Future Farmer March/April 2022 by Spotlight Media

MARCH/APRIL 2022

COMPLIMENTARY

Pushing Forward With

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The agtech accelerator welcomes 9 new startups capable of making waves in America's heartland.

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March/April 2022 Volume 3 Issue 2

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We’ll help you do the little things that make bigger things possible. A growing operation keeps you going from sunup to sundown, and beyond. Bremer Bank knows it’s good to have a banker who helps you weather the ups and downs of the market, add to your operation and get the resources, inputs and equipment you need to make it pay off. Because right now, relationships matter more than ever. Talk to a Bremer banker today. Understanding is everything. © 2022 Bremer Financial Corporation. All rights reserved. Bremer and Bremer Bank are registered service marks of Bremer Financial Corporation.

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Photos provided by Archipelago Technology

The Archipelago Technology elevator pitch: Archipelago's Powerdrop technology enables you to get the same results with half the amount of chemicals. Powerdrop makes the chemicals go where they need to go and nowhere else. Powerdrop largely eliminates drift, bounce-off and overspray.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? It means a lot to Archipelago. Plug and Play attracts talented people and talented companies. There is a buzz about the program and we are meeting really key people across AgTech and beyond.

How did you get the idea to start your company?

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

We wanted to create the next big thing in droplet delivery. We knew that spray technology wastes half the material and that if we could solve this problem we'd help people save a lot of money while also helping the environment.

It would halve the amount of chemicals being used compared to what is put through spray applicators. This is a huge saving in money, in energy use, in CO2 emissions and of course it really helps the environment.

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How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? We are based in the United Kingdom. We are working with some of the leading growers there, but of course, we are keen to connect with growers in the US.

Where do you see your company in 10 years? Archipelago's Powerdrop technology will have displaced spray applicators in farming and will be the standard technique for getting chemical treatments to where they need to be.

By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest? To your second point: Absolutely. I will be visiting Fargo and Minneapolis in May this year and this question is top of my list.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? Archipelago's Powerdrop technology can help you save money through using fewer chemicals and getting them where

they are needed; we are keen to connect and work with you.

The Barn Owl Precision Agriculture elevator pitch: We provide farm weeding robots as a service to cut labor budgets in half and field and crop analysis to help get farm information faster!

How did you get the idea to start your company? In 2017 we moved back home to rural Colorado to be closer to our family. We got to know our farm neighbors and communities and saw the lack of agriculture technology support in our area. We decided to figure out how to use our experience in drone analysis and software development to help our farmers and the seed of Barn Owl was planted. We started by flying drones to give farmers a different view of their fields and have worked to develop operations support in the form of autonomous micro-tractors and software to get information out faster.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? This program is helping us be the best we can be for our farmers. For us, it is important that we have a well-rounded system that makes farmers' lives easier. Plug and Play is helping us polish and scale so that we can integrate our systems into every farm operation that needs it.

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If your product/service was already being used by everyone... globally... what impact would that have? Our services would provide labor support where it is severely lacking or cut labor budgets and put money back into farmers' pockets. They would allow farmers to make earlier decisions and prevent massive crop loss. This combination would increase profits and yields, allow for wide adoption of climate-smart farming practices and help to secure our global food supply.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? Growers are the most important member of the Barn Owl team. When we decide to bring our services to a region, we connect with local farm unions, research/extension offices and Departments of Agriculture to understand the farmers' needs. We build relationships with the growers in these regions to make sure we stay in line with what will really make a difference. If our services are a fit we work closely with our growers to integrate our systems into their current operation so they don't have to worry about it.

Where do you see your company in 10 years? In 10 years we will be providing operational support to every farmer that needs it in the U.S. This will include

planting, harvesting, weeding and soil sampling robotic support and field and crop analysis from the air and the canopy level. We will be able to help farmers maximize the square foot of their fields. Our farmers will know that Barn Owl has their back!

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest? We are hoping to build connections in this region so we can eventually expand our services to farmers in these areas. After seeing the support for Agtech in this region we might be there sooner than expected.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? You are vital to our health and futures and have been let down so many times with different Ag Tech solutions but we are working hard to get you the systems that you need!

Photos provided by Sensegrass INC.

The Sensegrass Inc. elevator pitch: Sensegrass is a soil intelligence platform for fertilizer management. We use a combination of AI-based recommendations and soil sensors to deliver real-time soil health analyses and targeted nutrient management. We help farmers and companies reduce chemical fertilizer use, increase crop yields, and grow more sustainably.

How did you get the idea to start your company? There are two reasons. The first reason is pretty personal because I am a third-generation farmer. I have never done farming, or I have never been to a village, but I have seen my forefathers’ grandfather and so on. So that was one of the key reasons and, of course, during my previous startup, I also lived with a lot of farmers. In villages, the farmers are the ones who do the farming for part-time work and the rest of the time, they do other jobs to get some income. After seeing this and doing some research,

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we realized agriculture is a very broken industry, especially in developing nations. In order to help, we launched this idea of SenseGrass with highend technology, but a more efficient solution to the small-scale farmer because small-scale farmers are the majority of the global farmers.

gen technologies in the agriculture industry to make operations smarter and more efficient. Sensegrass continues to actively contribute to this socio-technical affair. We would have impacted around 1 million farmers across the world to reduce nitrogen and carbon in the soil.

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

We help users to:

Plug and Play North Dakota Agtech program has been really useful for us. It's one of the leading Agtech programs with the best corporate partners. Connecting with the right partners, mentors, investors in the agriculture heaven of North Dakota is very useful for us and we are extremely happy and excited to be part of the program.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone... globally... what impact would that have? As the world population continues to grow, we need innovative ways to feed people sustainably. That means leveraging the intelligence of next-

1. Reduce Excessive Fertilisers 2. Improve Crop Yield 3. Increase Farm Income.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? Sensegrass proffers an intelligent farming solution for fertilizer management and detects crop diseases to increase crop yield with the culmination of their smart NPK Soil Sensor and satellite data analysis. Sensegrass brings the best of human wisdom and deep tech into farming. Analyzing multiple metrics from various sources with their AI agronomist engine to prescribe best practices helping to increase the crop yield. We are B2B and B2C company. We are primarily focusing on the enterprises and we have a breakdown

for enterprises or B2B stakeholders classified into 4 or 5 categories. One is the food and agro companies. These are the private corporations like PepsiCo, Bayer, Danone, Cargill, Tata, ITC and so on. These are the companies that work with 1000s of farmers, especially the small to midsize farmers in the United States and all around the world. They are our primary stakeholders. Then, we work with the government. In the United State and many other countries, governments are the ones taking care of the soil. The third one is the non-profits institutions. There are tons of nonprofits and they are our third group stakeholders. The fourth group is the banks and insurance agencies which work with a larger number of farmers. The fifth category contains the tech companies like Microsoft, Accenture and Mahindra in India.

Where do you see your company in 10 years? We would like to be the world's first FARM OS for agriculture that converts climate data into financial outcomes for growers using the recommendation

engine by Sensegrass. Sensegrass will be the first agtech company in variable rate technology to go public by 2034. We are also planning to acquire a startup now before we go for our next fundraising. We want to open source our technology and be free for farmers around the world, and work with enterprises to make farming smart and sustainable.

solutions in this space. If someone wants to collaborate, please do contact us.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest? The Midwest, including North Dakota, and the entire region is the farming heartland of the United States and our primary obtainable market. We are based out in the United States but we would like to set up our base in North Dakota or the Midwest region to expand. We are also exploring the opportunity to set up our research lab to work with universities, enterprises and growers closely to find more

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Photos provided by Thylacine Biosciences

The Thylacine Biosciences elevator pitch: We believe genetics will continue to profoundly change our understanding of life on our planet. We also believe the ability to benefit from and utilize the tools enabled by genetics should not be restricted to scientists and laboratories. We create tools that put the power of a genetics lab in your hands. Whether you’re worried about a sick calf or a disease spreading through your crops, our products will enable you to get the information you need, where you need it, and in the time you need to make the right decisions for your farm.

How did you get the idea to start your company? We initially developed our technology to combat illegal wildlife trafficking— with the goal of equipping enforcement officials with the tools they needed to stop illicit contraband in its tracks, wherever they encountered it. When we realized that this problem wasn’t unique to enforcement, we started our company so we could bring our technology to anyone who needed to safeguard their resources and get the information they needed without having to wait for a lab or a scientist to process it.

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

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

It means a lot to Archipelago. Plug and Play attracts talented people and talented companies. There is a buzz about the program and we are meeting really key people across AgTech and beyond.

If our products had already been in use globally, the COVID-19 pandemic may not have happened. We wouldn’t be worried about swine flu spreading through herds in the U.S. or losing more and more crops to rusts or mosaic viruses. In a global society with global supply chains, a threat anywhere is a threat everywhere. While we need to be on the lookout for more and more threats than ever before, our technology is poised to make this more accessible and more affordable than previously possible. Widespread monitoring with our products could help us finally get ahead of emerging diseases and retake control of their spread and their impact on our crops and herds.

What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? We believe agriculture has been underserved for too long, and our society must do a better job safeguarding our crops and herds from the growing threats we face. Above all, we must do more to empower the growers and ranchers who are essential for the lifestyles we enjoy in our country today. While we believe our technology can serve and empower growers and ranchers, we recognize we still have a tremendous amount to learn about the problems they face. Being a part of an organization and program that shares our values and helps us deliver our technology and products in the most impactful way is an incredible honor and an invaluable opportunity. Because of Plug and Play’s Ag Tech program, we will be better prepared to serve our agricultural communities and customers.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? Accessibility is at the core of everything we do. We know growers don’t have time or money to check for everything little thing. We aim for our products to provide growers answers to their biggest concerns as soon as possible and implemented routinely at low cost by their trusted providers. However, our products will be affordable and easyto-use so that growers can’t be taken hostage by anyone and can use our products themselves if they don’t want to wait or pay someone else.

We still have a lot to learn about growers’ needs and are looking forward to connecting and learning through Plug and Play’s Ag tech program. One thing we have already learned through this program is that growers are too often excluded from reaping the benefits of the data they generate or that is generated in their fields. Data will become a big part of how we protect our communities, and we are exploring business models within which growers can share in the value their data creates.

integrity, innovation and brilliance of the people in and from the Midwest. As part of the Plug and Play Agtech program, we hope to better understand the challenges faced in the agriculture technology revolution we see being led by North Dakota and do our part to provide innovative solutions to long-standing challenges. Even prior to our participation in this program, we have been considering opening production and service facilities in the Midwest. While we have many challenges still ahead of us, we see our success inevitably leading to facilities and operations in the Midwest due to the critical importance this region plays for the planet as well as our personal history and ties to the people in it.

This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? At Thylacine Biosciences, we are incredibly grateful for American farmers, and our goal is to provide products that can safeguard their crops and herds so they can focus on their work, which we all depend on.

Photo provided by Primary Ocean

What is your Primary Ocean elevator pitch? Primary Ocean is on a mission to reverse climate change by taking CO2 from where it is most destructive, our oceans, and putting it where it is most productive, our soils, through seaweed farming and value-added processing to fertilize, fuel, and decarbonize the world. How did you get the idea to start your company? One of our Co-Founders, Brian Schmidt, went on a trip to Myanmar to learn to meditate. After spending two weeks at a monastery he found in the woods. During those two weeks, he slept on a wooden floor and no one around spoke English. While in meditation, he envisioned that seaweed was his life's purpose. Upon return, he and his other Co-Founders, his brother, Scotty Schmidt, and long time

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friend, Brandon Barney, spent one year interviewing all of the seaweed researchers in the world, ultimately deciding that seaweed could, indeed, play a major part in saving the planet, and was worthy of a life's purpose. That purpose led us into seaweed farming which further led us into seaweed refining, and now to our first commercial product, Organikelp, a novel, highly effective, seaweed biostimulant for the agricultural industry. What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? We began as entrepreneurs coming from different industries, and we began as a company with a more broad focus on 'seaweed farming and seaweed products' in a general sense. With the launch of our first product in the agricultural inputs industry, having the opportunity to work within the Plug and Play ecosystem and learn from some of the best AgTech mentors in the world proved to be invaluable.

If your product/service was already being used by everyone... globally... what impact would that have? If all 2.3B acres of global cropland were using Organikelp, we would be able draw almost 3M tons of CO2 from the ocean every year through seaweed cultivation. Furthermore, we would be able to reduce chemical fertilizer requirements by 10%-20%, reducing massively the CO2 footprint of the fertilizer industry, save farmers money and reduce fertilizer runoff, pollution, and dead zones. Additionally, we could save land from being fallowed as we can save farmers 10% of their water requirements and help to regenerate eroded soils to store additional gigatons of CO2. Ultimately, the world would have more food, use less chemical inputs, have healthier soils, and a more sustainable and resilient food production system.

How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? Growers are our end-user customers and we are a customer-focused organization! We are not selling seaweed to farmers, we are selling profits and solutions to farmers. First, we are providing a return on investment to the farmer through increased yield and reduced input costs. Then, we provide environmental stewardship and improvement to their land assets. But, the grower's business is our first priority. Where do you see your company in 10 years? In 10 Years, Primary Ocean will have three production facilities in North America, the production facilities in South America, two in Africa and one in Australia providing for a regional production and distribution model to serve regional markets with agricultural inputs, bioactive animal

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

in a nutrient program, but rather complementary to any existing fertility mix. Organikelp ultimately allows the farmer to reduce other inputs, saving costs, while increasing yield and sustainability with a very strong ROI. Organikelp is not just good for your plants and soil, it's good for your P&L .

We hope to introduce and/or further educate the Upper Midwest community about the benefits of seaweed biostimulants in conventional and organic agriculture and establish relationships to advocate for our economically and environmentally valuable products. This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? Organikelp and seaweed biostimulants are not a replacement for products

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What is your EcoBloc elevator pitch? EcoBloc sustainably protects farmers' stored assets from rodent destruction. How did you get the idea to start your company? Completely by accident. I was advising the person who owned the technology. After nearly a year of helping, I bought the technology from him. What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? Plug and Play has an extensive network that puts EcoBloc in front of companies it would otherwise have difficulty getting meetings with and provides access to mentors that provide meaningful insights. Being part of the program is invaluable. If your product/service was already being used by everyone... globally... what impact would that have? 48% of the world's food is destroyed

by pests annually, of which rodents represent a significant portion, meaning that much has to be grown twice. If used throughout the entire food supply chain we would significantly improve global food security, and reduce carbon emissions. We increase food safety and reduce the spread of disease and viruses to animals and humans alike. Finally, we improve soil and water health and reduce the amount of secondary animal poisoning, including protected species, by reducing the amount of chemicals used to fight rodents. How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? Growers have stored inventory and equipment that is constantly under threat from rodents. Our precision Ag solution dramatically reduces the labor required to fight this problem while also protecting those assets, leading to increased profitability.

North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered expanding your operations in the upper midwest? As a result of Plug and Play, we will work with some of the largest, most important Ag and food companies in the region and world. We are considering expanding to the upper midwest which will in large part be based on the level of success we expect to achieve with Plug and Play's help.

Where do you see your company in 10 years? The #1 pest intelligence and exclusion solution provider in the world.

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The Uniphage elevator pitch: Uniphage is developing microbialbased alternatives to crop antibacterials and antifungals. Uniphage’s organic pesticides are safer and more efficient than the currently existing ones. Uniphage’s first target is citrus greening. How did you get the idea to start your company? Most currently existing crop antibacterial and antifungal solutions are not only toxic but also inefficient. Did you know that more than 90 percent of Americans have detectable amounts of pesticides in their bodies while around one-third of crops are being lost to fungal and bacterial diseases? We decided to improve on the natural solutions to tackle this massive issue with a safe, sustainable and efficient approach, both for humans

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and nature. Do you want your health to continue being damaged because better alternatives to established pesticides don't exist? What does it mean to be part of Plug and Play's North Dakota Agtech Program? It means having an amazing community and P&P support! If your product/service was already being used by everyone... globally... what impact would that have? >100 Million lives saved + <5% of people worldwide would have detectable amounts of toxic pesticides in their bodies (>90% of Americans have detectable amounts now). How are you incorporating growers into your business plan? We want to sell directly to the growers

to eliminate as many middlemen as possible and bring the most cost-efficient solutions directly to the growers. Where do you see your company in 10 years? The leading producer of organic antifungal and antibacterial solutions as well as potentially other nature-inspired and safe pesticides. Where do you see your company in 10 years? The #1 pest intelligence and exclusion solution provider in the world. North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Midwest are embracing Agtech like never before. By participating in the North Dakota Plug and Play Agtech program, what do you hope to accomplish? Have you considered

The Rest of the Cohort

expanding your operations in the upper midwest?

Greensight is a company focused on autonomous aerial intelligence, meaning they leverage drone technology to help you ensure that you are getting the most out of your plot of land.

We're considering conducting more trials in the midwest and are excited to connect with more growers there! This magazine reaches 16,000+ farmers. In one sentence, what would you like to tell them? Please look into new ways to remove toxic pesticides from your value chain as they are very damaging to the environment as well as to humans, primarily those working in the agricultural business!

Picsel is an up and coming end-to-end crop insurance platform, from quotation to claim adjustment.

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BY MARISA JACKELS

The Ag Innovation Campus:

PHOTO VIA THE MINNESOTA SOYBEAN RESEARCH & PROMOTION COUNCIL

When it comes to innovative agtech, adoption can be a challenging hurdle to overcome. A 2021 study by the Farm Journal Initiative & the Sustainability Consortium found that 62 percent of farmers surveyed do not rely on farm management software, and twentyeight percent store and manage their data primarily on paper records. In many cases it is because farmers don’t trust these new gadgets, aren’t sure where their data is going, or there hasn't been enough testing to prove these new technologies actually work. The Ag Innovation Campus, a 10-acre facility under development in Crookston, Minnesota, is aiming to tackle the last part of that challenge—creating a place where agtech can be tested at scale. They broke ground in October 2020 and dirt work began in August 2021. Since then, amidst COVID-19 related delays, the campus continues to move towards its goal of crushing soybeans during the 2022 growing season. At full capacity, the campus will be able to

crush 8,000 soybeans per day and 2.5 million soybeans annually. It was a soybean that first inspired the idea for the Innovation Campus—the high oleic soybean. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council was investing in two things; the high oleic soybean, and the transesterification, or chemical production, of biodiesel. During this process, they had great success in laboratories and small scale productions. But they realized there were major limitations in moving forward to commercial scale markets without large scale testing. “There are hundreds of thousands of great ideas sitting on bench tops and garage facilities all over this country, because they can’t find a location that is available or affordable to prove they work on a large scale,” said Tom Slunecka, CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.

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There are hundreds of thousands of great ideas sitting on bench tops and garage facilities all over this country, because they can’t prove they work on a large scale,” said Tom Slunecka, CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. “I call this the valley of death. And with the Ag Innovation Campus, we’re setting up camp right there in the valley.”

Without testing space to see how these products or technologies work on a large scale—a new type of soybean, or a new food processing system, for instance—it’s extremely difficult for anyone but the largest of companies to buy-in, Slunecka said. Most operations don’t have time or resources to shut down part of their plant simply to test out a new product. The Ag Innovation Campus plans to fill this gap by serving as an incubator for ag innovations. The goal, they write, “is to foster new and novel products, create jobs, and increase the value of agriculture in the region and state.” “I call the space between benchtop and full commercialization the valley of death. We’re setting up camp right there in the valley,” Slunecka said. “We’re providing what they need scientifically, and mechanically, and we’ll be there financially.” The Ag Innovation Campus is a not-forprofit backed by The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Management

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of the group is currently six individuals; farmers and members of Ag Utilization and Research Institute (AURI). Slunecka anticipates ongoing profits to come from the crush facility, rent of the labs, custom work from the labs, corporate sponsorships, and future investments from checkoff organizations. In turn, they will be providing grants, job training, and research pods. They plan to sell the soybeans through a mix of domestic and exporting. “It’s limitless as to who all will want to see success come from this,” he said. “It’s not just ag. Advancements in renewable fuels. Advancements in plastics. Advancements in automation. All of these are potential investors.” The hope is that products developed and tested at the Ag Innovation Campus can be used to move the ag industry forward in significant ways. For products like the Nutrient Value Calculator from Genesis Feed Technologies, showing how the calculator works on a large scale will help demonstrate a new way for soybeans to be traded—with a long-term vision of shifting the way soybeans are traded in the global ag industry.

“Peter (Schott, co-founder of GFT) knows, and I agree, that in today’s world everyone buys soybeans based on crude protein,” Slunecka said. “But it’s old, it's outdated, it's not accurate. Why are we holding on to it? Because it’s cheap and simple.” Rather than measuring the quality of soybeans by crude protein, nutritionists are looking at the amino acids, which provide more nutritional value. Katelyn Engquist, Market Development Manager at Northern Soy Marketing, noted that there are five essential amino acids that are important for monogastric livestock, poultry diets, and aquaculture; animals need them for their overall health, muscle growth, and production of meat and eggs. When these amino acids aren’t present, they are added synthetically which results in higher production costs. “If the buyer can see how focusing on amino acids will make a difference for them and their rations and livestock, they’ll be more likely to see the dollars and cents on how beneficial it is,” Engquist said. With the Nutrient Value Calculator, the data is there. Buyers can use this product to see the long-term cost benefits of

AG INNOVATION CAMPUS

measuring soybean value based on amino acid rather than crude protein. But how to put this into action? This is where the Ag Innovation Campus partnership is crucial for products like the Nutrient Value Calculator. “At GFT, we recognize that growers are innovative risk-takers who bet their livelihood each year on the crops they produce,” Peter Schott, GFT co-founder, said. “We love working with innovative partners like the team at the AIC, so we can work together to support farmers in the midwest and throughout the United States.” At the Ag Innovation Campus, Schott will be able to find answers to questions like, What is the best type of equipment to use to show farmers the value of their beans? How do you do invoicing? How do you retain your samples? “The Nutrient Value Calculator matched with equipment is what we need,” Slunecka said. “To show the value, we have to be able to test for it. And the Ag Innovation Campus will test them.”

The dream, Slunecka and Schott agree, is the day when a farmer can bring a truckload of beans to the holding bin, and be handed a receipt based on the quality of their product. Near-Infrared Technology can be used to scan and evaluate the amino acid content in their truckload of soybeans. This in turn, will provide a premium value for the beans and more profit for the farmer. In the end, that’s the goal; to bring more value back to the farmer.

Learn more about their plans at aginnovationcampus.org.

Slunecka sees the Ag Innovation Campus as a significant step towards that goal, and a key piece to moving the ag industry forward as a whole. “I would like to see that within four years, developments that have moved through the campus are now in full commercialization someplace in the world. And I would like to think that the only way they got there is because of the campus,” he said. “Realistically, we could see 3-4 projects move through annually. And not all of them will be successful. We’ll see a good amount of failures. But for those handful that make it — it will mean big things for the environment, consumers, farmers, and agriculture.”

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Trade-in

Consideration Is now the time to replace your machinery?

The decision to trade equipment can be made for several reasons. Sometimes it’s advantageous to trade when machinery is out of warranty, other times trading may be necessary to keep current with technology or avoid costly breakdowns. While each of these reasons are justifiable, supply chain disruptions, rising equipment prices and strong demand for used equipment have complicated producers' replacement decisions and trade-in activity in recent months. “Limited equipment availability has turned trading into a fine balancing act,” says Alex Bauer, an AgDirect territory manager in Nebraska. “Some producers are waiting on orders they placed last year and without a serial number it can be a challenge to line up financing.” “On the used equipment side, prices are up across all brands and by the time of trade-in,

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a used machine might have an extra 300 to 500 hours on it,” he adds. With so many variables at play, equipment trade-ins have become a moving target. Factor in rising interest rates and it’s no surprise why producers who typically follow a 1-to-3-year trade cycle may consider holding onto their machinery for another 12 to 24 months. “What used to be a three-to-six-month process for lining up a new equipment purchase now can take up to 12 to 18 months making it tough to lock in rates,” says Bauer. “However, we’ve been in a relatively low-rate environment for some time, and even though rates have started to creep back up we are still seeing competitive fixed and variable options.”

By Britney Schwartz, AgDirect

Tips Mapping the market, anticipating time of trade According to Lucas Scheibe, an AgDirect territory manager in North Dakota, tractors ranging from small loader models to large farmed 4WD track machines are currently in high demand. The used low-hour sprayer market is hot, and combines are starting to tick upward. Scheibe says he has also seen more used tillage equipment moving than in previous years. “Because of limited availability, it may be tough to find a unit that fits within your budget and hour range,” he says. “You may have to pay more for the equipment, consider purchasing out of state or even look at buying another equipment brand.” “The over-the-road truck and trailer market is experiencing the same delays as the major ag equipment manufacturers,” Bauer adds.

“Anything that’s tech-driven or has more components will be tougher to get your hands on.” As a result, many producers have turned to the auction and private party sectors–both in-person and online–to find the best equipment bargains. “Over the last two years we’ve seen a rise in financing volume for all types of sales, but auctions and private party purchases really came into play when producers couldn’t find the equipment they were looking for at their local dealership,” says Bauer. “More and more producers are going online to shop for equipment and compare pricing.” Regardless of how or where machinery is acquired, Bauer advises producers to use their best judgment when replacing equipment and anticipating time of trade.

“In the current environment there are really two options: hold onto your equipment for another season or wait your turn knowing it may be worth more or less by the time of trade-in,” he shares. “No matter what you decide, AgDirect has tools and resources, like our online payment calculator, to help you make the best decision for your operation.” “If you’re thinking about making a trade, you can check out the latest interest rates on our website and work with our territory managers or inside sales team to find the right financing options that fit your operation’s needs.” AgDirect

agdirect.com 888-525-9805.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Nolan Schmidt

By Grant Ayers

Providing a Bite to Eat for The Big Apple ince 1997, Noreen Thomas, alongside her husband Lee, has been farming 1,200 acres of beans, feed and grains at their property, Doubting Thomas Farms. Although Doubting Thomas Farms has been in business for over 140 years, this couple has innovated to push the Thomas legacy to new heights.

Five generations of the Thomas family have grown oats on their Red River Valley farm in Minnesota since their great-greatgrandfather planted the first crop back in 1878. Along with top-quality oats, Doubting Thomas Farms’ certified-organic acreage raises wheat, dairy hay, blue corn and soybeans, along with garden produce.

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While Doubting Thomas Farms has impacted communities far and wide for decades, CEO Noreen Thomas has always prioritized relationships over business deals. Working with local restaurants and other businesses has always been preferred by Doubting Thomas Farms and continues to remain a core value today. However, Noreen was caught by surprise to receive a visit from Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant in New York. Blue Hill is a high-end, upscale restaurant that offers two pristine locations in Manhattan and Tarrytown, NY. Blue Hill itself has received two Michelin stars, while Barber himself has become one of the first recipients of the Green Star from Michelin, for excellence in sustainability. Barber has also been the recipient of 5 James Beard Awards, with 10 nominations in total.

According to Noreen, “They just showed up at the farm. They were going through on a tour and really wanted to see small farms that were working with direct marketing. I really didn't have an idea of who they were, but I kept serving them stuff. They were just really interested in what was going on with the farm and in the valley.” While most restaurants would prefer to source closer to themselves, they find themselves coming back time and time again to the grains of the Red River Valley. Thomas’ openness to forge a new relationship with longdistance clients is what led them to making an impact on businesses (and taste palates) across the nation. Barber made a lasting impression on Thomas and her operation. So much so, that Thomas has expanded her range to develop relationships with other businesses in New York (The Test Brewery) and Kentucky (The Great Bagel). Thomas knew that constructing a long-distance relationship would be challenging, but far from impossible with her aspirations. Aside from slightly fewer in-person meetings and a greater-distanced delivery, most processes and relationships are exactly the same as the ones she maintains with locals in the Fargo-Moorhead area. One challenge that they had to figure out was how they would hold

the promise of freshness and quality of the product when being delivered longdistance. Thomas emphasized that she grinds her products fresh, such as the blue corn, a personal favorite of hers. She stated, “I don't like to be over 12 hours between when I mill [the blue corn] and provide it to them. So the product they're getting is very different than something on the shelf that's been there for quite some time, and maybe imported, and then it can also be something that's been heat-treated several times. We’re focused on having a gap from farm to table as low as possible for the product’s sake.” There may be an endless list of factors that play a role in the product’s quality, but Thomas comes from a long line of people that have taught her how to deliver highquality products such as the ones that she advertises. While it’s evident that timeliness and relationships are second to none in Doubting Thomas Farms' production, they also continue to maintain a high standard of quality and flavor in their products, no matter the distance from the ground to the plate. When asked about the quality-oriented effort put into her products,

Doubting Thomas rolled oats and oat berries (groats) are tops in nutrition! They excel in providing antioxidants, dietary fiber and the enzymes that fight diabetes. They’re loaded with manganese, molybdenum and phosphorus, as well as other critical nutrients – vitamin B1, magnesium, chromium, zinc and protein.

Noreen said, “I can grow a lot of grains just for grains, but the flavor is really important to us. While the health benefits of oats are documented and important, by far the most significant aspect of our oats is the taste.” She continued, “Local artisan farmers, like us here in the Red River Valley, actually grow our oats for flavor knowing full well that the plate of oats is richer and more robust when it's grown for taste. The flavor of our oats has also caught the eye of “superstar” chef Dan Barber, who loves the taste of our rolled oats so much that he uses our oat groats in his Blue Hill Restaurant in New York. Oat groats hold up better than rice under heat plates and they don’t break down or become sticky like rice, turning many chefs, like Dan, into fans.” It’s clear that she knows and appreciates the value of her product just as much as any customer or client does. Putting in the work and effort to reach the nation’s coasts and form positive relationships was far from easy. Noreen’s perseverance, along with the product’s undeniable flavor, appears to be the selling factor in many clients’ decision-making.

Nolan Schmidt

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While the flavor has come with ease and perfection over the years, the hard work that’s required to get the grains and other materials out of the ground remains “the hard part." When questioned about why more people don’t get involved with the relationshipforming, manufacturing aspects of this business, Noreen offered an interesting answer. “It's a lot more work in management with the grains. That's where a lot of people don't really care to be involved because it means claiming the grains and testing the grains to make sure that they hit the food mark. And with food safety, there's following guidelines and making sure that it meets the food safety standard.” However, that’s not where the work ends. Noreen continued, “It means packaging, meat handling, marketing, and that's just not in the wheelhouse of a lot of farmers. You know, that's fine. We just find

that we kind of landed on a place where I enjoy working with those.” Noreen has shown that the work is challenging, but the reward is more than worth it in her eyes. Few are prepared for such a large task, but she enjoys the work that most people forget about when their ingredients hit the table. Despite taking the time to form bonds and relationships with businesses across the country, Noreen’s ties to the community continue to be stronger than ever. When asked about who she frequently works with, she was quick to mention a handful of the local businesses that she has connections with through the farm. According to Noreen, she finds “it's been really great to work with some of the chefs. Like at Luna, [Ryan Nitschke] and I; we’ve been working together for 15 to 16 years at least.” Interestingly enough, the majority of people that Noreen works with happen to be James

Beard nominees or winners in the culinary arts division. While business relationships were flourishing in recent years, one factor radically changed everything in her industry. The pandemic put an end to many of the businesses that Noreen was directly involved in, with many restaurants and breweries not surviving forced closures across the country during the peak of COVID-19. Noreen did state that despite a lot of negativity and uncertainty in the industry, there was one hopeful division. “A lot of the doors closed shut. Everyone was scrambling. But our online division exploded. People couldn't find flour in the store, but the farmers here had bins of it in wheat. So there was just this disconnect between groups that we could bring together.”

Nolan Schmidt

MARCH/APRIL 2022

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Nolan Schmidt

Noreen admitted that some stores were “cherry-picking” during the beginning of the pandemic by reaching out to the farm for ingredients. However, they politely declined and chose to work with the co-ops and businesses they had already formed solid relationships with prior to the economic crisis. Now, with restrictions and rules in place to combat the pandemic having been lightened, recovery is well underway for the industry as a whole. With some businesses having sadly closed for good, Noreen is focusing on supporting the restaurants, breweries, co-ops and other businesses that she’s grown alongside and supported for years. While Noreen may have plenty on her busy schedule as it is, she is still making time for impactful side projects within the community. One of her most exciting upcoming projects will be growing seeds that were given to her by a leader of the White Earth tribal reservation. Noreen stated that “they’re typically hesitant to reach out with these really rare seeds. These seeds have been passed down for generations. We ran nutritional profiles on these untouched seeds and they’re unlike anything we’ve ever seen.” With an opportunity like this coming her way, it seemed like it was too good of an offer for her to pass on. While North Dakota may be a landmark in terms of grain distribution and connecting communities, few are going the extra mile to do what Noreen and her team are doing. Between forming relationships both nearby and long-distance, offering educational classes for the public and impressing high-end food lovers across the country, it’s safe to say that Noreen is making a long-lasting legacy for Doubting Thomas Farms to continue forward with for generations to follow. 34

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These Businesses Support Thomas’ Community-Based Vision Blue Hill Restaurant: Manhattan, NY and Tarrytown, NY The Great Bagel: Lexington, KY Bernbaum's: Fargo, ND Great Bagel: Louisville, KY Buttered Tin: St. Paul, MN Luna: Fargo, ND The Test Brewery: Brooklyn, NY Ely's Ivy: Grand Forks, ND Manna Food Co-op: Detroit Lakes, MN Rosewild: Fargo, ND Lakewinds Food Co-op: MN Metropolitan Area

Doubting Thomas Farms

doubtingthomasfarms.com 218-233-8066

Easy + Delicious Ways

By Megan Myrdal, Co-Founder of Food of the North, the Little Free Garden project, and co-author of Midwest Mediterranean: Finding Health & Flavor with the Foods of the North

Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet and creamy sweet corn. There’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh, vibrant, seasonal foods. When foods are grown locally and picked at their peak of freshness, they have the most flavor, most nutrition and are most enjoyable. However, in the northern prairie, we have a limited window of time to enjoy these awesome foods and flavors. Do you want to get the most out of the season of bounty? Here are some of my favorite tips! 36

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Photo by Geneva Nodland

Check Out the Farmers Markets Shopping at your local farmers' markets is a great way to know what’s in season, find foods at their peak of freshness and flavor, and–bonus–they are also a lot of fun! We are lucky to have a great selection of farmer's markets across Fargo-Moorhead so you can shop almost every day of the week from about mid-June through October. Our website has a full list of opportunities to buy local, fresh foods around the Fargo-Moorhead area–including farmers markets, CSAs (community supported agriculture), restaurants, and U-Pick options. foodofthenorth.com/buylocal

Try Something New but Start Small

Plant a Garden Gardening is a fantastic way to not only make fresh, local food super accessible (what’s more local than walking into your backyard, right?), but it also makes you appreciate all the work that goes into raising food. If you’re new to gardening, consider starting small with a container or raised-bed garden. If you’re looking for an awesome group to garden with, join Growing Together: A Community Garden Ministry–a communal gardening program that offers weekly gardening times around the Fargo-Moorhead community. You work together to plant and tend the garden and share the harvest. Or if you’re already a seasoned gardener and looking to share the bounty, consider joining our Little Free Garden movement to make fresh, local produce available for those in need. littlefreegarden.com

I think people get a little excited when they get to the farmer's market (particularly the first markets of the season) and end up buying more than they need. I like to encourage people to start small–particularly with foods you haven’t tried before. If you’ve never cooked with kale or swiss chard, buy a small bundle and commit to finding a recipe to try that week. The internet is full of amazing recipes you can search based on a certain ingredient. However, be leery. Not every internet recipe is high quality. Some of my personal favorite recipe websites are Bon Appetit, NYTimes Cooking, Cooking Light and Saveur.

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Talk to Farmers Farmers markets are not only a fun community event and a way to peruse a wide selection of local food. They are also awesome opportunities to talk to people who know the local foods better than anyone else–the people who grow it. As you're shopping, ask the farmer what foods taste like and how they best like to prepare them. I am 100% certain that 100% of farmers eat what they grow.

Your Freezer is your B.F.F. Canning, freezing, pickling, fermenting–there are so many ways to preserve local goodness, but the easiest BY FAR is freezing. Most vegetables freeze quite well (with the exception of cucumbers and leafy greens), but most preserve better if you blanch them (briefly immerse in boiling water immediately followed by an ice bath). The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides the research-based guidelines for how to best freeze (and how to do all other preservation methods) to maintain the highest quality & safety for all your garden goodness. nchfp.uga.edu/

Midwest Mediterranean: Finding Health & Flavor with the Foods of the North Megan Myrdal is the co-author of Midwest Mediterranean, a book designed to introduce tactics for incorporating one of the world's healthiest diets in America's heartland.

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AgDirect financing delivers more than a great rate. ®

Ask for simple, fast and flexible equipment financing. AgDirect® equipment financing is known for its highly competitive rates, but flexible options and ag-friendly payment terms make our rates even better. You’ll like our simple applications and fast credit decisions, too. No matter how you want to buy farm equipment – at dealers, auction or private party sales – AgDirect can finance it. Learn why more producers ask for AgDirect. Call 888-525-9805, or apply online at agdirect.com.

Download AgDirect Mobile from your app store. Your mobile carrier’s message and data rates may apply. AgDirect is an equipment financing program offered by Farm Credit Services of America and other participating Farm Credit System Institutions with lease financing provided by Farm Credit Leasing Services Corporation.

Find a Great Seasonal Cookbook Eating seasonally has become very popular and there are seemingly countless cookbooks that offer ideas for how to enjoy foods with the season. Check out the local bookstores for a wide selection of books to inspire your seasonal eating. One of my first cookbooks, and one I still use religiously to inspire my seasonal cooking, is The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a plug for Midwest Mediterranean: Finding Health & Flavor with the Foods of the North, a book I helped co-author with a fantastic group of food, health & farming experts. It celebrates the foods of the northern prairie blended with key techniques and ingredients of the Mediterranean. It also includes a wonderful collection of recipes!

Involve the Family I’m a passionate believer that getting kids involved with food and farming is awesome for their growth and development, as well as a fun, enriching activity for the whole family. If you’re planting a garden this year, talk to your kids about what they would like to grow. Purchase seeds, plot and plant the garden together. Shop together at the farmers' markets. Pick a food together, talk to the farmer and discuss what you’re going to make with your purchase. Finally, get your kids in the kitchen! It doesn’t have to be every day but try committing to one day a week. It takes a little more work to involve kids, but try to see it as “the activity” for the day. Their smiles–and seeing them happily eat a fresh radish–is totally worth it!

Commit to your Veggies If anyone is familiar with our work at Food of the North, you know that we HATE food waste. It’s part of our history and mission to educate people about the issue of food waste and tips to reduce it. One action that I really try to live by is to commit to my vegetables. When my tomato plants are in season, I will eat tomatoes for every meal–eggs with fresh tomato slices for breakfast, panzanella salads for lunch, BLT or tomato risotto for dinner. I like to think of it as a fun challenge to get really creative with a single food and not let any go to waste. However, it can get a bit excessive at times. If you get overwhelmed with the bounty, check out options to donate to local food pantries (Food of the North has a list here: foodofthenorth.com/donate-food), and remember to preserve what you can’t eat.

Eating local is beyond nourishing your body–although it's a great way to do that too. It’s a way to nourish your soul, support farmers, and enrich our community. Cheers to the season of bounty and happy eating!

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Pastured, Not Pasteurized: THE RAW DAIRY APPROACH

Bartlett Farms began in 2004 when Jim and Lynn Bartlett moved their family to Bottineau from Fargo. Jim taught manufacturing and aircraft engineering at NDSU but wanted to choose a lifestyle where the family could work together and implement a Christian worldview of agriculture, economics, entrepreneurship and more. Starting from a bare section of land, they built Bartlett Farms from the ground up and have been blessed to see it transform from a simple homestead into a direct-to-consumer farm. Their business that serves hundreds of families across North Dakota with grassfed and pastured meats, raw dairy, eggs and handcrafted items delivered to doorsteps in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Williston, Bottineau and more. Now along with his wife Nicole and their 8-month old son Edward, second-generation Peter Bartlett helps manage the farm with his parents and oversees part-time employees.

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Peter Bartlett

SECOND GENERATION

Q&A with

What led to the interest in producing raw milk? What benefits and/or testimonials were you seeing from it personally? I became fascinated by raw milk soon after discovering how much of an impact minerals and nutrition had on our animals on the farm. I saw firsthand how an animal's health could be transformed by simply giving it the right nutrition—and I soon learned this is true for us humans too. Raw milk is an amazing nutrient-dense food that carries vitamins, minerals, enzymes, diverse probiotics, healthy fats, and proteins into our bodies in an easily absorbable form. Raw milk supplies the gut microbiome with living, active "good guys" that help destroy "bad bugs" in your digestive system. Pasteurized milk doesn't do this because the process of heating the milk to 150-210 degrees destroys enzymes, changes proteins, and leads to milk allergies, lactose intolerance and dairy sensitivities. We've personally received dozens of testimonials from families who experienced amazing results from switching to raw milk. Parents who couldn't conceive ditched a vegetarian diet and started drinking raw milk and as a result were able to have healthy kids. A family's daughter struggling with asthma started on raw milk and never had an asthma attack again. Kids with eczema that couldn't find relief saw the eczema clear up in less than a week after switching to raw milk. One customer's testimonial stated, "Thanks to Bartlett Farms, my family is thriving on lots of raw milk, pastured

beef, chicken liver, fermented foods and pastured eggs from our backyard chickens." Each state has different laws on distributing raw dairy. How does Bartlett Farms comply with North Dakota's regulations while simultaneously creating a great customer experience? In North Dakota, it's mandatory that all milk sold in grocery stores be pasteurized. As a result, at Bartlett Farms, we've adopted a cow-share model that allows us to sell shares of ownership to individuals who then receive milk from their share of ownership in the cow. It's written in the state century code as a "shared animal ownership agreement." A cow-share works like a subscription that you renew each year. Subscriptions vary in size, and you can get as many shares as you need to provide fresh raw milk for your family. One share equates to two gallons of milk per month, or a half-gallon each week. The most popular option is the Family Plan which provides four half-gallons of raw milk every other week delivered to Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Williston and more locations. If you don't live in town, you can meet us at a pickup point at the appointed time. Automatic credit card payments, email and text reminders keep everything on track and make sure you know when your order is arriving. Do certain breeds of cows produce healthier raw milk than others? What breeds do you have and why did you select them? We milk a small herd of 12 Jersey cows year-round. Jersey's produce raw milk that is the highest in butterfat and minerals of all the dairy breeds. This means you can

drink one glass of Jersey raw milk and get the same benefits as about 1 1/3 cups of milk from a Holstein cow. Jerseys are smaller and give about three gallons of milk a day on average on our grass-based operation. We chose Jerseys for their size and feed conversion rate, milk quality, and easy-going temperament. How do you keep raw milk sanitary and safe from contamination? What is the milking process like? On our farm we use three levels of security for our raw milk production. The first is the diet of the cow. Our cows are fed primarily grass and legumes, keeping their rumen pH from becoming too acidic and prone to pathogens from a diet high in grain. This boosts the cow's immune system and helps keep her from shedding pathogens in the first place. Second, we utilize sanitary stainless steel milking equipment and glass bottles, and a rigorous cleaning process before and after milking. Cows are milked by machine twice daily, and equipment is washed, rinsed with an acid milkstone remover, then sanitized before milking every time. This ensures the least likelihood of bacteria remaining on equipment and causing an issue. Third, we test our milk for food-borne pathogens periodically. These include Salmonella, Campylobacter, E.coli 0157:H7, and Listeria. In 12+ years of testing we have never had a confirmed pathogen detected in our milk and no reports of sickness from hundreds of families over the years.

FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM

Disclaimer: FARGO MONTHLY DOES NOT SUPPORT NOR DISCOURAGE THE CONSUMPTION OF RAW DAIRY. PLEASE USE YOUR OWN DISCRETION OR CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE MAKING DIETARY DECISIONS.

What if I want to try raw milk but I am lactose intolerant? One survey found about 80% of people who are diagnosed by a doctor as lactose intolerant find they can drink raw milk without experiencing the symptoms of gas, bloating, cramps, etc. Many who are sensitive to dairy also find relief from switching to raw milk. This is because raw milk contains enzymes like lactase, which helps digest milk sugar (lactose) allowing you to more fully digest the milk. Pasteurization destroys these enzymes leading to intolerances and sensitivities. Everyone has their own opinion on milk. Some say it's only for infants and that adults shouldn't drink milk. What's your take on this and how can it benefit me regardless of my age? In a perfect world, our bodies wouldn't need milk beyond infancy. However, in today's age of processed food, our bodies are starved for living probiotics and gut46

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healing foods. No matter your age, you need to be consuming living foods in order to experience your best health. Raw dairy happens to be one of the most powerful and potent forms of natural probiotics and is even more enhanced when fermented into yogurt or kefir. If dairy isn't for you, then you need to seriously consider other traditional fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and fermented vegetables like beet kvass or pickles. If you ask me, dairy is the most delicious way to get these probiotic benefits! Benefits of regular consumption of raw dairy at any age include healthier skin, hair and nails, as well as better digestion for a more settled stomach. It also helps promote more energy from its rich source in healthy fats and vitamins, stronger bones due to more bioavailable calcium and other minerals, decreased symptoms of asthma, allergies and eczema. It is likely that you can consume raw dairy comfortably even if you are lactose intolerant.

In recent years, people are turning back to traditional ways of consuming foods. How is Bartlett Farms positioning itself to be a whole-food resource for people to find better health? There are many farms that raise meats, milk and more but what positions us in a unique place is our commitment to food as medicine. Not only are we focused on serving consumers who need solutions to food sensitivities, leaky gut, fertility issues etc. but we tell the story of industrialized food and the detrimental effects of modern highly processed foods. Educating and inspiring people through our presence on social media, email and print campaigns, and leading North Dakota's Weston A. Price Foundation chapter are ways we position ourselves and our farm as a leader and resource for healing foods.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

As 2022 comes into its own, there are a lot of exciting things in the works at Grand Farm. In each issue of Future Farmer, Emerging Prairie offers up insight into what's new and notable at the cross-section of start-ups and agriculture. This month, we learn more about Agcountry's Patronage Program, the joint efforts of the United States and Canada in agriculture, Revier Family Farms, The Hippocrates Initiative, Eden Grow Systems, Grand Farm's 2022 program and event schedule and so much more! 48

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CONTENTS 66 50

58 50

Agcountry's Patronage Program

The United States and Canada Are Pushing Agriculture Into the Future!

60 Grand Farm Announces 2022 Program and Event Schedule

54 From Farm to Fork, Crickets For Protein

Eden Launched the Hippocrates Initiative

Serving the Planet With Sustainable Living

Highlighting Innovations in Indoor Agriculture North Dakota Department of Commerce Awards Grand Farm $10 Million Matching Grant to Advance Autonomous Agriculture Technology

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AgCountry’s Patronage Program

MARCH/APRIL 2022

Farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses have a lot of options when it comes to farm financing and financial services. Given the unique features of each operation, working with a company that understands all the ins and outs of agriculture can make a world of difference to the bottom line. When it comes time to decide what is right for your operation, every little bit helps. But what if your lender actually returned money back to you? AgCountry Farm Credit Services is a farmer-owned cooperative serving over 25,000 farm families throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Their product and service offerings range from loans and leases to crop insurance and succession and retirement planning. It is their cash patronage program, however, that gives this lending institution a different flavor.

that AgCountry’s dividend program sets us apart from other lenders.” The mission of AgCountry is to serve agriculture and rural America. The cooperative sees its cash patronage program as one way in which they fulfill its mission. After all, every dollar that goes to farmers, ranchers, and rural residents is money that will likely be spent within a local economy. The health of rural America and the agriculture industry go hand in hand. To learn more about AgCountry’s patronage program, you can visit their website at agcountry.com.

AgCountry’s patronage program grants the Board of Directors the ability to distribute a portion of the association’s net income to its member-owners when financial conditions allow for it. Since its creation, AgCountry has paid cash patronage each year. For the past three years, the amount returned has equaled one perfect (100 basis points). Another way to think about this amount is by taking one percent off a customer’s loan. In total dollars, AgCountry paid out $76 million in March of 2022. Since the patronage program launched in 2014, over $335 million has been returned to AgCountry patrons. “It truly pays to do business with AgCountry Farm Credit Services,” states Ed Hegland, who serves as an AgCountry board member. “As a farmer myself, I can confidently say

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The United States and Canada Are Pushing Agriculture Into The Future!

MARCH/APRIL 2022

Agriculture is a collaborative and borderless business. Nowhere is this more apparent than in northern Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba, where fields of soybeans, sugarbeets, corn, and spring wheat thrive in the rich soil along the Red River Valley from Grand Forks to Winnipeg. Producers on both sides of the border have long spoken the common language of weather patterns, seed varieties, price fluctuations, and environmental sustainability. Canadian and U.S. farmers are similarly well-versed in the translation between hectares and acres—an unusual North American aptitude for metric-toimperial system conversions. The U.S.-Canada agricultural relationship is mutually beneficial: our two countries enjoy the largest agricultural bilateral trading relationship in the world, to the tune of more than $50 billion worth of annual two-way agricultural trade. Canada is the #1 agricultural export market for both North Dakota and Minnesota, with livestock, corn, oats, and ethanol flowing daily across our shared border. Many Minnesota and North Dakota residents are surprised to learn that we have a Government of Canada office right here in our midst–the Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis. This office of 18 represents Canada in the fivestate “Upper Midwest” region of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska on trade and policy matters. Although Canada’s population is 1/10th that of the United States, Canada punches above its weight in agricultural technology development—but U.S. investment and partnership are instrumental to eventual global adoption and success. Enter the “AgTech Canadian Technology Accelerator,” or CTA, which the Consulate has spearheaded

in the region for the past two years. The CTA has brought on around 10 Canadian agtech founders each year to participate in intensive sessions focused on entrepreneur education, investor prospects and pitching, and customer/partner discovery— all with an eye toward U.S. expansion. The Consulate engaged Emerging Prairie and the Grand Farm from day one of the AgTech CTA to showcase Fargo’s agricultural ecosystem and stimulate partnership opportunities. The Techstars Farm-to-Fork Accelerator serves as the CTA’s partner in Minnesota. These collaborations have proven invaluable to Canadian agtech companies that have visited and found success in the region. Saskatchewan-based Verigrain, for example – a 2020 AgTech CTA alum – is now part of the Genesis Feed Technologies “Seed to Feed” project (recently featured in Future Farmer), piloting their grain sample acquisition and data management solution. “We want to establish a new industry standard that improves the quality and flow of information between grain growers and buyers,” says Ken Jackson, Verigrain CEO. Verigrain has since begun working with additional Fargo-based partners, including Bushel, American Edge Grain, and North Dakota Grain Inspection. “We took advantage of the topics and relationships offered through the CTA, and now we go to Fargo a lot!” remarked Jackson. Or take Ecobloc, from St. John’s, Newfoundland, whose automated militarygrade ultrasonic technology sustainably protects agricultural inventory and assets from rodent-borne disease and rodent destruction. EcoBloc’s

“invisible fence” solution prevents rodents from becoming an issue to begin with, saving farmers time dealing with this issue while better protecting their property. Ecobloc visited the Grand Farm and Fargo ecosystem partners as part of the 2021 AgTech CTA program and was accepted into the “Batch 5” Plug and Play Agtech cohort in February 2022. Chrysalabs, a Quebec-based agtech start-up that participated in the 2020 AgTech CTA program, also counts Fargo among its U.S. ecosystem partners. Chrysalabs became part of the Plug and Play AgTech “Batch 3” accelerator after the CTA, and is now demonstrating their technology on the Grand Farm to measure soil fertility and carbon. AGvisorPRO, another 2020 CTA AgTech alum, has developed an app that gives farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses a seamless way to connect with ag industry experts anytime. Recently, Wisconsin-based Mike Lessiter of Lessiter Media (who writes/ edits for Farm Equipment, Cover Crop, Strip-Till, No-Till, and other publications) covertly reviewed and tested the AGvisorPRO platform by posing a question about the decision to switch between traditional to no-till operations. Multiple answers came in overnight, from a North Dakota Certified Crop Advisor and an agronomist with Winfield United in North Dakota. With partners like the Grand Farm in Fargo and Techstars in Minneapolis, the Consulate anticipates continued growth opportunities for Canadian agtech firms in the region— alongside mutual benefits for partners in the Upper Midwest, as well. The future of agriculture is boundless, borderless, and bright when we collaborate.

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From Farm To Fork, As a UND graduate, Patrick started his first business, a window cleaning company, in 2012. Nearly five years later, he decided to follow his idea of farming crickets. “I decided I wanted to get back into farming, but by the time I realized that my parents had sold their farm. That meant I had to figure out how to become a farmer with no land, and not a lot of money to work with. A few google searches later I stumbled onto insect farming. Each new piece of information I found just made me want to learn more and very quickly I decided that that is what I wanted to do.” There are numerous environmental, nutritional, and other benefits to farming and eating crickets. Revier Family Farm’s mission is to help grow the practice of entomophagy (eating insects) for all its benefits. They also want to improve the processes used in raising crickets to reduce their cost and help make them an affordable nutritional option for anyone trying to feed their family.

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“There are two things that drive me. First is my family. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, growing up on a farm meant being able to spend every day with my family, and that was the best part of my childhood. I really wanted to do something that allowed me to do that again, and farming was the solution for me. Second, I love a challenge, and there are countless challenges when it comes to farming crickets, plus the whole idea of cricket farming is being used to solve other problems that are globally impactful. I have been raising crickets for just over a year now, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” Although Revier Family Farm’s started farming crickets as a protein source for people, they actually serve a variety of customers and industries and are expanding to more. Their cricket powder is used by individuals who incorporate it into their baking, smoothies or shakes, breakfast cereal, even coffee or tea. Revier Family Farms also sells frozen crickets. There is no transport

Crickets For Protein infrastructure in place for edible insects like there is for most other meats, so frozen sales are limited to the local market. They are looking to find a few local restaurants that would be willing to give them a try as one of their menu options. They provide live crickets to the Red River Valley Zoo and NDSU for their animals and research projects. They also sell live crickets to individuals and pet stores that use them to feed their pets. This coming spring they will start distributing their crickets to some of the local bait shops. One area they serve that some may not think of is gardening because crickets produce organic fertilizer. When asked about their struggles in their journey and how they got through them, Patrick shared, “The lowest points are the times when I’ve thought about giving up. I love what I do, but there are very hard days sometimes, along with problems that just seem insurmountable. The highest points are when I’ve achieved a new goal. It doesn’t matter how big or small that goal is, it proves that I am striving and

continuing to strive to do better will always be my high point.” With these high and low points in mind, Patrick also shares how the community can best support his business in their next stage of growth. “The main thing is just to give crickets a try. Turn your next batch of cookies into something a little less guilty by removing carbs and adding protein. Turn your hearthealthy bowl of oatmeal into one packed with protein. The next time you need to go pick up a hamburger, think about maybe trying a cricket burger instead. They are delicious by the way. If you know someone who owns a restaurant, tell them to give us a call. Ask your bait shop if they could start carrying crickets. Tell your gardening friends who want to be organic that we have a great option for them. Next time you find out someone owns a pet reptile, ask them where they get their crickets. Most importantly, don’t dismiss the idea of eating insects before you try it. I won’t go so far as to guarantee you’ll like them. We all have our own likes

and dislikes when it comes to food, but we shouldn’t say we don’t like something before tasting it. What do you say to a toddler that refuses to eat their broccoli? A great example to think about is sushi. 30 years ago people in the US used to think eating raw fish was disgusting, now we can’t get enough of it.”

To learn more about Revier Family Farms, visit their Facebook (@revierfamilyfarms) or revierfamilyfarms.com. Patrick shares “I also love to just talk with people. Send an email (pat@revierfamilyfarms. com), or call me on the phone (218-303-4703).”

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Eden Launches The Hippocrates Initiative

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates 400 BC

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Eden Grow Systems announced it has agreed to a collaboration with Grand Farm and Dr. Kalidas Shetty of the Global Institute of Food Security and International Agriculture at North Dakota State University. The purpose of THE HIPPOCRATES INITIATIVE is to address the growing need for research that can be applied to the global food and health crisis. It aims to marry Eden's NASA-derived growing technology with the cutting-edge medicinal plant research being performed by Dr. Shetty. According to Dr. Shetty, "One of the best parts of this collaboration is increasing the diversity of fresh food that is available to individuals globally to have better nutritional security." Dr. Shetty's research at NDSU is focused on maximizing specific compounds within medicinal plants that can be used to counter and manage co-morbidity diseases such as diabetes. This research has the potential to improve immunity against many infectious diseases. Dr. Shetty also hopes to increase the understanding of the link between nutrition and diet-linked comorbidity disease burdens. "This approach is bringing the benefits of NASA space-age technology to a wider global challenge and need for health-targeted food security." According to Eden's CEO Bart Womack, "Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician considered the father of modern medicine, said 'Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food'. This is exactly the goal of this collaboration. At Eden, we believe our decentralized food production system is the answer the world desperately needs now in the face of the continued supply chain and health crises we have faced in the last few years." Grand Farm, led by Emerging Prairie (whose mission is connecting and celebrating the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem), aims to capitalize on the region's potential in the agriculture and technology industries.

this partnership develop and, after seeing the passion, drive and intelligence from Dr. Shetty and Eden Grow Systems, I know that something special is being developed," said Andrew Jason, Grand Farm Ecosystems Director. About Eden Grow Systems Eden Grow Systems is feeding the future by creating next-generation modular farming and survival systems. The company adapts NASA technology, bringing cutting-edge science down from space and into your home, making it possible for every family to become completely independent. The company's first product, the Eden Grow Tower, is small enough to fit in a kitchen pantry, grows a wide variety of crops as well as fish for protein, and is now available for pre-order. The company is based in Houston, Texas. Dr. Kalida Shetty is the Founding Director of the Global Institute of Food Security and International Agriculture and Professor of Plant Sciences at North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. His specific research interests focus on scientific, educational and policy strategies to advance climate-resilient, health-targeted foodsecurity solutions to address malnutrition and hunger challenges. Grand Farm, led by Emerging Prairie, is accelerating research and innovation into technology for the farm of the future and empowers a neutral platform for industry, producers, higher education, and government to collaborate on autonomous and advanced agriculture technology. Grand Farm works with companies and startups from North Dakota and around the world to better understand their products, provide capabilities for demonstration and development, and amplify the technologies in North Dakota. It currently operates a test site on donated land to demonstrate and test new and innovative ag technologies.

"Grand Farm believes that innovation takes a collaboration between industry, academic and public/private partnerships to drive change. We had the honor of witnessing

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Jeff Raymond is the Chief Operations and Technology Officer for Eden Grow Systems. Eden is based out of Houston, TX, but he works from White Salmon, Washington. Jeff holds three degrees, an Associates of Arts, as well as a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Embry Riddle, and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga. He chose to start his entrepreneurial journey 10 years ago but made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship three years ago. Eden Grow System’s mission is to provide sustainable food and energy independence to local communities around the world, and one day, off it. Jeff speaks about those they serve, saying “We serve the planet….no really we do. Anyone who eats is our future customer. We tend to focus on organizations, non-profits, individuals/families who want to grow their own food, people in urban areas with no land.” “We want to empower people to have healthy lives through the use of technology to provide them the basics they need to live happy and free.” Jeff also shares why Eden Grow Systems was developed.“ The short answer…sustainable living. The longer answer: we are trying to solve the problem of not consuming more than you need. Not taking more than you should. Living in balance. But also living comfortably. We don’t like how we see corporate organizations trying to control the food delivery process, from growth to sale. We want to provide a method for individuals, families, and communities to grow their own food. To do that, we need systems that make it easier to learn, or remove the need to learn all that goes into the miracle of growing food.”

When he reflects on the highs and lows of his journey, Jeff says, “Every day is a blessing. We’ve been blessed with funding and amazing people. Answered prayers all around. And the work we do is extremely rewarding. We are literally trying to feed the world. Hard to beat that feeling. Every day is also hard work. I mean really hard. We work super long hours and still can’t get to everything. Making payroll is my #1 priority and stress. We can’t do this without a team, and keeping the team paid, putting food on their families' tables is my top priority and stress.” As he thinks of ways our community can support Eden Grow Systems in their next stage of growth, he explains, “We are in need of connecting to others who share our vision. Who see the problem, and understand that to help feed everyone, to help make our food supply chain more secure, we need to take an “all the above” approach to food production. Eden doesn’t compete with traditional farmers, we supplement them. Our systems are not meant to compete with large cropland, but they are meant to help decentralize the food production chain and enable the individual, the family, the community to produce a large portion of their food all year round. We need to connect. We need our message out. And of course, we need funding to help us scale up.”

You can learn more about Jeff and his work Eden Grow Systems by visiting their linkedin, facebook (@edengrowsystems), twitter (@eden_grow), Instagram (edengrowsystems), or YouTube (TheRealMartian).

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Grand Farm Announces 2022 Program and Event Schedule

Grand farm is gearing up for another season of energizing AgTech across our region, country and the world. This year will feature conferences focused on agriculture in space, emerging and autonomous technology, and programs taking closer looks at issues pivotal to the future of agriculture. More information and registration can be found at grandfarm.com.

Space Ag Conference (April 14, 2022)

Memorial Union, University of North Dakota Virtual Participation Available grandfarm.com/space-ag-conference Space Ag is a half-day conference exploring advanced agriculture technologies and providing the opportunity to dream about how we solve the ultimate agriculture problem: how to produce agriculture in space? Our world food production system is undergoing a dramatic shift towards sustainable food practices and increased food security. Space agriculture, and the technology it creates, could catalyze the development of high-yield crop production that requires less land and less energy, providing farmers with the ability to create more with less. Often, solving for challenges in Space can help solve challenges on earth.

Cultivate Conference (June 30, 2022) Fargo, North Dakota grandfarm.com/cultivate

Cultivate is an agriculture technology conference that convenes innovators to explore technology innovations they’ve created, are currently building, or are searching for in their industry. The conference seeks to energize the AgTech community by showcasing the latest innovation in AgTech and how it solves real-world problems faced by the agriculture industry.

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Innovations in AgTech Conference (August 4-6, 2022) Kansas City, Kansas biokansas.org

The Innovations in AgTech Conference is designed to highlight innovation that is happening in the agricultural industry in the Midwest. For this event, BioKansas is partnering with Grand Farm to draw in stakeholders interested in growing Midwestern innovations. The conference will include numerous presentations, panel discussions, and opportunities for attendees to experience local culture and food.

Autonomous Nation (August 25, 2022)

Fargo, North Dakota grandfarm.com/autonomous-nation Autonomous Nation focuses on the autonomous industry, connecting the industry with policymakers and exploring how it relates to key sectors including energy, agriculture, urban air mobility, and unmanned systems. City employees, policymakers, and industry leaders will converge to share and discuss innovations, autonomy, and technology. The conference explores the impact that autonomous systems can have across our region, solving issues such as workforce shortages, inefficiencies, and technology gaps.

Innovation Series Tickets available in-person and virtual grandfarm.com/innovation-series Grand Farm’s Innovation Series is a regular meetup that covers a different topic in AgTech at each event and serves as a gathering of entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and innovators. March 31 - Rural Connectivity May 26 - Soil and Crop Health July 28 - Carbon September 29 - IOT October 27 - Traceability November 17 - Ag and Energy

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Highlighting Innovations in Indoor Agriculture ccording to certain estimates, the global indoor farming market size was valued at $32.3 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% from 2021 to 2028. Adding to the rapid growth of indoor farming is the fact that agriculture is under increasing environmental, economic and political pressure as humanity figures out how we will feed 10 billion people. What role will indoor agriculture play in helping augment the strain on agriculture going forward? That's what Grand Farm examined at its first Innovation Series of 2022, co-hosted with Food of the North and focused on Indoor Agriculture. Grand Farm’s Innovation Series is a regular meetup that covers a different topic in AgTech at each event, and serves as a gathering of entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and innovators. Taking a look first at innovators working in the indoor agriculture space, the event featured 62

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two startups focusing on the production system and energy required. • Eden Grow Systems, whose mission is to provide sustainable food and energy independence to local communities around the world, and one day, off it, unveiled their new indoor grow tower at the event. The tower will contain a plant health project between Eden Growth Systems, North Dakota State University, and Grand Farm and will be featured in Grand Farm’s downtown Fargo offices in the Prairie Den Events and Coworking Space. • An input that must be considered in utilizing indoor agriculture is the energy needed for production. BIOO, a biotech startup that generates electricity produced as a result of the decomposition of organic substances by microorganisms within the soil, joined the event to discuss the concept of biological batteries and preview the real-world applications already in process. BIOO's microbial fuel cell is powered by a consortium of microorganisms living in their natural medium. Organic matter

from fertilizers and the soil is dragged by irrigation and rain-water inside the cell and microorganisms break down the organic molecules setting electrons free, thus generating an electrical current in the cell. • The event next explored indoor agriculture projects and production already underway in North Dakota. Larry's Hydro Lettuce, based in Fullerton, North Dakota, utilizes hydroponic technology to grow fresh and tasteful lettuce with a mission to provide safe, top-quality, and long-lasting lettuce. With the help of NDSU researchers, owner Larry Schumacker has developed a stateof-the-art indoor growing system. Larry discussed the systems he utilizes in his lettuce production and the business side of indoor agriculture. Scaling the kind of production Larry’s Hydro Lettuce is using may sound futuristic, however, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) Native Green Grow (NG2) Green House Project is doing just that. Lead Architect Randy Lindemann of the MHA

Nation NG2 Green House Project joined the event to walk through the ongoing project. • NG2 is a food sovereignty initiative that creates environmental stewardship by reducing the amount of flared gas on Fort Berthold while creating a stable food system and economy for the MHA Nation nation by growing their own healthy, accessible and fresh food. Self-contained, climatecontrolled greenhouses will grow vegetable produce from heat and electricity generated by converting captured gas from oil wells that is currently being flared. Greenhouses will cover an area approximately the size of seven football fields. Having heard from companies working in the indoor agriculture field and projects to move the concept forward, Food of the North led a panel discussion on how indoor agriculture can help expand food access with the North Dakota Rural Grocers Initiative, Great Plains Food Bank, and Rhombus Guys Pizza.

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North Dakota Department of Commerce Awards Grand Farm $10 Million Matching Grant to Advance Autonomous Agriculture Technology The North Dakota Department of Commerce recently announced it has selected Grand Farm as a recipient of the department’s Autonomous Agriculture Technology Matching Grant. The $10 million grant was created with funding from the 67th Legislative Assembly to encourage and support the advancement of autonomous farming technology by awarding a 1:1 match of funding for the deployment of an innovation facility, project management for complex North Dakota-based and global autonomous agricultural concepts, and workforce initiatives to upskill the autonomous agriculture workforce with qualified professionals to ensure advanced farming techniques. Grant proposals were evaluated through a multi-department evaluation and selection process. Gov. Doug Burgum announced the award at a press conference with Grand Farm. “North Dakota has always been a leader in ag innovation. This private-public matching grant using legislatively approved federal funds is an investment that will further

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accelerate ag innovation and have a transformative impact on the future of North Dakota and our nation’s agriculture industry,” Burgum said. “Our state is an innovative leader in agriculture technologies, and Grand Farm and its partners’ work will advance cutting-edge research and commercialization of new farming concepts to increase productivity and profitability, reduce inputs, improve soil health and help address workforce needs through automation.” “With this grant award, Grand Farm is poised to amplify this energy through the creation of an Innovation Facility that will drive significant positive impacts to North Dakota,” said Brian Carroll, Director of Grand Farm. “Grand Farm’s Innovation Facility will be intentionally designed to be a continually adapting, demonstration and innovation space that will stay at the forefront of technology innovation.” The legislature allocated grant funding to Commerce to invest in matching grants toward autonomous agricultural technology in North Dakota. “Our state can be the leader in advanced agriculture technology as a place bringing together growers, established businesses, aspiring companies and entrepreneurs,” said state Sen. Ron Sorvaag (R-Fargo). “The funding dedicated by the legislature is the result of great enthusiasm by legislators from all corners of the state and a recognition that Grand Farm will be a large part of North Dakota agriculture as we move forward into the 21st century,” said state Rep. Michael Howe (R-West Fargo). Grand Farm empowers a neutral platform for industry, producers, higher education, and government to collaborate on autonomous and advanced agriculture technology. Grand Farm works regularly with companies and startups from North Dakota and around the world to better understand their products, provide capabilities for demonstration and development and amplify the technologies in North Dakota. It currently operates a test site on donated agricultural acres to demonstrate and test new and innovative ag technologies.

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Future Farmer March/April 2022

Articles inside

PLUG & PLAY START-UPS

EDEN LAUNCHES THE HIPPOCRATES INITIATIVE

FROM FARM TO FORK, CRICKETS FOR PROTEIN

TRADE-IN CONSIDERATION TIPS

EASY + DELICIOUS WAYS TO ENJOY THE LOCAL BOUNTY