Agbioscience

48. From great moderation to great volatility

Global venture capital deal volume has fallen by 50% worldwide since peaking in the first quarter of 2022 – that’s according the global analyst firm CB Insights. Despite the decline, companies are raising capital. Today’s guest is here to share more about the current fundraising environment and what it means for innovation.  Audre Kapacinskas, principal with S2G Ventures – the second most active agtech investor in America – joins us to talk investment across the entire value chain.  
The daughter of an immigrant, Audre found her love for the food space when her mother opened up a bakery. That love took her on a professional journey to s2g Ventures where she focuses on helping their nearly 100 portfolio companies in food and agriculture thrive. She gets into solutions that create more balance across the value chain, removing the brunt of risk and cost to the farmer and aligning financial incentives to drive impact. Audre also talks about the importance of having farmers at the discussion table when it comes to innovation and what she’s seeing in terms of valuation, time to close and how entrepreneurs and investors are working together during a tumultuous time; she stresses patient capital in the agbiosciences as being important. 
So what will the capital landscape look like in the future? Audre talks big corporate investment, aligning incentives for all stakeholders to drive innovation and how she sees the agbiosciences evolving from an era of great moderation to one of great volatility. 

47. Navigating the energy transition

Discussion around the energy transition often focuses on electrification, but one Indiana company and thousands of Indiana farmers are working together to create new options in that transition – specifically around biofuels. Today’s guest is a long-time energy leader and the chief executive of one of Indiana’s largest privately held companies. Matt Smorch, CEO of CountryMark, joins us to talk the continued emergence of biofuels, diversifying for the farmer and answers a question that most won’t know: where exactly does our fuel come from? 
How will farmers play a role in the new innovative energy sources coming to market? Matt talks about lessons learned from E-85 and how changing the gasoline standard could open up a wide array of new options for fuel (and agriculture). He also looks ahead and how CountryMark will continue to innovate to stay reliable and serve the farmer. 

46. We have to talk turkey

An estimated 88% of Americans will consume turkey this Thanksgiving – that equates to more than 46 million turkeys! It’s big business for farmers across the country, including here in Indiana where the state has become the fourth largest producer of turkey in the country. Becky Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, joins this week to share more about Indiana’s turkey production and the innovation making it possible. 
Becky talks all things poultry in Indiana – ranging from key innovators like Miller Poultry and Maple Leaf Farms – to the well-informed at-home farmer with a smaller flock. She also dives into turkey’s growing presence in many forms (deli meats, sausage links and more) on your grocery store shelves, With poultry demand on the rise, where are the opportunities for innovators to disrupt the industry? Becky talks nutrition, genetics and environment as spaces ripe for new discoveries and how poultry farmers approach adoption of new innovations. She talks about the critical role of Indiana corn and soybeans to poultry farmers’ success and what’s ahead for the industry. 

45. A breakthrough in pet health innovation

Parvovirus – a potentially deadly disease in puppies – has been called the world’s most common canine infectious disease. The viral infection is one that has long been battled through a preemptive vaccine regimen and treated by managing the clinical signs of the infection. However, a new innovation from Indiana-based animal health giant Elanco is transforming canine care through science. This week, we are joined by Elanco veterinarian and veterinarian technical marketer, Dr. Jennifer Miller, to talk about the newly approved monoclonal anitibody treatment for canine parvovirus. 
What is parvovirus, how is it caused and what were the treatment options before Elanco’s breakthrough monoclonal antibody? Dr. Miller talks about its severity, its commonality and why this innovation was so critical for puppy owners. She also gets into the years it takes to bring innovation to market and the rewarding feeling of watching it save lives in clinics across the country.  
How does this become the next wave of innovation at Elanco? Dr. Miller talks about the transferable opportunities to other animals and to human health. She also gets into the collaborative spirit working to advance the innovation ecosystem and what she sees as the future of animal health. 

44. Who are the farmers of the future?

Approximately 6% of the U.S. population are veterans – those who have served in the U.S. military. Leaders who have donned the uniform have gone on to serve in roles that are now shaping the future of the food and agbioscience economy. Today’s guest is doing just that. W US Army COL (retired) Mark Purdy joins us to talk about his journey through the military and into agbioscience, what Aimpoint does and how he sees food and agriculture innovating for the future. 
What exactly is wargaming and how can it impact agriculture? Mark talks about its nexus of art and science, understanding the industry better today – and tomorrow. Geopolitical tension continues to spread across different parts of the globe. How will uncertainty drive innovation? Marks lays out our opportunities, science creating new efficiencies and asking a really important question: who are the farmers of the future? And what will they require of us? 

43. The intersection of animal, plant and human science

Biotech – everything from innovation in seeds and animal vaccines to new foods and human medicines – hold tremendous opportunity to transform the future. The science also represents significant opportunity to create new jobs and improve America’s national security. Those were just a few of the key theses outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and key reasons why the US Department of Commerce designated Indiana one of 31 federal tech hubs in October. Today we are joined by Dave Roberts and Andrew Kossack of The Applied Research Institute to share more about what this designation means. 
They talk about how the tech hub came to be, Indiana’s strengths on the balance sheet – from agbioscience to advanced manufacturing – and our ability to collaborate across industries in the application process. A question you might have: what exactly is a tech hub? Dave and Andrew get into what the Heartland Bioworks tech hub means for Indiana, our future potential and how see animal, plant and human science coming together to advance the state’s economy. 

42. Through the lens of the farmer

Innovations in seed holds tremendous promise – from improving yield to resilience and profitability – and has transformed significantly over the last few decades. Today we are joined by Beck’s Hybrids President, Scott Beck, to talk about the iconic family-owned brand, being a third-generation leader in the business and watching a small operation grow to the massive brand it is today. 
Scott talks all things company culture and keeping that as you grow and scale a business. He also reflects on returning to the company after graduating from Purdue in 1987 (he was the 12th employee), shifting their focus from being a seed company that has marketing to becoming a marketing company that has seed, and viewing all things through the lens of the farmer. That includes relationships with many agbioscience companies to bring diversity and value to the farmer.  
What’s ahead for Beck’s Hybrids? More of the farmer, of course. Scott talks R&D, looking into the future to help the farmer and how he sees the company innovating in the future. 

41. Getting the economy you want

Forbes – the global business media powerhouse – named Indiana the best place to start a business in 2023. It’s one of many recent wins on the board for Indiana – a trophy case that includes everything from securing commitments for $33B in capital investment in the last six quarters to securing the rights to host the next Global Economic Congress. It’s momentum that today’s guest seeks to continue. Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg joins us to look into the future, poising Indiana for success and retaining young talent in state for generations to come. 
David talks about getting the economy you want versus the one that comes to you, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) becoming a strategic organization and agbioscience’s role in building our state’s future. He also gets into Indiana’s evolving talent pipeline and creating the necessary tools for companies to fill jobs. David also talks about growing the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, venture’s growth and opportunities in Indiana and shaking the humble Hoosier mindset.  
With all this momentum and a little bit of time left under Governor Holcomb’s administration, what’s next for IEDC? David looks ahead at what needs to be done, the strength of their team to make it happen and his excitement for Indiana’s future. 

BONUS: The “why” behind innovation

The agbioscience story is one worth telling in many aspects and that’s exactly what Delaney Howell-Groth has done in her career. The ag journalist turned founder of AgCulture Marketing joins us from the Rally Innovation Conference to talk about shaping the story of companies across the industry, having affinity for rural America and innovation driving the food system. Delaney also talks about unlocking emotions alongside facts, new technologies as a story and an industry that’s ripe to create excitement and vibrancy in rural communities across the country. 

40. Meeting the needs of a global market

About 25% of U.S. farm products by value are exported annually. That global market fuels demand for producers and the companies that serve them across the Midwest. Ben Forsythe, Director of Sustainability and Value Creation with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, is just back from a global trip to visit some of those foreign markets and joins us today to share new perspective on the markets and the opportunities they create for innovation.  
From his travels to The Netherlands to Indonesia, he gets into the unique challenges each country faces, how Indiana farmers can help solve those challenges to meet the needs of the world’s markets. He also talks about gleaning inspiration from other countries that could validate and improve the great work we already do here. No matter where they're at in this world, farmers speak a universal language; so what did their shared communication look like on the trip? Ben talks common themes and conversations taking place in agriculture across the world.