Best Plantscience Podcasts (2025)

1
383. A look back at August with AgriNovus CEO Christy Wright, a potential merger + big news for Intelinair + FloVision 30:40

Play Pause

33m ago30:40

30:40

For the first time on Agbioscience (except that one time when she was a guest), we are joined by our new President and CEO, Christy Wright! She talks her first week on the job, connecting with industry leaders and stakeholders and hosting her first Quadrant on day three at AgriNovus. You can also read her feature with Elaine Watson in AgFunder News…

1
382. Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Hannah Vorsilak on The Glass Barn, consumer education + connecting innovation to the farm 23:57

3d ago23:57

23:57

Consumer education and connectivity to agbioscience innovation and their food’s origin story is a growing conversation. To see is to believe; but to experience the farm? That’s a whole different story. Purdue University’s Megan Kuhn guest hosts Hannah Vorsilak, Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Marketing and Communications Manager, this week to talk about…

1
381. Indiana State Fair’s Cindy Hoye on 15 days of agbioscience innovation + creating a meaningful consumer experience 30:55

10d ago30:55

30:55

For the first time in Agbioscience video history, we have taken the show on the road; and not to just any venue...but to the iconic Indiana State Fair. Spanning 15 days that welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors, those consumers and small businesses help to generate millions for the regional economy in its two weeks run. Today our guest host Ke…

1
380. AgReliant Genetics’ Dave Pugh on GDM + uniting strengths to deliver innovation to the American farmer 32:05

17d ago32:05

32:05

According to Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer survey in July, high input costs and lower crop and livestock prices are the top two concerns on farmers mind at the moment. For agbioscience innovators, it’s a critical more than ever to consider moves that can deliver maximum value to the farmer. Dave Pugh, CFO of AgReliant Genetics, joins us …

1
379. Cause Matters Corp.’s Michele Payn on consumer acceptance + making the agbioscience story personal 31:02

24d ago31:02

31:02

From the early days of biotechnology to the growing voice of today’s consumer, a desire exists for knowledge and understanding of the work being done by scientists, farmers and agbioscience innovators to bring food to our tables. Today we are joined by Michele Payn, author and founder of Cause Matters Corp., who has made it her mission to bridge th…

1
378. Libby Fritz recaps July, big news for USDA in Indiana, AgReliant Genetics' acquisition, BiomEdit moves, a CEO update + more 28:53

28d ago28:53

28:53

This is perhaps the most epic news recap we have ever encountered on Agbioscience! So much so, we had to go back and record audio after we thought we were done. We get into the USDA's announcement on re-organization and Indiana's inclusion as a regional hub as part of that, AgReliant Genetics' acquisition by GDM, BiomEdit's product pipeline milesto…

1
377. Advancing science for better food + health, farmer wellness with Corteva Agriscience’s Dr. Claudia Coplein 20:25

1M ago20:25

20:25

The USDA estimates that each year in the U.S., poor nutrition causes roughly $1.1 trillion in preventable health care spending and lost productivity from diet-attributable diseases. As farmers continue their work of producing food for a growing population, agbioscience companies are also seeking new ways to innovate and optimize for human, animal a…

1
376. Vivayic’s Blaze Currie on agbioscience’s talent disparity, how we got here + preparing for next generation talent + leadership 19:17

1M ago19:17

19:17

The words talent and shortage come packaged together in nearly every sentence across almost every industry these days. It's a widespread challenge that raises a bigger question for agbioscience companies. Do our hurdles look like the same as other industries? If not, what do we do next? This week, we are joined by Vivayic’s Agriculture Practice Lea…

1
375. Bay State Milling’s Ed Fish on food is health, innovating “in the middle” + connecting food to agriculture 29:43

2M ago29:43

29:43

The food ingredients market is expected to grow to $97 billion by 2029. That's an annual growth rate of just over 6.5%. Central to that growth is the voice of the consumer seeking options to improve their health and ingredients that contribute to their overall wellness. One company has been innovating in this space for generations. Ed Fish, Senior …

1
374. BW Fusion’s Dr. Tanya Soule on biological innovation + the importance of strategic partnerships to accelerate scientific discovery 22:43

2M ago22:43

22:43

The market for ag biologicals is projected to grow significantly according to Grandview Research – making the leap from $11B market in 2024 to a $16.8B in 2030. One Indiana company has recently created a strategic alliance to drive biological innovation at every stage of the crop nutrition cycle. Dr. Tanya Soule, Vice President of Microbiology at B…

1
373. Libby Fritz recaps June, the AgriNovus CEO search, Velocity Demo Day + what's ahead 22:08

2M ago22:08

22:08

The month of June has passed -- and it was a busy one! AgriNovus Vice President, Libby Fritz, joins Cayla Chiddister in the studio to talk through a number of exciting things, including what's to come for the podcast with Mitch's departure from AgriNovus. Hint: we aren't going anywhere! We get into: Updates to what you can expect to hear and see on…

1
372. Mitch Frazier on 5 years of AgriNovus, the power of a small team + an Agbioscience farewell 28:25

2M ago28:25

28:25

For over 230 episodes of Agbioscience, Mitch Frazier has helped share the stories of leaders and innovators across food, animal health, plant science, agtech and agriculture. One story we’ve not told, though, is that of the storyteller, himself. Today we close a chapter on this podcast and with all love, turn our pages forward to what lies next. Bu…

1
371. Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing’s Jason Kashman on emerging trends in food + getting ahead of market demands 18:19

2M ago18:19

18:19

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the food ag industry contributes roughly 1.5 trillion to the country’s GDP – that's a 5.5% share. It’s a market that continues to evolve as many factors – from consumers to regulatory challenges – create new opportunities for innovation and new products. This week we are joined by Weaver Popcorn Man…

1
370. Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. Bret Marsh on building innovators of the future + their insurmountable opportunities 22:37

2M ago22:37

22:37

The USDA just reported that there are 243 veterinary shortage areas across 46 states nationwide – the highest number ever. It’s a challenging environment, particularly when you consider veterinarians are on the front lines of battling avian influenza and dealing with a massively growing companion animal population. Dr. Bret Marsh, Dean of the Purdu…

1
369. Nuritas’ Dr. Nora Khaldi on the power of peptides + harnessing science change the health of people + longevity 27:29

3M ago27:29

27:29

The global functional food ingredients market is expected to grow by $53 billion by 2028 according to Technavio. One pioneer, a scientist, is operating at the intersection of food and health and has become a functional food powerhouse. Dr. Nora Khaldi, CEO and Founder of Nuritas, joins us to talk ingredients, food and innovation. We get into: What …

1
368. Verility’s Liane Hart on leveraging AI to manage animal fertility + stabilize growing demand for protein 16:56

3M ago16:56

16:56

There are roughly 86 million head of cattle and 74 million head of hogs in the US. That’s according to USDA – those numbers flat year over year in a market where the demand for animal protein is expected to be up 5% by 2033. It’s a math equation that creates a challenge but also creates an opportunity for innovation. Liane Hart, co-founder and CEO,…

1
367. Mitch Frazier recaps May, talks Liberation Labs + Vivici, Velocity $75K Demo Day + Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana 12:33

3M ago12:33

12:33

As Indiana's famous Month of May comes to a close, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap big news for Mark Warner and LIberation Labs, look ahead to exciting new for AgriNovus' Velocity Demo Day and Indiana's hosting of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress next week. Mitch and Cayla also look ahead to his next career journey and talk about what'…

1
366. The Ugly Company’s Ben Moore on tackling food waste, innovating for consumer health + leading to serve 24:15

3M ago24:15

24:15

The USDA estimates that between 30-40% of the US food supply is wasted every year – that’s over 133 BILLION pounds. One farmer, turned soldier, turned entrepreneur is tackling that market. Ben Moore, founder of The Ugly Company, joins us to talk to fruit. We get into: Ben’s connection to Indiana and how a farmer went on to create a trucking company…

1
365. Liberation Labs’ Mark Warner on precision fermentation for food + beverage, the Vivici partnership + biomanufacturing’s future 18:03

3M ago18:03

18:03

Global Market Insights predicts the precision fermentation market for food and beverage will grow from just about two billion in 2024 to 70 billion globally by 2034. That’s a staggering combined annual growth rate of nearly 40%. Liberation Labs is pioneering a new approach to precision fermentation at scale that borrows a page from the pharmaceutic…

1
364. Croft’s Scott Prince on the ag labor market, H-2A's administrative hurdles + innovating a streamlined solution for the farmer 19:29

4M ago19:29

19:29

The U.S. Economic Policy Institute estimates there are 2.4 million ag jobs in the United States and Purdue University believes that 40% of ag jobs – new jobs – go unfilled. One entrepreneur is turning to the power of digital to transform ag labor. Scott Prince, CEO of Croft, gives us perspective on the current labor market and what he’s solving for…

1
363. Oaken’s Shashi Raghunandan talks the landowner + farmer relationship, agtech that saves time + money 21:19

4M ago21:19

21:19

The American Farm Bureau estimates that roughly 40% of US farmland is either rented of leased. It’s a reality that creates a labyrinth of contracts and agreements between farmers and landowners that the two have to navigate together. One entrepreneur is turning to the power of software to transform that challenge into an opportunity that makes that…

1
362. Mitch Frazier recaps April, talks Midwest resilience + looks ahead to Quadrant + Velocity's first Demo Day 17:53

4M ago17:53

17:53

At the end of April, AgriNovus CEO Mitch Frazier jumps on the podcast with Cayla Chiddister to recap the month gone by and events coming up, including: Recent travels and discussions around how the Midwest can add additional value to its commodities, an existing strength and something we've done time and again. Mitch recently spoke with AgFunder Ne…

1
361. IBOAH’s Dr. Kelli Werling on animal disease pressure, biosecurity risks + farmers innovating to combat the spread 24:24

4M ago24:24

24:24

The USDA calls biosecurity the cornerstone of animal livestock production and it’s one that’s taken center stage of late as farmers have battled disease. Dr. Kelli Werling, Director of Animal Health Programs at the Indiana Board of Animal Health, joins to talk biosecurity, how farmers are protecting the farm and how the spread of disease among anim…

1
360. BONUS: The FBI’s Herb Stapleton on the complexity of threats affecting agbioscience + calls to action for defense 11:51

4M ago11:51

11:51

Agbioscience was on-site at the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Ag Threats and Security Summit in March and had a chance to sit down with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Special Agent in Charge Herb Stapleton to talk all things biosecurity. We get into: The complex labyrinth of threats and risks affecting agriculture in the Midwest and across the…

1
359. Dr. Mahsa Vazin on PawCo Foods leveraging AI to optimize pet nutrition + disruption in pet health innovation 14:55

4M ago14:55

14:55

Pet ownership in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past three decades according to Forbes – showing 66% of households own a pet. That’s almost 87 million houses, up 58% from 1988. Staggering growth drives dramatic need for innovation in pet health...and pet food. Dr. Mahsa Vazin, CEO and founder of PawCo Foods, joins us fresh off a ventu…

1
358. Keystone Cooperative’s Phil Brewer on farmer-led innovation + the evolution of service provider to on-farm business partner 24:29

5M ago24:29

24:29

With 2.4 million U.S. agriculture jobs to fill each year and an unemployment rate that still remains below 5%, leaders in agbioscience and farmers are facing a challenge. Like the rest of the economy, they’re in a battle for talent. One unique ally in agriculture is the cooperative system, a collective buying group and service provider network that…

1
357. Conner Prairie’s Ronda Hamm on becoming The Smithsonian of the Midwest focused on food and agriculture 18:23

5M ago18:23

18:23

The power of experience is undeniable. The context it creates, the insight that it develops is far more than could be accomplished than by simply reading. Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers, I think, said it best. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll learn.” Dr. Ronda Hamm, Director of Food, Fa…

1
356. Mitch Frazier recaps March from Indiana Farm Bureau’s Ag Threats + Security Summit 14:54

5M ago14:54

14:54

Agbioscience comes to you from the first ever Indiana Farm Bureau Indiana Ag Threats and Security Summit hosted in partnership with Beck’s Hybrids, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. We had the opportunity to speak with Megan Ritter (Indiana Farm Bureau), Herb Stapleton (FBI) and Aaron Pierce (Pierce Aerospace) o…

1
355. Claudia Nari on Inari’s unique advantage + gene editing as a new paradigm in agbioscience 18:06

5M ago18:06

18:06

Gene editing in plants – it's been heralded as the next step-function change in the advancement of agriculture. One Indiana company is advancing the technology fresh off a $144 million venture capital raise. Claudia Nari, Chief Product Officer of Inari, joins today to talk through this historic time for gene editing and biotechnology at large. They…

1
354. TerraForce’s Mike Jacob on farmer-led innovation, solving for the labor gap + jobs to be done 16:46

5M ago16:46

16:46

The Economic Policy Institute estimates there are 2.4 million employees in U.S. agriculture and Purdue finds that 40% of new ag jobs go unfilled. One entrepreneur is turning to computer vision, artificial intelligence and robotics – maybe a little autonomy – to try to address these challenges facing farmers. Mike Jacob, founder and CEO of TerraForc…

1
353. BONUS: Corteva’s Brook Cunningham and Kearney’s Rob Dongoski from World AgriTech in San Francisco 24:08

6M ago24:08

24:08

Stage content at events like World AgriTech is always of highest quality but there are conversations happening behind the scenes that give a sense of what’s happening in the industry. Brook Cunningham, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Corteva Agriscience, and Rob Dongoski, Food and Agribusiness Leader at Kearney, joined us for a …

1
352. Beck’s Hybrids’ Brad Fruth on agbiosciences’ go-to market differentiation + the criticality of customer trust 26:45

6M ago26:45

26:45

Identifying customer needs – jobs to be done – it's the core of innovation. But what are the jobs that need to be done? What are those things left undone as we head into the 2025 growing season? And what does the current economy, trade environment and overall farm sentiment mean for innovators and the farmers they serve? Brad Fruth, Director of Inn…

1
351. Akston Biosciences’ Todd Zion on animal health innovation, companion animals + collaborating with Purdue 19:12

6M ago19:12

19:12

Research estimates the global animal health market to be roughly $8 billion, a number analyst firm Grand View Research expects to grow at a 10% compounded annual growth rate through 2030. Much of that growth will be driven by biotechnology. Dr. Todd Zion, CEO and founder of Akston Biosciences, joins this week to help understand what is happening in…

1
350. Elevate Ventures’ Matt Tyner on the cost of innovation + the role of the investor in this next era of venture capital 28:57

6M ago28:57

28:57

Pitchbook reports that of venture capital deals in 2024, roughly 30% of them were down rounds or flat, meaning their valuation of the companies either went backwards or were the same round to round. It’s a trend that will continue, so how can entrepreneurs break the cycle? Matt Tyner, managing partner of America’s most active venture capital firm –…

1
349. Mitch Frazier recaps February, 2025 trends + investment news from Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce 21:37

6M ago21:37

21:37

Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap February by reviewing his three big trends in agbioscience for 2025, big investment news for Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce and look ahead to big events in March - including Quadrant on March 12. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ Learn more about the Indiana A…

1
348. Ag Alumni Seed’s Jay Hulbert on biotechnology’s transformation in agbioscience + the industry's most important job to be done 19:54

6M ago19:54

19:54

Agbioscience is the only economy that touches every person on the planet. Over the past four decades, we’ve seen massive transformation, innovation and acceleration of output in this economy. Today we are joined by a leader who has had a front row seat to it all. Jay Hulbert, CEO of Ag Alumni Seed, joins us ahead of his retirement to talk: Seeing t…

1
347. Farm Credit Mid-America's Natasha Cox on the speed of change + prioritizing smart bets for innovators and farmers alike 26:30

7M ago26:30

26:30

New data from USDA shares that net cash farm income decreased roughly 3.5% from 2023 into 2024 and we’re looking at inflation adjusted numbers. But here’s the piece of the silver lining that may be untold: that number – net cash farm income – is still above average when we look at the last 20 years from USDA data. This week, Natasha Cox, Senior Vic…

1
346. Hoosier Ag Today’s Eric Pfeiffer on market turbulence, trade wars + the need for a Farm Bill to make plans for the future 24:38

7M ago24:38

24:38

The year 2025 is poised to be an interesting one for agbioscience. Venture capital inflows from 2023 to 2024 are roughly flat according to Crop Life, the production cost of corn and soybeans remains roughly in line or slightly below market price and the turbulence around global trade and what tariffs could mean leave an uncertain operating market f…

1
345. Stumbling into agbioscience, forging your path in college + what young talent wants with Field Atlas’ Cameron Weber 16:12

7M ago16:12

16:12

Making a difference in the world – it’s nearly a universal desire for all of us. But where do you fit in? And how best to you make an impact? One college student is making that impact and blazing their trail. Cameron Weber, a biology major at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Field Atlas Ambassador, joins us today to talk their path to agbi…

1
344. AgriNovus' Mitch Frazier recaps January, big wins for Gripp + Croft, Velocity's launch + reasons for optimism in 2025 11:36

7M ago11:36

11:36

As the first month of 2025 comes to a close, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap a few of the biggest stories in agbioscience, reasons for optimism on net cash farm income and tease a few upcoming episodes of Agbioscience.By AgriNovus Indiana

1
343. AgriNovus’ Dan Dawes on Indiana’s unfair advantage, biggest lessons in leadership + reflections on agbioscience innovation 17:19

7M ago17:19

17:19

Much has changed in agbioscience over the last three decades. We’ve seen the introduction of gene editing technologies, new digital capabilities, even autonomy. One leader has had a front-row seat to these innovations. He’ll soon retire, but joins us today to share perspective on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. Dan Dawes, Senior Director o…

1
342. The Pantheon’s Nichole Like on growing a rural economy, creating an agtech hub in Vincennes + leaving things better than you found them 26:56

7M ago26:56

26:56

Keeping the heart of the heartland requires two key things when we think about growing small towns, cities and rural economies: big vision and lots of hard work. Today’s guest is no stranger to either and shares a great perspective on how one small community in the Midwest is reimagining itself into an epicenter of innovation. Nichole Like, CEO of …

1
341. Corteva’s Wendy Srnic on gene editing, the Pairwise partnership and artificial intelligence adding speed to biotechnology 20:41

8M ago20:41

20:41

According to AgFunder News, gene editing startups have raised $2.7 billion since 2012 in pursuit of technologies that advance everything from crop performance to yield. Today we are joined by a pioneer in science at the largest pure play agriculture company in the world. Dr. Wendy Srnic, VP of Biotechnology at Corteva Agriscience, to talk gene edit…

1
340. BioBond’s Marc McConnaughey on bioproducts, university partnerships and Indiana as a perfect storm of location, logistics + people 22:45

8M ago22:45

22:45

According to Zion Market Research, the ag biological products market is expected to grow to $320 billion over the next decade. With a huge connection to agbioscience, what does it mean for farmers? What does it mean for agbioscience innovators? Kicking off season 8 of Agbioscience is BioBond CEO Marc McConnaughey. We get into: What exactly is the b…

1
339. Mitch Frazier recaps 2024 + looks ahead to three big forces of change in agbioscience 30:26

8M ago30:26

30:26

It’s the end of 2024 and it was a giant year across food, animal health, plant science, agtech and agriculture. This week, we recap big stories of the year based on Accelerate 2050 – AgriNovus’ study that showed that Indiana’s agbioscience economy grew by $6 billion in 36 months. The study also launched three forces of change and opportunities for …

1
338. AGCO Ventures’ Alex Russomagno on agtech + a new wave of innovation for farmers 21:12

8M ago21:12

21:12

It’s been a tough couple of years in agriculture. Net cash farm income is expected to decrease nearly $6 billion in 2024; that follows a decrease in 2023 of nearly $58 billion. It’s a tough sled for many farmers and there’s companies who are working to bring innovation to farmers to overcome the headwinds that exist. Alex Russomagno, Senior Manager…

1
337. Purdue University President Mung Chiang on the AI revolution + demand-driven education driving impact 22:29

9M ago22:29

22:29

Global market intelligence firm, IDC, estimates that artificial intelligence (AI) will contribute nearly $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030 and represent nearly 4% of global GDP. Today we are joined by an AI pioneer, tech diplomat and leader of Purdue University, President Mung Chiang. We discuss: His journey as a three-time entrepreneur tu…

1
336. Doing something with your data + the ag equipment market with Gripp’s Tracey Wiedmeyer 18:19

9M ago18:19

18:19

Tough commodity markets and a challenging ag economy is putting pressure on all elements of the agbiosciences. One of those is equipment. New data from the Equipment Manufacturers Association shows that tractor sales in the U.S. were down nearly 20% in the most recent month reporting. That's year over year. One entrepreneur is bringing to market a …

1
335. Make Hay’s Scott Nelson on the power of storytelling + closing the gaps between farms, food and people 21:29

9M ago21:29

21:29

Food is the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet. We are all connected to food, and one of the world's top marketers turned entrepreneur is now making the connection between farms, food, and people. Scott Nelson, CEO of Make Hay, joins us to talk all things consumers and connecting to the meaningful world of agriculture…

1
334. Mitch Frazier recaps November, the election's impact on agbioscience innovation + big investment announcement from Bain Capital 11:51

9M ago11:51

11:51

It's almost Thanksgiving! Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister sit down to recap November and get into: - The election's impact on farmers and agbioscience innovation. - Creating certainty for farmers in this new environment to plan for their operations. - Bain Capital investment into a merger of Biodyne USA, BW Fusion and Agronomy 365. - Entrepreneu…