Buckle up. This #LeadersTalkCrops episode is packed with knowledge. The first time Scott Wall, President and Owner of New Age Laboratories, joined as a guest on CropTalk he blew our minds by sharing the nitty gritty on SAP analysis and its impact on the way Cannabis growers manage their plant nutrition.  This time he and I were lucky enough to be joined by none other than Jenny "Jenny-from-the-Crop" Garley, the Chief Science Officer at New Age Laboratories, and we dove deep into using SAP analysis to steer leafy green crop performance.  The discussion is full of the following golden nuggets:  - the details on dynamic nutrient steering using SAP analysis  - the impact that balanced nutrition has on a farmer's profit margin - how to take SAP samples for leafy greens, both mature and baby - how to package and ship SAP sets for optimal analysis

Everyone knows finance and investing is the easiest part of any CEA venture..  THAT WAS A JOKE. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME AN ANGRY MESSAGE.  On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Andrew Howell of Ceres Partners about navigating the wonderful world of investing and finance as it pertains to indoor farming, agtech and the collective CEA industry. Andrew paints a clear picture of some of the key attributes to look for when investing and what to expect as an investor in this space. (Spoiler alert: Patience) 

Know Better, Grow Better.  Erika Verrier is the newest member of the CropWalk and CropTalk team and #KnowBetterGrowBetter is her mantra.  Words can't describe how pumped up the entire team is to have her spunk, positive attitude, emotional intelligence and technical aptitude on the squad.  Outside of her unique tomato IPM and food safety experience, she brings a wealth of leadership and team development skills to our team.  Did I mention she loves sharing knowledge, as well as connecting people and ideas so much that she's starting her own CropTalk podcast series called.....drum roll please... #BetweenTheVines?!?! Check out this conversation to learn more about Erika and what she's got up her tyvek sleeves!!

Nick D’Amelio is the cultivation manager and head grower at TerrAscend, who built the first commercial cannabis greenhouse in New Jersey, the state Bobby Shearer grew up in. Nick assisted in the build-out of the facility he now runs and TerrAscend is producing premier cannabis flowers both indoors and in that greenhouse. Nick shares what was required to plan the development of a customized cultivation facility, get it built, and then get it up and running with operations and cultivation plans. He and Bobby chat about the challenges he faced, what he learned along the way, and insights other growers can learn from. Are you planning to scale up? Develop a customized facility? Building a greenhouse, production plan, and team from the ground up? This is the podcast for you.

Crops are not nearly as gluttonous as we have traditionally made them out to be.  It seems as if much of conventional agriculture shoves synthetic fertilizers down the soil's throat in an attempt to nourish plants with ever-diminishing returns on investment.  As an industry, we are discovering more about the symbiotic relationships between soil microbiology and the crops that call soil home.  With this knowledge, it feels barbaric to overlook some of our greatest plant health protagonists and the importance of their relationships with plants.  That's why we had Michael Key the CEO of Impello Biosciences onto CropTalk podcast to share more about why he thinks brute force fertilization is so 20th-century agriculture and how growers can take a more collaborative approach to plant nutrition and health.  Until next time, #startcleanstayclean      

AmplifiedAg is taking container farming to the next level. With multiple locations (Their Columbia, South Carolina location housing 140 containers!) Don Taylor, CEO is delivering consistent, safe and delicious (I can vouch) greens to Publix, Harris Teeter, Food Lion and many more retailers. Take a listen to learn more about Don's journey in Horticulture, the evolution of the company and navigating the ever changing retail environment. 

Ever wish you could listen in on industry leaders talkin' crops on a casual call? Pam gave Surendra a ring to talk about biologicals and they accidentally hit record! Lucky us! They define categories of biological agents before they discuss market adoption and the development of new products, best practices for farmers, and what benefits farmers can expect. This isn't a #CropTalk #podcast to miss. These are two of the world's best minds in agricultural pest management. And somehow we happened to get our hands on this recording of their phone call! ;) no FCC laws were violated. But lots of IPM advice is shared. Traditional chemical pesticides are being replaced by biologicals more each year, across ag sectors. Are you curious what two of the foremost authorities on the matter have to say when they connect to chat? #LetsTalkCrops on #CropCareConvos by #CropTalkMedia

Everyone loves collecting data for their grow operation, until it becomes a tangled web of nonsense. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech I speak with Jono Jones of BlueLab about the importance of not only collecting data, but putting it to proper use. Topics include using smart tools to collect the right data, turning that data into wisdom and learning directly from your grower customers.

Growing a quality, desirable crop with palatable input costs is an accomplishment.  But, growing a quality crop with palatable input costs that consumers demand and that sells consistently is a whole different beast.  As a fresh produce supplier, it seems developing quality relationships and rapport with produce buyers is the secret sauce to selling through and is something that more suppliers should lean into.  That's the reason we had James Williams, the Business Development Manager at Intergrow Greenhouses, Inc. onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk podcast to share how, as a produce supplier, he develops and nurtures relationships with produce buyers.  The insights James shares are extremely valuable, but even more so because he has served as both the produce buyer and supplier during his career.   Until next time, #startcleanstayclean  

Let's talk research & development! #LetsTalkCrops. This episode features some incredible insights from the R&D Manager at Square Roots in Brooklyn NYC, Eli Zimmer. He's tasked with designing and executing growing trials to support new product development, recipe optimization, and plant treatments. In this #CropTalk podcast, Eli and Bobby aim to demystify the R&D process by simplifying what's often perceived to overly complex. How can an R&D program be developed in a way that doesn't strain the operation and that provides clear, significant ROI on a path of constant improvement? From setting up trials, to collecting data, to communication with stakeholders along the way, Eli shares some great tips that growers everywhere will be glad they considered.