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Sustainability, Global Trade, Climate Change – WIA Summit Covers THE Industry Topics
At its 10th anniversary event this fall, the Women in Agribusiness Summit (WIA) will continue the tradition it is known for – providing key ag industry business knowledge to help women excel in the sector.
August 3, 2021
Kelly Lockwood Primus, Opening Speaker
BOSTON - At its 10th anniversary event this fall, the Women in Agribusiness Summit (WIA) will continue the tradition it is known for – providing key ag industry business knowledge to help women excel in the sector. This in-person conference – to be held September 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis – features a robust agenda, expert speakers, plenty of networking and a special off-site reception.
Opening speaker Kelly Lockwood Primus, CEO of Leading NOW, will start the business discussion with The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get. This presentation will include Leading NOW’s research on women’s leadership, what's missing from conventional career advice and the barriers women face in achieving executive positions.
“Through our research, we have identified traits for success in leadership. These include integrity, transparency, confidence and more, but most importantly, women need to focus on what we call The Missing 33%™,” said Lockwood Primus, who is an advisor to global organizations seeking to change mindsets, behaviors and cultures. “This is the business acumen that sets them apart, and we will discuss this in detail at the Women in Agribusiness Summit this fall.”
Others who will share the stage with Lockwood Primus include Scott Sigman, principal advisor at EASE, who will focus on connecting the dots in global trade and examining alternative transport paths; Shawn Jarosz, CEO of TradeMoves, who will speak to why international trade matters to food & ag; and Beth Sauerhaft of American Farmland Trust, who will moderate a panel of esteemed experts in a discussion on sustainability and climate change.
Interspersed with this critical industry content will be the annual highlights that the WIA community has grown to expect and anticipate: Ag Innovation Hour, Executive Profiles and the Female Producer Panel. Through these, attendees will hear from soybean and egg farmers, and a specialty meats producer. They also will gain valuable career insights from accomplished female executives and be enlightened about the latest agtech innovations that are disrupting the sector.
Other sessions at the 10th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit include:
• The Fragile Ecosystem: Our Decisions Impact the World
• Understanding the Plant-Based Consumer
• Transforming the Workplace
• The Future of North American Agriculture
• Grain Industry Overview
Women in Agribusiness initiatives have fostered a year-round community of engaged executives, leaders and professional women. Learn more and register at womeninag.com , and visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Outstanding Women in Ag Receive WIA Demeter Award of Excellence
BOSTON, July 27, 2021 – Three ag industry all-stars have been named recipients of the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, an honor bestowed each year to women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have exhibited an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry. Presented by HighQuest’s Women in Agribusiness (WIA) division, this year’s recipients are: Dr. Toni Bucci of AgBiome, Anne Cleary of Wilbur-Ellis and Dr. Vicky Salin of Texas A&M University.
Each recipient will be recognized at the 10th annual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit, which will be held in-person (and online) this year at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, September 21-23.
The annual award, so named for Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, also seeks out women who have demonstrated a positive impact on her clients, her company, her colleagues or the agribusiness sector as a whole.
Dr. Toni Bucci
Chief Operating Officer, AgBiome
Dr. Toni Bucci has over 20 years of experience in the agricultural sector – from an R&D biologist at BASF to currently AgBiome’s chief operating officer, a position she has held since 2018. She also leads the commercial organization where she is responsible for attracting and retaining scientific and commercial talent. Under Toni’s leadership, Howler®, a revolutionary fungicide that harnesses the power of the plant microbiome, was launched and is now registered in 49 U.S. states. She is currently working on her second fungicide launch – Theia™ – which promises wide success as well. “During this time, she has led an organization in product development and growth, motivated her colleagues, and has inspired the industry of agribusiness as a whole to become the best it can be,” as was said in her nomination letter.
Toni also has stood out in her efforts in mentorship by growing the company’s program. “Toni’s approach to AgBiome’s mentor program is rooted in attracting and retaining the brightest talent. With a passion for building female leaders in science, Toni is an example and inspiration for her female colleagues entering the field. Her enthusiasm for mentoring and sharing her knowledge and skills with others is highly appreciated by all of her AgBiome mentees,” as was noted in her nomination application.
Anne Cleary
Vice President of Human Resources, Wilbur-Ellis
Anne Cleary was commended in her Demeter nomination letter for her “ability to adapt and even anticipate change that has helped her to lead positive business transformation. And she’s done so with agility, a strong sense of vision, and always with humor and empathy.” She also is credited with centralizing the company's HR systems across the U.S., Canada and Asia – and for the creation of THRIVE (a nod to the company’s purpose) to unify and enhance the recruiting, onboarding and ‘reboarding’ experience for all employees.
When in-depth analysis of the company’s demographics revealed that women represented only 30 percent of their workforce, Anne drove efforts to look at pay equity, growth opportunities, recruiting practices, and culture for women. This led to the establishment of the first employee resource group, the Women of Wilbur-Ellis (WoW), and to incorporating diversity and inclusion as part of the broader company business plans.
John Thacher, Wilbur-Ellis’ executive chairman, said: “She turned it [the HR department] from a transaction-focused organization into a strategic business partner.” Added John Buckley, company president, and CEO, “When I came to the company four years ago, it was important to me that our HR leader possesses the skillset I knew we would need. But equally important, did they have their finger on the employee's pulse? Did they have a clear understanding of what employees are thinking and feeling? With Anne, we have both.”
Dr. Vicky Salin
Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University
Dr. Salin was one of the founding supporters and board members of WIA and has been instrumental in growing WIA’s student scholarship program. “Dr. Salin was eager to be a part of the creation of Women in Agribusiness in 2012 and remained the on advisory board for several years,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, WIA event director and COO of HighQuest. “She continues to be involved in this event in various ways, including supporting several of her ag students in attending the WIA Summit each year. This feeds the workforce pipeline and results in a high percentage of these students becoming the new hires with our attending companies.”
In her work, Vicky, who also is chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness at Texas A&M University, researches food safety, traceability, and efficiency of enterprises involved in food distribution. She provides economic and financial research for the Scientific Advisory Council of the World Food Logistics Organization, an affiliate of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. Vicky serves on the Board of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, where she monitors entrepreneurial ventures and other means to commercialize agricultural technologies to enhance food security in Africa.
Learn more about the Demeter Award and the Women in Agribusiness Summit at womeninag.com, and visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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About Women in Agribusiness
Women in Agribusiness (WIA) is a business unit of HighQuest Partners, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) global agribusiness consulting, events, and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness Summit took root in 2012, and since then initiatives have grown to include WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.
Three Reasons To Attend Women in Agribusiness Summit
For ten years, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has been at the forefront of advancing women in the food and ag industries by helping them know their business better. Join WIA live in Minneapolis, September 21-23 for the 10th anniversary WIA Summit
For ten years, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has been at the forefront of advancing women in the food and ag industries by helping them know their business better. Join WIA live in Minneapolis, September 21-23 for the 10th anniversary WIA Summit.
THREE REASONS TO ATTEND
1. Be the most informed person on your team.
With so many changes happening in the industry, how do you nail down what’s most important? The sessions at WIA Summit are led by industry experts and address the most critical topics of today so you can execute business decisions with confidence.
2. It’s all about who you know.
Submerse yourself in a room full of leaders who feel equally as passionate about agribusiness as you do. Grab a glass of champagne and start learning and sharing about the topics that mean the most to you at the WIA networking receptions.
3. Never stop learning.
Life is busy. It’s hard to brainstorm and innovate when business moves fast. The WIA Summit gives you access to leaders and changemakers that provide new perspectives and insights to help you stay innovative.
REGISTER NOW
Save $100 when you register before August 7.
*Virtual registration available
Event safety: The WIA Summit team looks forward to welcoming you safely to Minneapolis in September. We will continue to work with state officials and follow CDC best practices for in-person events.
Women Dominating In Agriculture: Meet Grow Hope Farms Mother-Daughter Duo
For most families, going into business together with your own parent or child may seem like a disaster, but for this mom and daughter duo, Aundria and Makenna Kirchhoff of Grow Hope Farms, that’s never been the case.
For most families, going into business together with your own parent or child may seem like a disaster, but for this mom and daughter duo, Aundria and Makenna Kirchhoff of Grow Hope Farms, that’s never been the case. Grow Hope Farms is an urban farm with a mission to help others learn how to feed the world through nutritional produce, as well as educate them on the importance of fresh food and the agriculture industry as a whole.
Since the beginning, Aundria and Makenna have shared a mutual respect and understanding for one another’s strengths and weaknesses, ultimately making them better business partners. Aundria’s agricultural heritage runs strong. Growing up on a farm, agriculture has always been a major part of her life. She’s since passed that passion down to Makenna, who’s currently studying agriculture at University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Learn more below about how they take on being female - and family - farmers:
Q. What is it like working together and being a mother-daughter business duo?
Makenna: I think that the dynamic has changed so rapidly between us that keeping up with that is really difficult. I was in high school and would help with little stuff, and then I got to college and took on more responsibilities and then the pandemic happened. Then people started ordering seedlings and the focus shifted. We are now getting the opportunity to dive into our roles and what that looks like, and how we can use that on our farm. We have a lot of strengths that will benefit us in this. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Aundria: Working together has obviously presented its own set of challenges. Not only mother-daughter, but high school student/college student trying to get into things. Makenna has really developed herself as a person. There are a lot of changes beyond just the pandemic and our business plan. Digging into how we are alike and how we are different has allowed us to grow closer and accept each other for our strengths and weaknesses.
Q. We are starting to see more women claim space within the industry and run their own farms. What advice would you give to women in the industry trying to breakthrough? Is it hard to be a woman in agriculture?
Makenna: I have so many friends who are women within this industry, and it has been awesome to see us step into the role. We were always there, but just taking ownership has been great to see. My advice would be to always appreciate what your strengths are and lean into those because women are very different from men. Men do great in this industry, but so do women. I think we work really well together. Sometimes you can do a lot of comparisons within this industry, but everyone does it differently and has different strengths.
Q. Makenna, when did you first realize that you were interested in studying agriculture at University of Nebraska at Lincoln?
Makenna: My mom's whole life has been agriculture, so my whole life has been agriculture. I didn’t really know how much I loved it until I got to college. Getting to college, I finally got to lay my eyes on the people who are big proponents of traditional agriculture, so a lot of my classmates are farmer’s kids who have worked on ranches, and that is their whole life. I got to see that firsthand in a way that I haven’t before. It was cool to see that and get a greater appreciation for what other people did.
Right now I’m studying integrated sciences, which allows me to create my own program. So nutrition, horticulture, and entrepreneurship are my three core areas. I love using college as a tool to help me learn about everything that I want to.
Q. On that note, we’re starting to see the next generation take more of an interest in farming. What advice would you give to those about what it takes to run your own farm and operate within the space?
Makenna: Stay strong, keep working, and keep your head down. Keep doing what you want to do, and if it isn’t for you, that’s OK - just understand that this is hard work. Sometimes I think that Tower Farms look easy, and the technology is easy, but you are still dealing with living things. And dealing with living things is hard.
Aundria: At the end of the day, you’re still dealing with all of the parts of the traditional business: production or manufacturing. We’ve got to understand the growing process, and there’s also packaging and delivery. There are a lot of pieces and parts. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. But being able to step out of your comfort zone is really rewarding.
Q. If you were talking to someone who has no gardening experience but is interested in growing their own fresh food, what would you want them to know about Tower Garden?
Aundria: Growing does not have to be complicated. That’s it. Tower Gardens really level the playing field for someone who knows how to garden and someone who doesn’t. It’s really simple, even if you’re in an urban area with zero exposure to the outdoors. We can help people grow food as simple as someone with years of gardening experience.
Makenna: If I were talking to someone with no experience, I would encourage them to dive into their curiosity. You can’t go wrong. I think people can be too gentle with plants, and it’s OK to get dirty and learn for yourself.
Q. What made Grow Hope Farms decide to start growing with Tower Garden vs another gardening product?
Aundira: I know the integrity with which the company does business. For me, that was an easy answer. I also taught collegiate level horticulture for several years and was really impressed looking at the Tower Garden technology, with the quality of their mineral nutrition, as well as their attention to detail to help everyone be an exceptional gardener. They made it really simple.
Q. What is the mission of your farm and how has it impacted the surrounding community?
Makenna: Our mission is really to bring people together through the food that we grow: whether that looks like families nourishing their bodies through our food, or getting to see young entrepreneurs brainstorm together and feed them through the food we grow.
Q. With your roots in agriculture, what was the most compelling aspect to you about getting into Tower Farms?
Aundria: Living in the heart of an agricultural county, we see firsthand how much the farmers love their land and livestock. It’s important to me to keep our agriculture heritage strong and retain those quality young people to carry on the traditions of agriculture. Tower Garden technology allows us to expand agriculture, really develop those rural areas, and keep our economic dollars very local. Tower Garden technology allows us to keep quality people closer to family.
Q. Do you sell to restaurants or to people in the community? What does that process look like?
Makenna: Mainly the people in the community. We do have a restaurant that we work with. Most of our produce is going to go to the farmers market so that we can form those relationships.
Aundria: When we started, it was more about restaurants, larger amounts to fewer people. Now the people that we know and love really want our produce, and so we’ve shifted our business model a bit in that direction.
We want to thank Aundria and Makenna Kirchhoff for sharing their story and advice for others within the industry with us! Keep up with Grow Hope Farms on social media by following their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Meet The Woman Reconnecting African Communities With Locally-Grown Food
Whilst small in scale (only 10 meters in diameter), La Ferme Urbaine Okoume’s hydroponic microfarm produces an astonishing 300 lettuces and herbs per week. Claudia S. Ondo comments that the farm produces “mostly lettuces, romaine and iceberg, alongside parsley, coriander, basil, oregano, and arugula.”
Editor’s note: The following information is derived from an interview Agritecture conducted with Claudia S. Ondo, Owner & General Manager at La Ferme Urbaine Okoume. Visit their website or contact the team to learn more about or to partner with La Ferme Urbaine Okoume.
From College To Agricultural Entrepreneur
After completing her studies in Political Science at the University of Montreal, Claudia S. Ondo was contemplating the next phase of her adventure in order to make a positive impact on global politics, the environment, and on communities.
After spending that summer in Libreville, she was dumbfounded with the discovery that her native country of Gabon was extremely dependent on food imports. She highlights that “local agricultural production covers less than 35% of [the population’s] needs, and food imports are growing by 11% each year.”
Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume
Claudia shares that “Gabon is a very small country - small population, only about 2 million inhabitants - but, a rich country in terms of resources. We have lots of wood and oil, so most of the working population is directed to the public and private sectors. The agriculture sector is left out.”
Drawing from her political science education, she saw an opportunity to offer the Gabonese people a sustainable agricultural model that not only “met this need for local fruits and vegetables, but also offered up a solution for youth unemployment and encouraged the Gabonese people to take an interest in agriculture.”
Whilst small in scale (only 10 meters in diameter), La Ferme Urbaine Okoume’s hydroponic microfarm produces an astonishing 300 lettuces and herbs per week. Claudia comments that the farm produces “mostly lettuces, romaine, and iceberg, alongside parsley, coriander, basil, oregano, and arugula.”
Alongside this technological approach, the team at La Ferme also wanted to take advantage of Gabon’s rich soil and weather conditions. “We have an experimental garden in which we grow tomatoes, green onions, lettuces, and now zucchinis too.” This garden is experimental because the team is still testing out rotating crops throughout the year, depending on the seasons.
The team not only prioritizes local production, they also want to deliver organic produce. With a mix of hydroponic and greenhouse set-ups, the farm is also still able to utilize natural sunlight and collect rainwater for the crops.
Claudia shares that produce brought into Gabon is not supervised, and, as a result, you can’t trust the quality. “We don't know where it comes from. We don't know what has been used. What is the process? How has it been cleaned?” This is a huge reason that customers come to La Ferme Urbaine Okoume.
The key was to form a stronger relationship between the Gabonese people and urban agriculture. To Claudia, hydroponics seemed to be the perfect combination to achieve these goals, and to build greener cities and communities for future generations.
Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume
The team calls it their “little green paradise.”
So far, the farm has been able to add to the neighborhood a place for relaxation, and positive thinking. “It allows many city dwellers to reconnect with nature, agriculture, and the process of growing a plant. What does a tomato plant look like? What does a seedling look like? How are in-soil crops like carrots, potatoes or onions harvested?”
The construction of this farm is encouraging curiosity. Today, more and more people are contacting La Ferme Urbaine for viewings, schools are desiring workshops, individuals are coming in to learn how to grow their own plants at home, and restaurant owners are delighted to know where their products come from.”
Claudia and the La Ferme Urbaine team are grateful to Agritecture for making their dream a practical reality.
Having studied agribusiness in university, Claudia had tons of practical knowledge on how to transform an idea into a business. But, what she didn’t have was the agricultural knowledge and expertise in hydroponics and urban agriculture.
Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume
After being awarded a grant by The World Bank, Claudia knew she needed more agricultural expertise to tackle this vast mission of transforming Gabon. Whilst Claudia initially looked for a local company, after stumbling across Agritecture in a newsletter, she felt an instant connection. She not only found a team with shared values, but also one with international agricultural expertise. This was key to her given the Gabonese context.
With over 6 years of experience in agriculture, specifically between the North American and MENA-GCC region, Agritecture’s Director of Operations, Yara Nagi, shares her experience working with La Ferme Urbaine. “Agritecture guided Claudia on equipment selection, the bill of materials for the farm, and management planning. The model was to grow fresh, local lettuces and herbs that are not available in that same quality to restaurants, hotels, and public markets. Guiding clients on making the best use of their grant money and avoiding costly mistakes fits within our social mission to help young farmers make a positive impact on their community.”
On her experience working with Agritecture, Claudia adds that “as someone who had a political & agribusiness background, but no prior agricultural experience, Agritecture really gave me the assurance and guidance I needed in this new business and adventure.”
Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume
Since being hit by the pandemic, the farm still runs 24/7. However, they’ve changed their primary clientele. Today, they serve more restaurants than hotels. Claudia adds that “95% of our customers are restaurants. 5% are just individuals who want fresh products.”
Additionally, the team has come into contact with the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation run by the First Lady of Gabon, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba. The two teams have come together to scale up urban farming in the region and create more revenue streams for locals.
Not only this, their partnership empowers women by highlighting how young women in Gabon can run their own businesses.
Claudia shares that “this field was thought to be exclusively for a certain category of people, so, the fact that it’s a women-led business speaks volumes. We’re often congratulated by our customers when we deliver lettuce in stores or to restaurants, because they’re surprised to see women in farmer outfits.
Yara shares that what makes this farm and team unique is “the vision of the entrepreneur, Claudia. It is always incredibly inspiring to see women of our generation lead agricultural projects like these, but this project in specific has a vision of shifting the local food system and making produce more accessible. I think there are many more projects like these to come.”
SpaceFarms Successfully Trialed With Grapes, Now Opts Almonds And Tomatoes
When Tusya first heard about vertical farming, she imagined a new generation of high-tech farming in Georgia. “I was fascinated when I heard about the possibilities of growing crops indoors in urban areas. Unfortunately, there’s little agricultural production in Georgia and lots of produce is imported from other countries.”
Introducing vertical farming to Georgia
Georgian vertical farming company SpaceFarms their product portfolio contains many different products such as salad greens, microgreens, herbs, and edible flowers. However, the company isn’t limiting itself to (leafy) greens only. “We’ve already grown three different grape varieties indoors because it’s a product we’re proud of here,” says Tusya Gharibashvili, Project author, and CEO. Tusya explains that Georgia is quite famous for its wine and its first wine was discovered 8000 years ago, research showed.
When Tusya first heard about vertical farming, she imagined a new generation of high-tech farming in Georgia. “I was fascinated when I heard about the possibilities of growing crops indoors in urban areas. Unfortunately, there’s little agricultural production in Georgia and lots of produce is imported from other countries.”
Crop trials
It’s important to us that we know how to enable grape cultivation indoors. Tusya noted they’re using cocopeat for the roots, and the results are promising thus far. “It gave us so much validation because we put so much effort into this and hopefully by rolling out more and more products, it will become more familiar to the Georgian (agri)culture,” Tusya affirms. Next to grapes, they’ve experimented with tomatoes and almond seedlings in a one-layer cultivar.
“We are now conducting strawberry trials so we still have supplied during the winter period. We’re constantly looking at opportunities for new crops to grow in our farm. We think it’s important to make people aware of the possibilities of growing in urban areas. We started experimenting with different crops in order to set the right growing parameters were.”
In 2017, Tusya started to dive into the concept of urban farming, together with her partner. Their first production facility comprised a 15 m2 cultivation area where various microgreens were grown. Produce was delivered to restaurants and other organizations in the catering sector. “It was something completely new for everyone and people were amazed by the concept of growing indoors.”
Government backing
After the initial success, Tusya started to follow up on more research in indoor vertical farming when she stumbled upon container growing. “After writing a motivation plan, I presented my ideas to Georgian investor to Mr. Temuri Ugulava the founder and the main driving force behind Adjara Group, decided to give it a try,” says Tusya.
At first, she started production inside a former Sovjet printing press building, now the award-winning Stamba Hotel., in order to supply fresh greens for the entire building. This was the first indoor farm space in Georgia. We had quite a tough time there, but with the help and support of Adjara Group, we made it through the first year.”
Nowadays, Space Farms produces 5000 plants per month and 30-kilo Microgreens in a 150m2 area, using seven layers. We grow our greens in the most efficient way possible. SpaceFarms applies 75% less water than traditional farming. Don’t use pesticides, using disruptive technologies, we fully control the environment (light intensity, nutrient intake, humidity, carbon dioxide emissions, and temperature) to yield optimal plant growth. Regardless of the season, we’re able to deliver fresh micro and leafy greens.
“It’s such a small effort, and yet such a big step towards sustainability. CEA growing is a great innovation that I think will change lots of the meaning of agriculture in combination with modern technology,” says Tusya.
Introducing modern agriculture
Space Farms collaborates with students from the University of Agriculture. The students are introduced to hands-on learning on the farm, from sowing to harvesting. Tusya says, “It’s a unique opportunity to have these students working on our farm, so they can get familiar with this new type of agriculture. In this way, we’re hoping to increase awareness on vertical farming throughout the country and eventually to neighboring countries.”
Next to running a farm, Spacefarms also working on a new project SpaceFarms spot, a farm growing kit that can be applied in any room. It’s the size of a fridge, which allows consumers or businesses to grow their own greens on location. “This will be something completely new in Georgia, so we hope to make a lasting impact. We might be a small country, but we can do big things with the help of technology. We’re backed by several programs from which we’ve received funding so we can further develop our Farm Pods,” adds Tusya.
Space Farms has received support from several programs. The programs are focusing on innovation and women in agriculture.
Lead photo: Tusya Gharibashvili
For more information:
Tusya Gharibashvili, Project author, and CEO Space Farms
1 Jun 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
HighQuest Events – Global AgInvesting, WIA Summit, Organic & Non-GMO Forum – Return To In-Person
It’s time to reconnect! Global ag event, consulting and media firm HighQuest Partners has announced that it will return to in-person events in the second half of 2021
BOSTON (May 5, 2021) – It’s time to reconnect! Global ag event, consulting and media firm HighQuest Partners has announced that it will return to in-person events in the second half of 2021.
The company will once again bring together the communities of Global AgInvesting, Women in Agribusiness, and the Organic & Non-GMO Forum for unparalleled onsite networking and engagement at its next events, all while respecting current safety guidelines and instituting unique ways of bridging relationships and partnerships in the agribusiness and investing sectors. Most events also will offer a virtual option for those who are not able to attend the live events.
Global AgInvesting On the Green
Just outside NYC, July 13-15
“Despite an extraordinary year of challenges, the GAI community did not waver in its commitment to agricultural advancements and investments,” said Kate Westfall, chief operating officer for the Ag Investing Division. “We are very excited to bring everyone together again this summer in a safe and unique way, and have had an overwhelming response from attendees eager to join us and reconnect.”
The 13th annual Global AgInvesting conference will be held July 13-15 at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club, just an hour north of NYC. Sessions and networking will take place in a professional, covered outdoor setting overlooking the Hudson River and a top 50 golf course,
with plenty of opportunities for al fresco meetings. Preliminary agenda topics include international deal flow in the ag sector, the growth of carbon sequestration/monetization, regenerative farming, agtech investment and adoption, the role of PE and a broad range of agriculture investment vehicles, and many more current themes in the burgeoning sector. Visit globalaginvesting.com to register or for more details.
Women in Agribusiness Summit
Minneapolis, September 21-23
Women in Agribusiness initiatives have fostered a year-round community of engaged executives, leaders and professional women through its distinctive virtual event offerings, its WIA Meet Ups, and informative webinars. “
Our goal is always to provide as much value to as much of our community as possible, so, for our 10th anniversary Summit, we’ve decided to host it both in-person and virtually to ensure that anyone who wants to attend can,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, chief operating officer for HighQuest’s Agribus
The 10th anniversary Women in Agribusiness Summit, September 21-23, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall. Discussions will ensue on innovations in the sector, the supply chain crisis and sustainability, as well as the annual highlights of the executive profiles panel and industry tour. Register and learn more at womeninag.com.
Organic & Non-GMO Forum
Minneapolis, December 1-2
The Organic & Non-GMO Forum is the event that is the source for conventional food and ag businesses to learn about the opportunities in the organic and non-GMO industries. Now in its seventh year, the event returns to Minneapolis at the Hyatt Regency on December 1-2.
Producers, processors, manufacturers, buyers and more will convene to consider the potential in these growing sectors, where sales of certified organic food products in the U.S. alone more than doubled to $7.6 billion from 2011 to 2016. Likewise, the global non-GMO food market is expected to reach $2.76 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 16.5 percent. A plethora of current topics will be presented and examined by expert industry speakers. Learn more at ongforum.com.
A 10 percent discount on registration is offered to all of these events by using the code: HQ10 at check out.
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Alabama Indoor Vertical Farm Finds Delaware Soulmate
Lee Harrison and his wife, LeeAnn, are the founders of Gardens on Air, an indoor vertical farm located in Rainbow City, Alabama. Operating in 3,000 sq. ft. of a 20,000 sq. ft. former grocery store, Gardens on Air grows chemical-free produce and herbs harvested and sold locally
Lee Harrison, co-founder of Gardens on Air
Lee Harrison and his wife, LeeAnn, are the founders of Gardens on Air, an indoor vertical farm located in Rainbow City, Alabama. Operating in 3,000 sq. ft. of a 20,000 sq. ft. former grocery store, Gardens on Air grows chemical-free produce and herbs harvested and sold locally. They are a Certified Woman-Owned, Certified Natural Grown, Vegan Certified, and a Non-GMO Project business.
The parents of 13-year-old twins, the Harrisons are driven by a mission to improve people’s lives by ensuring the abundance of healthy food choices and offering second chances by providing employment opportunities to disadvantaged individuals. So strong is their belief in what they’re doing to make a positive difference that when a devastating turn of events threatened them with financial ruin, they took risks, made sacrifices, and fought the odds to not just survive, but triumph. They could hardly give up they are surrounded by friends and mentors whose encouragement and influence kept them forging ahead.
Lee traveled up to Delaware from Alabama on February 28 to see Second Chances Farm’s operations firsthand. A retired Alabama State police officer and a man of faith, Lee was particularly interested in our innovative approach to ending recidivism by providing employment, mentorship and entrepreneurial opportunity to previously incarcerated individuals. He knows the value of giving second chances to people and has seen firsthand how returning citizens are ostracized by society once they’re released from prison. He’s also witnessed many success stories of how good people can rebuild their lives if given the opportunity, trust, and respect.
Lee learned a lot of hard lessons about the importance of respect in his rookie years as a cop. He admits to having been a strictly “by the book” cop, stone-faced and uncompromising, until one day when someone literally knocked some perspective into him.
“I was so gung ho about enforcing the law that I had complaints on me,” says Lee. “I never lied. I've never done anything that would be considered unethical treatment of anybody. I just didn't have the capacity to see past the written law.”
All that changed the day Lee went to arrest a black man named Bruce Lee, (a.k.a. “Big Guy,”) who had just been released from prison and was visiting his family.
“We had felony warrants on him mostly drug-related. He had done nothing but work out during his last stretch behind bars, so he was what we called, ‘jail-house built.’ Massive. I was 150 pounds soaking wet, and my partner, Terry, was even smaller. Terry wanted us to wait for backup. But I said, ‘No! If we let him out of our sight, he might get away.’ That’s how I thought.
“I walked right up to him and said, ‘Hey, we got a warrant for you.’ He leaned into me and whispered, ‘Look man, please don’t do this in front of my family. Let me finish, and I’ll gladly let you put me in the car.’”
Lee wasn’t hearing any of it. The third time he told Big Guy he was taking him to jail, he grabbed his arm. The next few minutes, he says, are a blur.
“I remember it in slow motion,” Lee says. “His arm was like a tree trunk. I felt as though I had grabbed the back end of a car as it was taking off, and I knew I was about to get really hurt. To say he mopped the floor with Terry and me is an injustice. All I had left afterward was my gun belt, half my shirt, and half my pants. I was a bleeding mess.”
Lee managed to pull out his gun and he pointed it at Big Guy’s two friends, both of whom were even bigger, and demanded they put the cuffs on him, which they did.
“When we got to the jail, Big Guy wasn’t even winded,” Lee says. “He just calmly says to me, ‘If you had done things differently, I guarantee this wouldn’t have happened.’”
Big Guy was, at one time, a prominent gang leader. His world was violent, but regardless, he knew how to lead people and get them to do what he wanted. He knew how to run a successful if illegal, business.
“I can tell you what your problem is” he said. ‘You need to treat people with respect. Don’t raise your voice. Be polite. There will be people who don't do what you say regardless. It don't matter. There's those people, you just got to do what you gotta do with those people. But if you would’ve just taken the time… if you’d just stood there and let me finish talking to my mom who I haven’t seen for years and is bad off we wouldn’t have had a problem.”
The Harrison Family
This made Lee’s heart leap. He realized he hadn’t been respecting people’s dignity or humanity, and he also didn’t know that the man’s mother was suffering. “And I said, okay, I'll take your advice. And I did, and my complaints went down to zero. I rarely had to fight anyone anymore. Everything changed for me at that point. In 1999, I was Officer of the Year for the State of Alabama.”
At that moment, Lee shed his “no emotion, strictly business” police persona and let his real, compassionate self shine through. He could often be found shooting hoops on the basketball courts in crime-ridden neighborhoods as a trusted friend and role model. Partnering with Second Chances Farm to create a presence in Alabama to help former inmates reenter society will be a dream come true.
Ten years ago, when job-related injuries forced him into retirement, Lee’s brother came across research from NASA about aeroponic and hydroponic farming. Lee was intrigued about growing crops without pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
“My father had cancer and was having issues with his medication, so we were looking for healthy foods that we could grow. We didn’t trust the purity of so-called ‘organic’ foods we had learned that even if soil-based crops are grown without harmful chemicals, they are still vulnerable to the risk of chemical run-off from the non-organic fields.”
The Harrisons started small with an aeroponic system and later moved to hydroponic methods. “We grew for other people who had cancer, too. “ We decided to expand because we were doing a lot of good and really enjoying it. After years of having to prove ourselves to the USDA, we were able to be certified as Organic. Since research has shown the positive effects of wheat and barley grass juice on muscle growth, we have been growing that for cancer patients, too.”
It hasn’t been an easy ride. In Alabama, agriculture is hard-wired into the culture. It’s the primary way of life.
“I don't know how many times we've been told we wouldn’t make it. ‘It won't work.’ ‘There's no way to do it.’ ‘It won't happen.’ ‘You can't do that.’ ‘How can you grow a plant without dirt?’ ‘You're an idiot.’ And yet, today, indoor vertical farming has become a multi-million dollar industry garnering millions of investment dollars. People are starting to accept that they are dependent on huge amounts of produce that comes into our state from California and Arizona and that we are much better off protecting our people by growing our own produce locally, 365 days a year.”
Lee believes that the mentality and the mission of Second Chances Farm and Gardens on Air interlock flawlessly. We are honored to have met Lee Harrison, a truly honorable, compassionate, and inspiring man.
Lee has invited Ajit Mathew George, founder of Second Chances Farm to visit Lee’s existing 20,000 sq. ft. facility in Alabama between March 30 and April 2 to see how it might be integrated into “Second Chances Farm Rainbow City, Alabama.”
Stay tuned for more details!
US: TELEVISION - Today Show Will Feature Vertical Harvest Co-Founders For International Women’s Day
The segment will air on March 8 during the third hour of the show, which is 9 a.m. in most time zones. “We are so proud of our women-led team and hope you will tune into NBC and virtually watch with us!” Vertical Harvest reps said in a press release
March 6, 2021
Vertical Harvest employee Michele Dennis deposits sweet mix in Vertical Harvest’s revolving planters in May of 2019. The co-founders of the business, Nona Yehia and Caroline Croft Estay, will be part of a Today Show segment celebrating International Women's Day on March 8.
BRADLY J. BONER/ / NEWS&GUIDE
The Today Show will be celebrating International Women’s Day with a feature on Vertical Harvest’s two female co-founders, Nona Yehia and Caroline Croft Estay, and a few of their employees. The segment will air on March 8 during the third hour of the show, which is 9 a.m. in most time zones.
“We are so proud of our women-led team and hope you will tune into NBC and virtually watch with us!” Vertical Harvest reps said in a press release.
Vertical Harvest, which opened its doors in 2016, is the first vertical hydroponic greenhouse in the United States. It stands three stories high on the side of Jackson’s parking garage, using minimal space to grow produce for the community. In a year, the greenhouse grows as many vegetables as 10 acres of regular farming would produce.
Vertical farming may hold the key to the future of food supply, according to the organization’s website.
“The increasing frequency of natural disasters and the rising global temperature are putting outdoor agricultural productivity at risk,” the organization wrote on its website. “Vertical farming can contribute to reducing hunger in the future by ensuring a stable and constant supply of food that is not weather-dependent.”
Yehia, who grew up with a brother with developmental disabilities, also seeks to employ people with developmental disabilities in the greenhouse. Vertical Harvest strives to help “those who struggle to find meaningful work and upwardly mobile career opportunities” find purposeful work within the greenhouse.
All in all, Vertical Harvest is a testament to Yehia’s dedication to building a better world.
“Vertical Harvest Farms has been an opportunity to explore a new type of civic building, one that can address food, job and now housing insecurity, rooted in community resiliency,” Yehia wrote in a LinkedIn post two weeks ago.
Contact Victoria Lee at 732-5901 or vlee@jhnewsandguide.com.
Tags The Today Show Nbc Harvest Opportunity Greenhouse Agriculture Co-founder Farming Work Today Show
A New Searchable Directory Focuses On Women Innovators In Agrifoodtech
The women included agtech entrepreneurs, investors, and journalists who write about agrifoodtech.
Image credit: Women in Agriculture Summit
Editor’s note: Amy Wu is the founder of From Farms to Incubators in Salinas, California, and Connie Bowen is the director of innovation and investment at AgLaunch in Memphis, Tennessee.
Despite a global pandemic, agrifoodtech startups received $30.5 billion in investment in 2020 – a big increase from the $20.2 billion raised in 2019, according to AgFunder’s 2021 Agrifoodtech Investment Report. Previously emerging technology trends rapidly accelerated in the midst of increasing pressures on global food supply chains. These include everything from robotics and automation to fill the gap of human labor, to business models that enable producers to capture a higher percentage of dollars by selling their product directly to consumers.
Innovations and technologies are also tackling big impact issues such as food security and food waste. This is excellent news for investors, entrepreneurs, and growers who debated the viability of what was once a fledgeling sector.
But everywhere we look, the gender inequity in the distribution of opportunities and resources is painfully obvious. Looking at the 10 largest agrifoodtech financings in 2020, 100% of the founders of these 10 companies are men. Of the top 20 financings, just two are known to have women co-founders.
In 2019, only 7% of investment money that went into agrifoodtech deals went to startups founded by women, according to a 2019 report — ‘Money Where Our Mouths Are’ (MWOMA) — released by AgFunder, Karen Karp & Partners, and The Counter in collaboration with S2G Ventures. The data aren’t yet available for 2020 – but watch this space!
The bottom line is that while the number of women founders, leaders, and innovators in the agrifoodtech sector — which extends into agbio and foodbio — continues to grow, the voices (and exposure) of women in the industry remain few and far between.
Challenge often creates opportunity and this is what a handful of women in agrifoodtech saw when they independently began collecting the names of women in the sector into a list simply because no such list existed. The women included agtech entrepreneurs, investors, and journalists who write about agrifoodtech. In 2020, they became aware of each others’ lists and decided to combine forces and merge them into a single directory.
Today, we’re launching the ‘Womxn in AgTech Directory’ – a searchable Airtable directory that lists the names and social media platforms of womxn founders and leaders in agrifoodtech in the US and internationally. This list is the result of a collaboration between women leaders in agtech including Connie Bowen (AgLaunch Initiative), Amy Wu (From Farms to Incubators), Allison Kopf (Artemis Ag), Pam Marrone (Marrone Bio Innovations), and Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunder, AFN, MWOMA), and we hope that you’ll get involved, too.
Alison Kopf, the founder and CEO of Artemis Ag, says she was motivated to start a list in 2018 “because we have a stark vacancy of diverse voices on panels and events in our industry and wanted to elevate women to the table, especially when in ag — mostly corporate ag — there are already strong women voices at the top.”
“I want to see more women and black, indigenous, and other people of color starting companies in ag and in general,” she added.
Pam Marrone, the founder of Marrone Bio Innovations, a Nasdaq-listed company in the agbio space, had an Excel sheet where she’d been compiling whatever names she came across. Over the years it has evolved from handfuls to dozens.
“With more and more women jumping into agtech and starting companies, it is critical to track the progress and to network with each other and provide support and mentoring. In addition, this list can help those organizing conferences who are looking to diversify the speakers and panels,” Marrone said.
Louisa Burwood-Taylor says that, as a journalist, she wants to contribute to building a solid data set that connects agtech with gender to solutions to gender inequality. While there are articles, columns, and anecdotal evidence that shed light on this topic, unfortunately, there is a lack of statistics.
“There’s so little data to prove how or why gender biases persist, so I’m keen to create a community where more can be shared, learned, and reported to help change that,” she said. Through MWOMA, Burwood-Taylor is working on bringing more data to light to help change investor and entrepreneur behaviors.
We hope that this directory can serve as a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs — in and outside of agtech — for growers and investors to connect with, learn from, hire, and invest in women in agtech.
We hope that conference organizers will find it and consider adding more women as speakers, that investors and VC firms will find the list and take a deep dive into the companies, and growers will connect with founders through this portal. Finally, we believe that by working as a collective we can create a paradigm shift – more women can enter this space and will be encouraged to enter this space.
The directory will be made live today on From Farms to Incubators and is visible here. Women can add (or update) their names and info through a short survey here.
WIA Demeter Award Nominations And Scholarship Applications Now Accepted
Now in its ninth year, the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence recognizes women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry.
BOSTON, 2021 – In keeping with its commitment to grow opportunities and provide recognition for women in the agribusiness sector, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has announced that nominations and applications are now being accepted for its 2021 award and scholarship programs.
Now in its ninth year, the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence recognizes women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry. The WIA Scholarship Program – which last year saw nearly 30 ag students benefit from the generosity of sponsors like Hancock Natural Resource Group, Motif FoodWorks and Rabobank – provides the potential to make life-changing industry connections, explore the many ag career options, and gain firsthand knowledge of the trends and issues facing the industry today.
“Over the years, we have grown our Women in Agribusiness community to expand much farther than simply hosting an annual event, though that is the very popular stronghold of our offerings,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, event director, and chief operating officer of HighQuest Group, the parent company of Women in Agribusiness. “We have nurtured the opportunities and grown them to include membership, global year-long meet ups, a career center, a resource center, and a weekly blog. We have come to be full circle in elevating women in the industry, such that those already at a certain rung are lifting others while they climb. The Demeter Award and Scholarship program are indicative of this as well.”
2021 WIA Demeter Award of Excellence
Nomination forms for the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence are available on the WIA website. There is no limit to the number of entries, which will be accepted through Saturday, July 10, 2021, and self-nominations are permissible as well. Up to three nominees will be chosen and each recipient will be invited to accept her award at the 10th anniversary 2021 Women in Agribusiness Summit in Minneapolis this year, September 21-23.
Criteria for nomination for the award, includes.
Woman with a minimum of 10 years of experience in the ag and/or food industry;
Woman who is a positive example to other women in the industry;
Woman who breaks down barriers and serves as a resource for others; and
Woman who consistently exemplifies professionalism.
Last year’s recipients were Ponsi Trivisvavet, an agtech pioneer and entrepreneur; Priscila Vansetti Machado, a decades-long contributor to the ag sector, notable for numerous “firsts” for women in the industry; and Amy Wu, an award-winning journalist turned author and agtech advocate for women.
Student Scholarships
WIA Student Scholarship applicants must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students attending an accredited college or university, and majoring in agribusiness or a related field. Sponsorships from industry companies, such as AgIS Capital, Cargill, Mitsui & Company, and Nutrien make these scholarships possible. Students, who receive assistance with the costs for attending the WIA Summit, hail from colleges such as Florida A&M University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Saskatchewan.
Applications, which are available here, are being accepted until Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Learn more at womeninag.com. Follow us @Womeninagri, like us on Facebook, and visit us on LinkedIn.
# #
About Women in Agribusiness
Women in Agribusiness is a business unit of HighQuest Group, a global agribusiness consulting, events and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness initiative took root in 2012, and now includes WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, WIA Career Connector, WIA Resource Center, and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.
WIA Summit Europe Agenda Announced
Take your place at the virtual Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe where we celebrate women’s expertise in the Ag industry and find solutions to tipping the scales toward parity
International Women’s Day marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. Take your place at the virtual Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe where we celebrate women’s expertise in the Ag industry and find solutions to tipping the scales toward parity.
Sessions And Interactive Workshops Include:
Reminder For Tomorrow: WIA Meet Up
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Women in Agribusiness Team
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Women In Agribusiness Announces WIA Europe, New Career Board And Meet Ups
Building off its successful 2020 virtual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) events, U.S.-based HighQuest Group has announced the lineup of events for 2021, starting with the Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe virtual conference on 8-10 March 2021
BOSTON, 2021 – Building off its successful 2020 virtual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) events, U.S.-based HighQuest Group has announced the lineup of events for 2021, starting with the Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe virtual conference on 8-10 March 2021.
The three-day virtual event, with live content from exceptional speakers, will continue the year-round agribusiness conversation among the Women in Agribusiness (WIA) community, which is thousands strong and growing each day. The Summit will include two virtual tours, an integrated platform that is the portal to knowledge and networking, and the promise of connecting with speakers and attendees from several countries.
The agenda includes discussions on how upstream agriculture in the EU can be made more sustainable, opportunities in plant-based foods, supply chain challenges and possibilities, and a special two-hour strategic networking workshop. Speakers include Jaine Chisholm Caunt, director general of GAFTA; Geraldine Kutas, director general, European Crop Protection Association; and Dorothy Dalton, CEO of 3Plus International Ltd. Registration is now open, along with the chance to take a peek at the 2020 U.S. event to learn more about the conference.
“If the last year has shown anything, it is that staying connected is imperative to advancing your business,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, event director and chief operating officer of HighQuest Group, the parent company of Women in Agribusiness. “Our commitment in providing networking opportunities to nurture and expand, as well as the knowledge and know-how to stay relevant, has not waivered during a year of unknowns, and we are grateful to continue to service the WIA community.”
Along those lines, WIA announced the start of its European WIA Meet Up dates for 2021. WIA Meet Ups are a night of networking from the comfort of one’s own home, while making new contacts and building new business relationships.
Admission is free to WIA members (US$10 for non-members), and one can join and register here: womeninag.com/membership.
2021 Virtual WIA Meet Up – Europe
· Thursday, 14 January – 6 p.m. CET
· Thursday, 11 February – 6 p.m. CET
Connect With Opportunity
In keeping with opening new doors within the ag sector, Women in Agribusiness has introduced the WIA Career Connector. The multi-tiered website offers opportunities for both employers and job seekers in its goal to connect talent with opportunity. Visitors to the site – careers.womeninag.com – can post new jobs, examine featured jobs, search by candidate, and get assistance with resume creation, job interview skills and much more. The world’s largest food and ag companies are already using the WIA Career Connector, and its contents will be freely shared with the WIA community of over 10,000.
Visit womeninag.com to make plans now to join the burgeoning WIA community in 2021. Also visit us @Womeninagri, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
# # #
About Women in Agribusiness
The annual Women in Agribusiness Summit in the U.S., which started in 2012, is renowned for annually convening close to 1,000 of the country’s female agribusiness decision-makers, with 30 percent at the CEO/executive level and another 25 percent at department management level. Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe debuted in Barcelona, Spain, in February 2015, which was praised by an executive in attendance for being “a solutions-oriented event that also brought up current trends in the market” and “a uniquely-focused agricultural event for women”.
WIA initiatives have grown to include the WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Scholarships, and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.
Women In Agribusiness Is Proud To Announce The New WIA Career Connector
Women in Agribusiness is proud to announce the new WIA Career Connector
Find your next Agribusiness career TODAY
Create a new job seeker account and keep your career on the move
START YOUR JOB SEARCH
Search and apply for Agribusiness jobs.
Load your resume and choose who to release
your contact information to.
Create Job Alerts to receive job notification emails.
Access career resources, job searching tips, and tools.
Find who you need in Agribusiness
Post and feature your jobs easily to the searchable database.
Email your job directly to WIA Connector Connector job seekers
via our exclusive Job Flash™ email.
Search our Resume Bank using robust filters to narrow your candidate search.
LIST YOUR JOBS TODAY
WIA Virtual Meet Up
WIA Virtual Meet-Up Come with your ideas, thoughts, and questions as we brainstorm in small groups to strategize on Career Advancement
WIA Virtual Meet-Up Come with your ideas,
thoughts, and questions as
we brainstorm in small groups to strategize on
Career Advancement.
This topic-driven Meet Up will be held
Tuesday, January 26th, 5:00 PM CST.
Register via our Home Page
Know someone that would benefit from a Meet Up?
Please spread the word.
See you there!
Women in Agribusiness Team
eventinfo@highquestgroup.com
Meet The Women Who Are Changing The Farm-to-Table Movement
Meet The Women Who Are Changing The Farm-to-Table Movement
March 8, 2018
MEET OUR FOOD-SPIRATIONALWOMEN!
We’re Celebrating 8 Women Who Inspire Us
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the women farmers, entrepreneurs, leaders, and disruptors who inspire us every day. These women have gone above and beyond to bring positive change to food and agriculture in communities all over the world!
#1 : The Sci-Fi Farmer
JAMIE SILVERSTEIN, CROP SPECIALIST AT FREIGHT FARMS
Jaime helps to train new Freight Farmers
Jaime's office is the Freight Farms HQ farm!
Jaime is the resident crop specialist at Freight Farms in Boston. She and her trusty interns have experimented with growing over 300 types of crops, all inside of the Leafy Green Machine™. Not only is Jaime on the forefront of Ag Tech, but she’s discovering how to tweak inputs like light, nutrients, and water to produce bigger, tastier, and faster-growing plants! This information allows Freight Farms’ customers using the same hydroponic systems to create impact their own businesses, communities, and schools.
Although Jaime is a high-tech farmer, she has a low-tech background. She found her way to Freight Farms after several months working on a traditional soil farm. Even today, she gives back to the community by volunteering her time on small farms and donating extra food to Boston food relief organizations.
“As a former soil farmer and now hydroponic farmer, I’ve learned how important community and collaboration are to build a healthier, more sustainable food system. I love being a part of the solution and empowering others to do the same.”
— Jaime Silverstein
#2 : The Young Disruptor
SARAH ANN HORTON, CAMPUS MANAGER AT SQUARE ROOTS BROOKLYN, NY
“I see millennials leaving their office jobs to be in the urban farming community, because they get a connection back to their community.”
— Kimbal Musk, Co-Founder of Square Roots
With a thriving Brooklyn campus, Square Roots is actively training a new generation of farmers using hydroponic containers. Each of their “entrepreneurs” operates a container farm as a business, selling to CSA programs, local restaurants, and the general public.
Sarah Ann is the Campus Manager at Square Roots, making sure that everything runs smoothly in the farms and being an invaluable resource to the farmer-entrepreneurs.
We’re not saying nothing would get done without her… but she’s the very important glue that holds a complex system together.
Quote source: Square Roots
#3 and #4 : The Modern Business-women
SARAH WARD, OASIS SPRINGS FARM
NASHUA, NH
TAMARA KNOTT, BRIGHT GREENS CANADA
SAANICHTON, BC
Some of our greatest inspirations come from women who run successful businesses with the intention of making a lasting impact on their communities. Sarah and Tamara are two such exceptional women who focus on changing their food landscapes with fresh and local produce. As business owners, entrepreneurs, and farmers (not to mention loving homemakers and mothers), they see themselves as small building blocks in the creating a healthier society.
“There are so many forces in our society promoting cheap, bad for us food. I like to think that even if I have a tiny part in getting people excited about eating more leafy greens that I am doing the right thing.”
— Sarah Ward, Oasis Springs Farm
“I was looking to change careers and do something active. I sat at a desk long enough. I also love greens and salads. Living in Canada I was so disappointed by the poor quality greens available through much of the year and I knew many others who felt the same way. When I saw there was a proven and productive way I could grow over 5 tons of produce every year, I knew I had to pursue it.”
— Tamara Knott, Bright Greens Canada
#5 : The Action-oriented Educator
JIL ISENGARGER, CEO OF THE STONE BARNS CENTER
TARRYTOWN, NY
Jil caught our attention with her work at the Stone Barns Center. Jil’s motivation for building the Center came from her previous experience at the Nature Conservancy, where she saw how much our current food production methods are directly contributing to global environmental issues. While many people recognize these deficiencies in our food system, Jil actually decided to do something about it! She created the Stone Barns Center with two goals: to innovate and experiment with crop production and to facilitate learning for anyone who is interested in changing a broken food system.
Plus, let’s not forget Stone Barn’s connection with the legendary farm-to-table restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, with Chef Dan Barber! Our taste buds are eternally thankful.
“Working in the food system is a more tangible and visceral way for people to make an emotional connection to both a particular place and to the planet overall. If you want to enjoy a diet of variety, you must have healthy soil and water. Food can be the gateway for connecting to the environment.”
— Jil Isenbarger
Quote source: FoodTank
#6 : The Fresh Taste-maker
MARY DUMONT, HEAD CHEF AT CULTIVAR
BOSTON, MA
Speaking of chefs, we’d love to give a shout out to the chef at Boston’s Cultivar restaurant, Marty Dumont! Not only are her creations beautiful and delicious, but we love that she crafts her menu with a focus on seasonal, fresh, and local ingredients. This can be difficult and limiting for a chef, but Mary is committed to bringing care and consideration into her dishes, and her diners have noticed.
We love Mary’s commitment to serving only the freshest ingredients. Plus, she doesn’t just rely on others to provide her restaurant with fresh food! She operates a Freight Farms container right outside her downtown restaurant to guarantee that she can have year-round access to the fresh ingredients she needs.
Quote source: Eater
“It’s always been important to me to be able to grow a lot of my own food, to have a garden. But to choose a restaurant that’s right downtown…You can’t get more urban than that. The on-site garden is satisfying that desire of mine to not be in the city while being in the city.”
— Mary Dumont
#7 : The New Life Give
EMMA CHRISTIANSON, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
IOWA HOMELESS YOUTH CENTER
DES MOINES, IA
The Iowa Homeless Youth Center does so much to help struggling youth in the Des Moines community. At their Youth Opportunity Center for at-risk and homeless youth (ages 16-22) they offer: outreach programs, drop-in services (like laundry, cell-phone charging, etc.), an art center, computer lab, counseling services, nutritious meals at lunch and dinner, and emergency beds where young adults can stay for up to 30 days while the center helps them get back on their feet.
As the development director, Emma is in charge of growing the center’s offerings. The programs are designed to give disadvantaged youth a chance to regain self-sufficiency. One program Emma is currently developing is a rooftop garden with hydroponic container farms and raised beds. The rooftop garden will not only provide the center’s youth with nutritional food but will also employ some of the young adults to run the farm and break the cycle of poverty by gaining valuable experience and earning a livable wage.
All we can say is, wow. Not only are Emma and her colleagues changing lives every day, but they’re doing it with urban farming programs. We can’t wait to see the project come to life in upcoming months!
#8: The Conversation Starter
DANIELLE NIERENBERG, PRESIDENT OF FOOD TANK
HQ IN NEW ORLEANS, LA
Danielle is arguably one of the most respected food experts of our time. Her company, Food Tank, is a nonprofit organization with the goal of “building a global community of safe, healthy, and nourished eaters” (FoodTank) through independent research into the food system and global food summits.
The summits are about more than making attendees feel good about the future of food. Danielle believes that they’re perfect opportunities to bring together people from across the food industry and get them engaged in meaningful conversation. We agree. We need people like Danielle and her team to not only help us discover new information, but to create a platform for sharing, co-creating, and growing our understanding. We love that Danielle isn’t afraid to shake things up by including people of all backgrounds and with often opposing opinions.
“We want to bring people together for the sake of good conversation, but sometimes it’s important to have an uncomfortable conversation, and allow for unusual collaborations to develop.”
— Danielle Nierenberg
Quote Source: Modern Farmer
Here at Freight Farms we believe that anyone can be empowered to grow food anywhere! Our farmers work hard to bring fresh food to their communities and to inspire future generations of farmers.
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