is for us is to be able to create an edible product that does not cause any inflammation or affect insulin in the body. If we can give them their benefits and not affect their medications or their health in a negative way, then it's an easy adoption process to the next step," he said. Richards and Erpelding are strong champions for the benefits of CBD and are hoping that by introducing the product to more people, more people will see their health change for the better. "[It is] a joy for us to keep finding new ways to use CBD oil and how it will help make lives easier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it is providing relief for pain, anxiety or for your beloved fourlegged family member â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and providing holistic support for everyone. Because being healthy does not have to be boring or taste bad," reads their website, alpinehemp. com. While there is a desire to expand their reach nation-wide, Alpine Hemp is dedicated to working locally to produce their goods. Hemp has been able to be adopted in our region, thanks to its quick growth cycle and ability to grow in almost any geography...yes, even cold snowy ones. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in 2019 there were 403,304 indoor acres and 7,353 outdoor acres planted of hemp, averaging at 1,000 to 2,000 plants per acre. These numbers have been growing each year, especially since hemp is easy to grow and very sustainable. The crop requires very little pesticide or fertilizer and has been proven to help heal polluted soil, rather than depleting it as many other popular crops do. With more and more farms turning over some of their acreages to growing hemp products, who knows, maybe your own farm will be next! To learn more about Alpine Hemp and CBD, visit alpinehemp.com

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Cannabis Nomenclature When it comes to CBD products and hemp growth, the nomenclature is what can separate what is legal from what is not. Brush up on your understanding of the plant by learning these terms. *Definitions sourced from Leafly.com

Cannabis: Refers to a genus of plants comprising of both hemp and marijuana plants. Within this genus are three species: Indica, Sativa and Ruderalis.

Cannabis Sativa: The genus most commonly known as hemp. This genus has many industrial uses, historically being used for textiles, rope, paper and medicinal and body care products. It is rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound.

Cannabis Indica: The genus most commonly associated with its psychoactive properties, commonly known as marijuana. It typically has high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and low-to-moderate amounts of CBD.

Cannabis Ruderalis: The lesser-known genus of cannabis. This genus is much smaller in size than its two counterparts, and its effects echo that size. Cannabis Ruderalis has low concentrations of THC, but CBD-rich genetics. Its relatively short lifecycle and hearty build making it versatile and advantageous for breeders experimenting with strains.

Hemp: A Cannabis plant that falls under the Sativa species. Hemp is a fibrous product derived from the male cannabis plant. The hemp plant has no psychoactive properties.

Marijuana: The general term encompassing female cannabis plants or their dried flowers. These plants produce flowers that contain a high percentage of cannabinoids. Also commonly referred to as "pot," "weed," "ganja," "kush," and many many more nicknames.

Cannabinoids: The chemical compounds unique to cannabis that act upon the human body's cannabinoid receptors. The two most known cannabinoids are THC and CBD, however, there are over 85 known cannabinoids, all with varying effects.

Cannabidiol (CBD): Most commonly known as just "CBD," cannabidiol is just one of the many cannabinoids found in cannabis. It has grown in popularity, as recent studies have shown its medical benefits in such realms as pain, inflammation and anxiety. These positive effects are seen without the "high" or psychoactive feelings associated with THC.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): Most commonly known as just "THC," it is the most well-known and abundantly available cannabinoid in cannabis plants. THC is the component that is responsible for the psychoactive effects, most commonly known as the "high." Despite negative connotations, there is no lethal dose of THC in its natural form.

Tincture: A liquid cannabis extract usually made with alcohol or glycerol that is often dosed with a dropper. Tinctures can be flavored and are usually placed under the tongue, where they are absorbed quickly.

Topical: A topical is a type of cannabis product where the active properties of the flowers have been extracted and added to a product such as a lotion or a cream thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s applied to the skin. The medicinal properties are then absorbed through the skin.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Did you know that our human bodies produce endocannabinoids? These natural cannabis-like molecules help to maintain bodily homeostasis and when cannabis is introduced, it mimics endocannabinoid properties. Your body wants and needs cannabinoids, just as it wants and needs supplementary Vitamin D or Vitamin K. However, the endocannabinoid system only makes a small percentage of cannabinoids that your body needs, so supplementing it better reaches that ideal equilibrium. Andy Richards provided a great metaphor for this. He illustrated that, if you think of yourself as an engine in a car, you know you need certain fluids to make sure the engine runs right. And when you run those fluids low, you will need to top them off. If all your fluids aren't at their optimal level, then your body is not going to operate properly. So by taking full-spectrum CBD products, you're able to level that part of the engine off and satisfy your body's needs.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Let's Talk Numbers You get a lot of bang for your acreage with hemp. Traditional, mass-market hemp has a planting rate of 400,000 per acre, which is roughly 100 plants/ square meter. In some of the other big crops in the region, like canola or corn, the typical yield makes less than $1 a pound. But with hemp, it sells for about $4 a pound, which you can imagine adds up quickly. The profit margins in the CBD world are robust, and we've only just begun to experience the potential and demand.

HEMP: A Multi-Faceted Crop CBD is clearly booming. But the hemp crop has many other areas of opportunity and more markets to enter. Here are some other options for if you decide to plant hemp on your acreage. 1. Hemp Food The seeds and oil can be used in everything from baked goods to granola. The nutritional benefits make it diverse in its usages and it even is considered a superfood, much like chia or flax seeds. Additionally, hemp protein powder provides the highest vegan source of simple protein available, coming in at 15 grams of protein per serving. 2. Hemp Supplements and Medication Hemp protein powder provides the highest vegan source of simple protein available, coming in at 15 grams of protein per serving. Hemp can reduce aches and pains, aid in post-workout recovery and offer a complete set of amino acids. It also is a great immune system booster, as it is packed with antioxidants. 3. Hemp Materials Materials made from hemp are strong and sustainable. Henry Ford even used hemp plastic, which was tested to be much stronger than steel, on initial car construction in 1941. It was built out of hemp plastic and ran on hemp biofuel, which could still be used today! 4. Hemp Fiber & Textiles Hemp fabric has become a great alternative to cotton, being more ecofriendly and durable, while also being breathable. Hemp plants don't require the pesticides that cotton does and hemp requires 50% less water usage. Of any plant fiber, hemp fibers are the most durable and hold their shape well, making items created from them outlast their competitors. 5. Hemp Paper Saves the trees! Trees only have 30% cellulose while hemp have 80% cellulose, the component paper is sourced from. And with a shorter growth cycle (hemp grows fully in four months, while trees take 20-80 years), you get more bang for your buck. Additionally, you can feel good about sustainability efforts to reduce deforestation, as it only takes hemp one acre to produce as much paper as 4-10 acres of trees (over a 20-year cycle).

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

FEATURED SOFTWARE

is answering the "WHy?" Using artificial intelligence to analyze data and predict outcomes, Arva Intelligence's software is changing the future of farming.

What is the point of extensive data collection when you have nothing to do with it? For decades, farmers and growers have been collecting data from their farms and soil, but haven't found what to do with it. Instead, file folders, unmarked USB drives and spreadsheets pile up and collect proverbial dust. The team behind Arva Intelligence wanted to do something about this.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

rom self-driving Teslas to Pandora radio stations learning what song to play you next, artificial intelligence is bleeding into all areas of life. So why not agriculture? In 2018, Arva Intelligence was founded on the heels of a three-year research program with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Oak Ridge National Lab, the University of Arkansas and CEO and founder Jay McEntire (of Glennoe Farms in Arkansas). The goals throughout these three years of research were to see how artificial learning and artificial intelligence could be utilized on the farm. A â&#x20AC;&#x2039; nd what they found turned out to be the basis for what could be a very successful business. "We could crunch data a lot faster, a lot quicker and we could understand interactions, to the point where we could start to understand recommendations and why something happened and why it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen," said Matt Rohlik, Managing Director of Farm Data & Strategic Partnerships of Arva Intelligence. Once they knew how it all worked, Arva Intelligence was born to Dr. Ben Brown and Jay McEntire. The basis of the company is that they ingest farm data, thus answering

JULY / AUGUST 2020

the "why?" Simply put, Arva takes whatever cloud-based or desktop software data (SMS, APEX, Climate FieldView, etc.) and plugs it into their machine-learning and AI engine. What the software then spits out are analytical reports wrapped around genetics, fertility and biology. From there, they can create a common soil language that decode who was once there, how they were there and the overall biology, chemistry and geological position of the ground. From this common nomenclature, they can pull data from other fields with the exact soil number, speeding up the analytical process and helping better understand what to do with the information. These reports result from the industry's first-ever predictive analytics arm. At the end of the year, Arva can provide a report card of sorts, identifying what happened or didn't happen that year, what the lost opportunities were or what could be done better. "Based on our AI and what we learned from last year or the year before, is we can better predict where and what you should place in what farms for the next year. That is industry exclusive, no one else is doing that at this point," said Rohlik. Farmers are often pressured to buy seed early, before even knowing how their season will perform. But with

SERVICES:

Call for

FREEE QUOT

Residential Paving Commercial Paving Sealcoating Driveways Parking Lots Seasonal Lots

BUCKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PAVING 723 3rd St S Breckenridge, MN 56520 701-204-1587

buckspaving.net

this report card and predictive analytics, farmers can claim the best early prices on seeds from their dealers, because they will now know what they are going to plant the following year. "There's a lot of value that wraps up in that. It allows them to understand from a fertility standpoint what they should have done differently," said Rholik, affirming the cost-saving advantages. Just last year, one of Arva's early adopter farms was able to identify an opportunity cost of $300,000, just in seed placement. There are similar types of business entities out there, but Arva is the only one using AI to crunch numbers rather than a human. Something that would take a human a whole

programs through their resellers and advisors. Doing this, they hope to earn the trust of growers and thus their right to business. To sweeten the deal, Arva's early adopter program offers severely discounted rates, especially beneficial in the troubling economic times we are facing. With a mission to protect the economic profitability of farmers and the environmental health of farmland, Arva Intelligence will continue to create, innovate and deploy cutting-edge machine learning and artificial intelligence technology. The farm of the future is here, and Arva is armed and ready to make sure it is equipped with the ability to scale profitable and sustainable agriculture.

season to analyze takes Arva about two minutes. With no emotion and no what-ifs clouding the data creation, the results are way more accurate and useful. By partnering with trusted advisors rather than going straight to the grower, Arva provides a stand-alone or additional service for the grower. Through that channel, the growers are getting a couple of benefits. Number one, the value of the data that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve collected. They can now understand the "what" and the "where" of why they are doing something. And number two, the data is given by an independent entity, not a seed or chemical manufacturer. These are not opinions, they are unbiased, unemotional data points. With the grower receiving the playbook, they then can decide what they want to do with that information and what purchasing decisions they will make from there.

Arva Intelligence arvaintelligence.com (435) 631-9660

While the general concept and framework are ready, Arva Intelligence has been working on building out the user experience and overall platform. Getting their go-tomarket strategy in place and building up their marketing is a crucial step in their road to success. A soft-launch of the platform was put into motion in 2019, starting off with a four client pilot program. Every client in that first-year trial has excitingly come back for year two, showing just how beneficial the software is in practice. Alongside the returning growers, a handful of new clients are coming on board as well. New technology can be daunting and farmers can be skeptical, so Arva is providing introductory pricing and

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

FIVE BOOKS FOR FARM BUSINESS

Cultivating Customers: A Farmer's Guide to Online Marketing By Simon Huntley With a nation-wide interest in local foods, small farms and farmers' markets are positioned to prosper now more than ever. In this book, Small Farm Central founder Simon Huntley shows how to build a social media presence to market your farm and how doing so can help you find customers. In this step-by-step guide to professional self-reliance, Huntley shows you how to efficiently grow your business by leveraging all of the advantages afforded by website and social media integration, email marketing, SEO, ideal customer targeting and so much more. If you're interested in learning how to use internet marketing to grow your business in a swift and affordable way, this book is for you.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Seeds of Science: Why We Got It So Wrong On GMOs By Mark Lynas Do you think you know everything there is to know about GMOs? In Seeds of Science, eco-activist Mark Lynas unfolds the controversial and misunderstood science of GMOs. After their controversial beginnings in the mid-1990s, GMOS have been subject to scrutiny and a panic. However, we now are discovering that the environmentalist mainstream might have misjudged the GMO issue completely, and as a consequence, we have forfeited two decades' worth of scientific progress. In this book, Lynas aims to clarify some misconceptions, dive into the histories of the people and companies who pioneered GMOs and questions what we can do moving forward.

The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business By Christopher Leonard Having spent four years as the national agribusiness reporter for the Associated Press, Christopher Leonard takes you inside the corporate meat industry in this in-depth report. This book offers the first comprehensive look inside the industrial meat system, exposing how some companies have orchestrated the corporate takeover of our nation's meat supply. In The Meat Racket, Leonard shows how they built a system that puts farmers on the edge of bankruptcy, charges high prices to consumers and returns the industry to the shape it had in the 1900s before the meat monopolists were broken up. Truly an eye-opening read!

Precision Farming From Above: How Commercial Drone Systems are Helping Farmers Improve Crop Management, Increase Crop Yields and Create More Profitable Farms. By Louise Jupp In plain language, environmental management expert and licensed drone pilot, Louise Jupp, explains the major benefits of commercial UAV/drone surveys to farmers worldwide. This book provides farmers with high-end information that typically results in better crop management, increased crop yields and a more profitable agribusiness overall. Subjects covered include drone technology, aerial surveys, HD camera advances, thermal imaging, commercial aviation law and much more. If you're a modern farmer ready to dive into all the technological possibilities you can adopt, this is a must-read.

Life on the Farm: A Pictorial Journey of Minnesota's Farmland and its People

By Dean Riggott Rochester-based commercial photographer Dean Riggott provides a truly special look into the farm life of Minnesota. For over 20 years, Riggott has been documenting scenes from the upper midwestern agri-landscape. This photobook offers up stunning images, showing a great appreciation and connection to the people, lifestyle, culture and work-ethic of farmers. Dean’s agricultural photography captures the simple pleasures and complexities that represent the daily lives of today’s farmers. With nature as a backdrop, Dean’s farm life photographs record the mysterious power that lures people to the land. Local to the area or not, anyone can appreciate the beauty within these pages.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Just because we are in the midst of a global pandemic, doesn't mean that Emerging Prairie and the entrepreneurial ecosystem have taken a break. Helping enliven us was June's announcement of Plug and Play's inaugural class of startups. These 14 startups come from all geographies and backgrounds and we are excited to see them flourish on our own turf ! This month we are also excited to share an additional feature, showcasing impressive young minds at work. We caught up with Liberty Middle School's CO2 Team, who

recently received national recognition at eCYBERMISSION. 78

JULY / AUGUST 2020

CONTENTS 85 82

89 94

Meet Plug and Play North Dakota's First Batch of Startups Plug and Play North Dakota is focused on agricultural technology and just began running two, three-month programs a year and their first round of startups was just announced. Get to know some more about the startups featured in this program and get excited for the start of something incredible in our own backyard.

7th Grade Science Goes Global

West Fargo's very own Liberty Middle School’s “CO2 Team” recently took their high-tech ag project to a nationwide competition called eCYBERMISSION. Read about their experiences and what they've learned along the way!

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

MEET NORTH DAKOTA'S FIRST BATCH OF STARTUPS In March 2020, Silicon Valley-headquartered innovation platform, Plug and Play, announced its newest location in Fargo, North Dakota. Plug and Play itself is a global innovation platform with accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and inhouse venture capital to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Founded in 2006, Plug and Play has since spread to over 25 locations globally, giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in the ever-changing entrepreneurial sphere. Under their existing Food & Beverage program, Plug and Play North Dakota is focused on agricultural technology and will run two, three-month programs a year. Startups accepted into the programs will have the opportunity to not only work with the corporate partners (Bremer Bank, CHS, Microsoft Corp. and The OCP Group) but also will test their technology at the Grand Farm Test Site. To get this mission up and running, 14 startups have just been selected to be the first batch in this new Agtech program. These 14 startups were chosen by partners of the program and represent a variety of new agriculturespecific innovations, like soil sensing and analysis, field monitoring, precision farming, automation and sustainability. Get to know more about these inaugural Plug and Play startups by joining us as we watch their exciting progress! For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/north-dakota/

JULY / AUGUST 2020

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT AGRON SOLUTIONS AGRON offers portable testing technology to perform soil fertility analysis on field, at least 10x faster than labs, guiding farmers to increase crop yield, reduce input costs, and maintain fertility despite the constant production. Agron Solutions agronsolutions.com Guadalajara, Mexico

Your name and title/role with the company? Carolina Castro, CEO How did you get the idea to start AGRON Solutions? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? I started AGRON as a Product Design project. My grandparents are small producers in Mexico, and two years before starting AGRON, most of the farmers in that area had to move to another territory because their soil was not able to produce any more goods. Later on, with deep research, I noticed soil degradation was, and still is a global problem. We need to communicate with soil! What does it mean to AGRON Solutions to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? We are currently looking for strategic partners to boost our technology and expedite it to benefit as many farmers as possible. Plug and Play have built an important network in the sector; North Dakota’s Agtech Program is a great opportunity to connect with it. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? Understanding how soil dynamics are changing, and applying the right amount of inputs at the right time, can lead to increased crop yield up to 50%, reduce input costs, and maintain soil fertility despite the constant production. It is a domino effect, healthy soils = healthy food = healthy people. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? The agricultural sector is based on trust, starting building a community from day one, understanding the market needs and how all players are connected.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Technology, as we are completing our last calibration stage. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? As we connect with potential partners in the area during the program, our headquarters could strategically change according to the market area where traction and demand lead us. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? It’s time to give voice to the soil, combining technology with farmers' experience acquired through generations, we can start growing more with less, and strengthen agriculture for many years to come.

ABOUT AKER TECHNOLOGIES Agriculture pest and pathogen crop diagnostics and analytics to improve efficiency and sustainability of every farm operation. Your name and title/role with the company? Orlando Saez, CEO How did you get the idea to start Aker Technologies? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? My reinvention from telecommunications into agriculture happened in 2014 when my aunt, an agronomist and university professor in the Dominican Republic, asked me to talk to her students about technology. I bought a drone along with me to make my talk interesting. Not knowing much about farming, I invested in an agtech company, and I also brought along with me to the Dominican Republic a successful farmer from Minnesota. A few trips later, I went with a farmer and I came with a partner. I’ve lived on a farm for over three years and this was the inception of Aker. Farming and technology bring what I know with what a newfound love – nature and bringing new tech to underserved markets. What does it mean to Aker Technologies to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? Working with PnP has helped with technology validation and more importantly with the discovery of commercial use cases to drive the scale of our business model. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? Automation of field diagnostics at scale will accelerate the adoption of prescription or zone treatments, which will lead to a positive financial impact for growers and more environmentally friendly use of chemicals. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? It’s a wonderful industry with amazing people and you get to work outside. It’s a big industry with lots of unique niches to capture opportunities. Keep the “automation theme” and “respect current farm practices" in your mind as primary forces and drive adoption.

Aker Technologies aker.ag St. Louis, Missouri

What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? • HR – Finding the right blend of technical and scientific talent is a challenge. • Marketing – Understanding the pathway for access to the market to intersect technology with user pain points. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? We started the company in Minnesota and are very grateful to have our roots there. We are now in St. Louis since our model is B2B and we work closely with enterprise customers who serve growers. We anticipate growing and having local staff working alongside the markets that we operate. We have done a lot of work in North Dakota and would love to move from a seasonal project into a permanent presence with the help of this program. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? We are on your side, not to de-risk but to empower your business with better tools to control crop outcomes and keep more margin in your pocket.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT CERES IMAGING Ceres Imaging is a California-based aerial spectral imagery and analytics company that serves farmers and agribusinesses. Ceres Imaging ceresimaging.net Oakland, California

Your name and title/role with the company? Ashwin Madgavkar, Founder and CEO How did you get the idea to start Ceres Imaging? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? During graduate school, I was studying how remote sensing was being used to support conservation efforts in the Amazon, and I wondered if similar technology could be applied to help farmers. At the time, there was a major drought in the western US so we began by partnering with researchers at UC Davis to see if we could use remote sensing technologies like multispectral imagery to measure applied water and crop water stress in a more economical way than conventional methods. What does it mean to Ceres Imaging to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? We're honored to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota. Ceres Imaging has taken a really targeted approach to product development and participation in Plug and Play North Dakota is critical as we've really focused product development on a narrow list of row crops, such as potatoes and sugarbeets. The North Dakota region is naturally a prime area where we want to build our relationships in the community. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? A couple of months back we were honored to receive the Zayed Global Sustainability Prize, presented to us by the President of Rwanda. We won in the "water category" for our role in helping farmers reduce onfarm water use, often as much as 10%. We see the global impact of

JULY / AUGUST 2020

our technology, centered around resource efficiency. Farmers using our product consistently report reduced water use, as well as reductions in fertilizer and pesticide use, all while increasing yields. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? Stay focused. Too many agtech companies come to market promising to solve every problem for every farmer with very little to back it up. Farmers are smart and they know their crop better than you do. So start by focusing on the thing you do best and build close relationships with a targeted set of customers before expanding. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? We've been lucky to attract a great, diverse team. We have 12 Ph.D.s on staff and what's so exciting about that is they aren't just in our offices running our models. Many of them are out in the field working alongside our customers and research partners. For example, one of our team members, Kirk Stueve, is a Ph.D. based in Minnesota and he is a farmer as well, so we're able to leverage a unique mix of technical expertise and real-world experience farming. If we can get more employees like him we will be in a great place. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? Right now we have offices in Washington, Nebraska and California as well as a small team in Australia. In the last two years, we've greatly expanded our presence in the Red River Valley, and it's likely that we will put more roots down there. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? We understand that you're being asked to do more with less, despite these challenging times, and we're here to give you the full picture to help you optimize every penny you’re putting into your operation.

ABOUT CONTINUUM AG Continuum Ag integrates soil health data to create a common soil language. Our unbiased dataset provides actionable recommendations for farmers, clean data tracking, and supply chain connectivity for sustainability opportunities. Continuum Ag continuum.ag Washington, Iowa

If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? If our technology was being used by everyone globally, we would have cleaner air, water and food. The supply chain would be more transparent and the supply chain stakeholders would better share in the increase in value created.

Your name and title/role with the company? Mitchell Hora, Founder/CEO How did you get the idea to start Continuum Ag? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? As a 7th generation farmer, I have always had a passion for agriculture. As my family has farmed some of our lands for 150 years, conservation and legacy drive a deep purpose. At Iowa State, I further developed my interest in sustainable agriculture and soil health but during an internship, I discovered that to dive into that space as a career I should get into consulting. Continuum Ag was born as a way for me to help with the family farm while earning a living by helping a wide span of agriculturalists to understand their soil data at an intimate level. At our inception, soil health was an early buzz word, today it is one of the hottest topics in the ag space. What does it mean to Continuum Ag to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? Plug and Play is an excellent next step for Continuum Ag as we expand our offerings for supply chain companies and large payer collaborators in the food and ag space. Our technology is ready to scale and be molded to serve an array of collaborative customers.

You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? My advice is to use the resources around you, work hard and remember that the point of being an entrepreneur is to create happiness for your life. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? We are looking to keep ramping up our software development and sales efforts. We are navigating employee decisions in both sectors. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? Continuum Ag is located in southeast Iowa. We are rural and very community-driven. A critical component for our success is that I am able to stay connected with my own farm and with other local farmers. We do have strong relations in Minnesota, the Dakotas and well beyond. Our passion is agriculture and our roots are in the Midwest. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? We look forward to helping improve your economic resiliency and environmental sustainability!

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT FLUROSAT FluroSat delivers hands-free crop health monitoring analytics. FluroSat flurosat.com Sydney, Australia Canberra, Australia San Francisco, Califorina Kyiv, Ukraine Your name and title/role with the company? Dr. Anastasia Volkova, FluroSat CEO/founder How did you get the idea to start FluroSat? An epiphany? Or was it something more practical than that? I have covered this in a few podcasts that I did (can be found on our website) and in an MIT article, but here is the short version: I was born into a family of engineers and scientists that did some hobby farming, and my mother is a self-taught botanist and my goddaughter was an award-winning academic and apiarist. I started my career as an aeronautical engineer, and during my Ph.D., I became particularly passionate about the topic of Earth observation and the use of satellite imagery for farming (coming back to my roots!). From there I discovered that combined with the agricultural modeling, satellite and other sources of imagery can be very helpful to decision-makers in the field. And from there, solving workflows of crop advisors globally has been what we preoccupy ourselves with!

You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? Spend time with your customers and understand what they need to make their job easier. Then build your business around that. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Attracting agronomists/crop advisors skilled with decision-support or farm management tools who can join our growth team as account managers are the current bottleneck we are trying to solve. Marketing is also an ongoing challenge for us, given that we are on the crossroads of science, technology and agriculture. Applicants welcome: jobs@flurosat.com.

What does it mean to FluroSat to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? We hope to be able to connect more closely with the farming communities in the Dakotas and Minnesota, to expand the adoption of our tools by agronomists employed by the corporate partners of the program, and continue learning with our customers.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? We are a company that hires people locally but works globally. We are likely going to appoint an agronomist in the Upper Midwest to support the growing number of customers in the region.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? FluroSense agronomic analytics engine is a globally-used product (14 countries) that helps decision-makers across the stages of crop production (advisors, retailers, processors, irrigation system dealers) make informed decisions around optimal timing of farming operations, rate of nitrogen application and locations for scouting where crop yield may be affected by crop stress. All of these insights are delivered as emails to their inbox as reports, alerts or recommendation files. Application of our technology is helping agribusinesses lower the cost of production and improve the yields through making timely datadriven decisions.

This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In a few sentences, what would you like to tell them? If you like doing experiments on your farm and seek to improve efficiency and profitability, you should see on-farm data (soil samples, "as-applied" files, calibrated yield maps) as the key element to unlock those improved efficiencies. With consistently collected data and farm management records, you will be able to learn from your on-farm experiments year on year and consistently improve production. Speak to your crop advisor if they are using any decision-support tools like those offered by FluroSat, and ask if not, why not? The earlier you and your advisor start collecting data, and learning how to work with it the more you will be able to learn (retrospectively) and earn!

JULY / AUGUST 2020

ABOUT GROGURU Your name and title/role with the company? Patrick Henry, president and CEO of GroGuru How did you get the idea to start GroGuru? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? Our original founder, Farooq Anjum, had a home garden and a brown thumb, so he started with that. When he met our co-founder, Jeff Campbell, we pivoted into commercial agriculture with a focus of permanent installation of soil sensors for annual field crops, after spending time trying to install and remove sensors in a field, kneedeep in mud. I joined as the third co-founder to help us commercialize our solution and build the team.

GroGuru has developed a game-changing wireless soil monitoring system. GroGuru groguru.com San Diego, Califorina

What does it mean to GroGuru to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? Being a part of the Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program is significant because it gives us access to key corporate strategic partners and world-class mentorship in the agri-tech world. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? The use of our products globally would increase farmer crop yield and crop quality, save water and other scarce resources, and create a more sustainable planet. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? If you're planning to start an agtech company, it is important to be patient. Farmers need to get to know you and trust you. All our farmers are from Missouri, so to speak, the "Show Me" state. It is important to have a team with the technical knowledge for your product, but also the domain expertise and customer relationships in agriculture.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? We have headquarters in San Diego, CA, but we have people in key local geographies throughout our target markets in the US: the California Central Valley, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. We will expand in Nebraska, Washington and other geographies over time, as well as selective international expansion. It is critical in our business to manage with people in remote locations.

What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Finding and hiring key talent is always a challenge. In our case, we have an excellent team, and as we expand, we will need additional players in key roles of product development, both hardware and software and in-field sales.

This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In a few sentences, what would you like to tell them? GroGuru is all about strategic irrigation management. We help farmers make more money by increasing crop yield, while more efficiently using water and other scarce resources in a more sustainable way.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT INCERES InCeres is a software development company that has developed the Systems Precision Farming for the management of agriculture. InCeres inceres.com.br Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Your name and title/role with the company? My name is Leonardo Menegatti and along with Nelson Pozzi, we are founders at InCeres. I am CEO for inCeres and Nelson is COO. Our mission is to make agribusiness more competitive, gathering data from soil, plant and climate conditions and supporting decisions driving to higher yield, sustainability, costs, risk and credit. How did you get the idea to start InCeres? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? It was 2007 and I was growing my previous company very fast, a precision farming consultancy dealing with lots of data spread on several laptops. I wondered what would be possible if all this data and more could be in one place and since then I am pursuing that vision. Now they have fancy names for this, such as data lake, but for me is science and handwork. And a lot of hard work. Thanks to the partnership we developed with our customers – crop consultants, cooperatives, farmers and dealers, we have reached more than 7.2 million acres in Brazil, with more than 500 agronomists working in our platform, delivering soil management and plant nutrition for more than 7,000 farms across 18 states in Brazil. Together, we are reaching higher yields and optimizing the farmer’s resources –fertilizers and machinery. What does it mean to InCeres to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? It means a lot for sure. To be part of an acceleration program in a state where agriculture is the base of the economical strength is very satisfying for us. The rich soil, direct seeding and soil protection are aligned with our DNA on soil and plant nutrition. This participation gives us emotional support to be resilient when hard things come. To have my work recognized by such a player gives me satisfaction. This is the meaning, to validate the direction we are heading is feasible and make people believe along with us.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? We would make farmers be more efficient, driving their resources where they will be more efficient and profitable. Fertilizing their fields with more efficiency. With that, we would produce more food in a more competitive and resilient way for the incoming population of the world and make a difference for the people where one dollar is the difference between eating or not eating every day. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? Do not give up your vision. You have to know if the vision comes from deep inside you, and if that is the case, do not give up. Hard things will come. Harder things will come yet, there will be moments you do not see the way out and those moments are those you trust in God, your faith is tested. This is the moment to be closer to your clients even if you are physically apart from them. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Our biggest challenge is to initiate our work in the US, where we are unknown yet. But we have Plug and Play to support us, a well-known partner with recognition for global excellence. We will handwork to build this and other partnerships. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? That is wonderful to hear. Being close to our clients is very important, so we can understand how we can solve their problems. We think that we have options beyond being there physically. As a foreign company and with value to deliver, we will create partnerships to support farmers. Being embraced by the society certainly helps a lot. We would love to take the partnership we created with crop consultants, dealers, cooperatives to your beloved state. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In a few sentences, what would you like to tell them? We will keep working close to our clients and customers there as well as in Brazil because we believe that solutions and value are created based on collaboration. We really want to support American farmers to be even more competitive. You can count on InCeres. Thank you.

ABOUT OLHO DO DONO Portable 3D camera to calculate the weight of cattle. 1st Techcrunch Startup Battlefield LATAM Winner, Best Brazilian Agtech for 3 times in a row. Olho do Dono olhododono.agr.br Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil

and profitability, by monitoring the weight (the main KPI that normally they don´t know) and making better decisions, in an easy way and stress-free manner for the animal. By doing that, we help to feed the world population, while contributing to lower environmental impact (sustainability).

Your name and title/role with the company? Pedro Coutinho, CEO of Olho do Dono How did you get the idea to start Olho do Dono? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? A friend was doing a financial consultancy for a big ranch, to calculate the opportunity cost and to see if it was better to raise cattle, plant soil beans or sell the entire ranch to invest someplace else. But he couldn't calculate it, because they didn't know the weight of the animal or the financial value of the livestock is based on the weight. He explained that weighting the cattle was labor-intensive, time-consuming, stressful for the animal and it loses weight. Since there were cowboys that could estimate the weight of some animals by looking at it, we figure, why not use computational vision, machine learning and data science to do it using 3d cameras? What does it mean to Olho do Dono to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? It is an awesome opportunity! We were planning to establish our business in the USA, one of the top five beef cattle markets in the world, and this opportunity happened at the right time. Also, we always admired Plug and Play's work with startups and their track record. We've been receiving great mentorship, access to PnP's valuable global network and nice connections with founding partners. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? Our clients are increasing their productivity (demanding less space)

You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? Visit the farms and ranches: talk to the owners and their staff; if possible, stay a couple of days on the property to understand the routines and problems they are facing. It's important to develop a strong interaction with the ranchers to build a product that can really help them. Validate the technology with them as soon as possible. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? We have been growing in a very sustainable way, and we are now looking for investment to help us go faster. Our goal is to expand the team and launch the product in the US market soon. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? We are very excited to get to know North Dakota and the region and hopefully visit as soon as the pandemic allows new travels. Last year, when we presented at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco as alumni, we also had a chance to visit the Sacramento City Council and UC Davis. So we are excited to plan our USA offices (probably in more than one city), based on the support of investors and institutions. North Dakota is definitely a place that we will look closely at. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In a few sentences, what would you like to tell them? I would like to invite the quality readers of Future Farmer to fulfill our purpose together: let's increase livestock productivity, profitability and well-being, contributing to feed the world and to lower environmental impact. If you´re a rancher or an investor in the agtech space, please come talk to us.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT RABBIT TRACTORS Autonomous, multi-purposed, compact and swarmenabled farm vehicles. Rabbit Tractors rabbittractors.com Cedar Lake, Indiana

Your name and title/role with the company? Zack James, Founder How did you get the idea to start Rabbit Tractors? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? I come from a non-farming background, but I was exploring becoming a small-acre farmer and soon realized that the cost of equipment makes it almost impossible for someone to do that. This seemed like a massive problem and I began investigating ways to solve it; my final solution being that if equipment became autonomous, it can become smaller and more affordable. What does it mean to Rabbit Tractors to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? Working with such a great group of mentors and investors is helping us further refine our product and prepare for commercialization. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? Our goal is to simply make farmers more profitable by lowering the capital and operating costs of equipment; but in doing that, farmers will also see increases in yield and decreases in input costs from more nuanced management practices. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? It's a bumpy road, be flexible and prepared to shift to opportunities as they present themselves. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? There are a lot of great autonomous driving engineers and a lot of people who understand agriculture and unfortunately, there are very few who know both. 90

JULY / AUGUST 2020

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? We plan to base our headquarters at Purdue University but, because of the mobility of our equipment, service all of the Midwest and specifically North Dakota, Minnesota and the upper Midwest. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? Rabbit Tractors is currently signing up acres to be cover crop spread this fall.

ABOUT TERALYTIC

Your name and title/role with the company? Steven Ridder, Founder and CEO of Teralytic. How did you get the idea to start Teralytic? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? In researching Agtech, I noticed that many of the layers in the AgTech stack were starting to digitize, meaning I could pull up weather, drone, satellite or combine data from my mobile phone, yet soils were still living in the analog age. People still measured fertility levels the same way they did 100 years ago – walking the fields, collecting physical samples and sending them to a lab, then waiting days or weeks for a single snapshot, which is insane, as soils are just as alive as the plants that grow in them and they change often. If farmers could use sensors to see what's really happening under their feet, they could add just the right amount of fertilizer using 4R BMP’s. But when I dug into it, I found out there was no such thing as a fertilizer sensor, so I decided to start Teralytic to do something about that. What does it mean to Teralytic to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? It’s great to be connected to four corporate thought leaders and a community in the heart of America’s breadbasket. If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? We’d reduce N2O emissions by nearly half while reducing leaching into the rivers and streams by 30-50%. The world would be a much cleaner place and well down the path to meeting major sustainability efforts, all while farmers would be much more profitable.

AgTech firm helping farms increase yield and reduce costs by combining soil science, IoT sensors and machine learning. Teralytic teralytic.com Berkeley, California Tulare, California New York, New York Council Bluffs, Iowa

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? Ideally somewhere in the midwest, so we could be closer to our clients and part of the community. This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In a few sentences, what would you like to tell them? Someday it will be possible to get paid three to five times on the same acre by using our sensor – one for growing the crops and using our sensors to farm much more sustainably and profitably, and the rest from food suppliers, governments and retailers who will pay you to reduce your environmental footprint. Our hope is you get paid more for using our sensor and following BMP’s than by growing the crop.

You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? It’s going to be a difficult journey, full of ups and downs, but never quit, as tomorrow is another day. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Manufacturing.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

ABOUT UKKO AGRO Ukko Agro has built a smart crop management platform that helps farmers make decisions to proactively optimize crop inputs, such as pesticides, water and nutrients in order to maximize yield. Ukko Agro ukko.ag Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Your name and title/role with the company? Ketan Kaushish, CEO How did you get the idea to start Ukko Agro? Was it an epiphany or was it something more practical than that? I had worked in agriculture for over nine years with Syngenta, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus before starting Ukko Agro. During my interactions with growers, I learned how farmers were overwhelmed with disconnected data available through multiple apps and they were still not getting actionable insights. This prompted me to build Ukko Agro, an agronomy focussed analytics engine that aggregates data from 3rd party devices and generates agronomic advisories for farms, agronomists and crop consultants.

• Farms would use Ukko’s predictions to take preventative actions up to a week in advance on the application of in-season crop inputs on an individual grid level. • Farms would also be able to link each preventative action to the profitability of that action and the crop. • Farms would be able to access Ukko’s advisories through their preferred platform. You’ve already accomplished a lot to get to where you are now. What advice would you have for those just starting their agtech startup adventures? 1. Build something that solves a real problem for farmers. 2. Take feedback from your customer and keep iterating till you establish a product-market fit. What’s your biggest current staffing (or workload) pain point? Our biggest pain point is creating awareness for our product in a new geography.

What does it mean to Ukko Agro to be part of Plug and Play North Dakota’s Agtech Program? Ukko Agro aims to partner with other precision ag companies to aggregate data, generate actionable insights for farmers and send it to the farmer’s preferred platform. Plug and Play presents a great opportunity for Ukko Agro to find the right partners to being Ukko’s technology to farms, at scale.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing agtech like never before. When you’ve completed the Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech Program, where do you think will be your optimal headquarters location and why? Ukko initiated work in Minnesota and North Dakota in 2020. We are looking to establish our Upper Midwest office in this region as we work with more partners and customers, in addition to our Canadian presence.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have? Ukko's focus is on predicting and providing actionable insights to farmers on the in-season application of pesticides, nutrients and water to help improve profitability. If our analytics product were adopted globally, Ukko would have the following impacts:

This magazine reaches 15,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? Ukko is expanding in the US and is looking to work with farmers who want to improve their in-season decision making on application of pesticides, nutrients and water. To learn more contact us at info@ukko.ag.

JULY / AUGUST 2020

Goes Global Liberty Middle School’s “CO2 Team” Takes Their High-Tech Ag Project to Nationals By Lee Schwartz

Remember 7th-grade science class? Remember how the kid that built the volcano won First Prize at the Science Fair...every year? West Fargo’s Liberty Middle School has a competition team that makes the volcano look like child’s play. Led by their inspiring mentors, Holly Erickson and Eric Dobervich, Liberty Middle School’s “CO2 Team” created a project for a nationwide competition called eCYBERMISSION. Their project has received national recognition and awards. eCYBERMISSION is a web-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades six through nine. Students were challenged to explore how STEM works in their world while working as a team to solve problems in their community. Teams competed virtually in state and regional competitions through the National Judging & Educational Event (NJ&EE) that was held in June 2020. Student prizes were awarded at the state, regional and national levels by grade level. The Grand Farm team interviewed this great group of technologists and were blown away by their ingenuity and their high-level thinking to help solve global problems.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Tell us about the CO2 team itself. Our team is comprised of four 7th grade team members all with unique talents and interests. Collectively, we are all 13 years old and love to go to the lake with family!

How did you do the extensive research necessary to make this project a success? Websites? Google? The library?

Alexa loves to play volleyball and enjoys going to the lake on the weekends to be with family and friends.

Our project is mostly based on research. We used websites, articles and expert advice to form our current hypothesis and solution proposal. We will be testing in North Dakota State University’s labs this summer, with hopes of taking our prototype into the field at Grand Farm in North Dakota by Fall 2020.

Emma loves to be with family and friends at the lake and also enjoys playing softball and piano.

How much did you know about phosphorus and runoff issues before starting this project?

Kaitlyn enjoys hanging out with friends, traveling and being in the outdoors.

Our team’s knowledge of phosphorus and runoff issues were slim-tonone before our project. The project has really helped open our eyes and helped us become more aware of problems in our community and worldwide.

And Sullivan loves basketball and football and being with family and friends at the lake in the summer. The complexity of your project was really impressive--how did you ever get the idea? Our team’s proposed solution and concept stemmed from a project we did towards the beginning of our 7th grade school year. The project involved removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. At first, we focused on removing carbon dioxide from oceans, then as our project progressed we shifted our view to our area lakes and rivers because it was a more local aspect of the original problem. This is what eventually led up to research about agricultural runoff and its effects. What was your hypothesis? As of now, our hypothesis is: If phosphorus can be removed from agricultural runoff water through a biochar and iron nanoparticle filtration system, then we will be able to make a positive impact on our environment and community by lessening the impacts of excess nutrients flowing into our lakes and rivers.

Besides your terrific mentors, what organizations or companies helped you along the way? Throughout our journey so far, we have worked with area grad students and professors from North Dakota State University (NDSU) to help us develop our solution to its fullest. In the future, we plan to partner with Grand Farm and Fargo-based material designer and custom compounder, C2Renew. We also want to thank our families and thank the entire community for their time, resources and support. We would not have been able to do this without them. You designed a biochar-iron nanoparticle filtration system. How would that solve problems? Based on our research and collaboration with experts, it would solve problems by filtering phosphorus from runoff water. The nanoparticles we hope will better target and adhere the passing phosphate. After it is captured, we’d then hope to recycle the phosphate out of the biochar and iron nanoparticle filter and reuse it as fertilizer. We believe that our biochar iron nanoparticle filtration system will help keep water-based ecosystems balanced, help contribute to slow potential climate change, help prevent iron deficiency in plants, and help keep balanced nutrition in plants. Based on what you’ve learned so far, do you have conclusions? By no means are we done exploring this project, but at the moment we can conclude that our filtration system will benefit our community in both small and large ways. We know phosphorus use in fertilizers has grown throughout the years and because of this steady increase, there is a possibility that there has been a steady increase in the concentration of phosphorus in runoff. Another key point to consider is with global populations rising, a demand and need for successful agricultural harvests will be present. With our filtration system, we will be able to combat the increasing amounts of phosphorus in runoff and also recycle our filter as a

JULY / AUGUST 2020

fertilizer to help ensure successful harvests. In conclusion, our filter will benefit our community in different ways – from agricultural harvests to cleaner lakes and streams, less fish kills from algae blooms and help lessen the amount of methane being released from algae blooms. Your group is "King of the World" for one day, what would you implement to make the world a better place? We would develop our filtration system and implement it into the real world. We would do this because we would be able to see—on a larger scale—how our project can really impact and benefit everyone.

In November and December of 2020, we plan to start testing the other concept that plays into our project--recycling our filter as a fertilizer for plants. Once we can pin down the appropriate plan for effectiveness, we hope to potentially develop another iteration of our solution to better maximize and hit the criteria we have developed to solve the problem. After our plan is put into action, we will present at the eCYBERMISSION National Judging Event in early June of 2021! After that event our long term goal is to write a research article about our experiment.

What career goals do you and your team have? I’m certain the ag-tech and ag-science industries would love to have you! At this point, it is hard to pin down specific career goals because we are still exploring all the options! Alexa is interested in math and technology and hopes to pursue a career in one of those fields. Emma is considering going into the medical field but is keeping an open mind if something else pops up that she is interested in considering. Kaitlyn is interested in working in the medical field as a pediatric nurse or midwife. Sullivan is interested in finance and would like to be a financial advisor. Tell us about the awards you won and the recognition you received for this project. Our group has received the North Dakota state First Place Award and were regional finalists through a STEM competition called eCYBERMISSION. We each received $2,000 in savings bonds. We also applied and received a $5,000 grant that allows us to implement our project. Recently, we had the honor of presenting our idea at a virtual 1 Million Cups meetup that was broadcast across the state of North Dakota to business leaders. What’s next for the CO2 team? Another project next year? When receiving the grant, we were committed to another year devoted to this project. We plan to develop and construct our prototype this Summer and test the prototype by Fall.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM