From Farm Trials to Equity: A Different Way to Build AgTech

How does an agricultural idea go from someone's garage or university lab to something farmers actually want to use? AgLaunch's Margaret Oldham and North Central Iowa farmer Mark take Farm4Profit behind the scenes of a startup accelerator built around putting farmers directly into the innovation process. Through AgLaunch Farmers LLC and its partnership with AgVentures Alliance, farmers help select startups, conduct real-world trials, provide feedback, and determine whether a product actually delivers value. Instead of simply receiving a free product for their time and acres, participating farmers can earn equity tied to the startups they're helping develop. The group discusses why farmer involvement is so valuable, what causes startups to fail, bootstrapping versus venture capital, and a newly licensed $50 million Farmers Innovation Fund designed to help support agricultural startups while keeping farmers and rural America at the center of the mission. Mark also shares real examples from his own farm, including Grain Weevil and Spornado, and how emerging technology can address everything from grain-bin safety to earlier detection of crop diseases. Ultimately, the episode asks an important question: if farmers provide the land, equipment, time, data, and knowledge that help make new technology successful, shouldn't they have some skin in the game too? Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: [email protected]/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.