By Stephanie Metzinger
“The story here from a startup perspective is that it’s not about ag or robotics. It’s about getting our MVP (most valuable product) out to customers as early as possible so you can really define where that product needs to go,” said Bear Flag Robotics CEO and Co-Founder Igino Cafiero in a recent episode of the newly-revamped Voices of the Valley podcast.
Voices of the Valley, which is hosted by Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT), returns for its fifth season with a whole new look and direction.
GreenVenus Vice President of Business Development Candace Wilson now joins WGCIT Director Dennis Donohue as a co-host, and each week they are interviewing leading entrepreneurs, innovative farmers and industry analysts to pull back the curtain on all things agriculture and technology. But these aren’t just blue-sky discussions of a hypothetical techno-future—the duo and their guests will cover current innovations being implemented on the farm, the practical application of these inventions, and how to take this information to improve a farm’s bottom line.
This rebranding to a more targeted focus of exploring the real-world impact of innovation is evident in the season’s premiere episode: Rise of the City Bee: Building Urban Bee Farms with Detroit Hives’ Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey.
“When we started, I think we were just really passionate about our mission, and I think that it shows,” Paule said. “Our story is a unique one. I think people want to hear the story of how we’re using bees to revitalize the city of Detroit.”
New episodes air every Tuesday. Upcoming guests include Josette Lewis of the Almond Board of California; Charles Anderson of Burro; Dominic Rossini of Netafim; Aidan Mouat of Hazel Technologies; Bruce Rasa of AgVoice; and Tonya Antle of Organic Grower Summit.
To be on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest technologies in agriculture, listen and subscribe to Voices of the Valley. The show is available on all major podcast directories—including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Radio Public—by searching for Voices of the Valley or visit www.anchor.fm/voicesofthevalley.
