Electrifying the Farm with David Meyers of GridTractor

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have been making waves across the global economy, but it’s not always clear how these language creating tools can make a difference in industries like agriculture. While companies everywhere are scrambling to develop their own proprietary AI tools before they even know what they’ll use them for, many in ag are left wondering– should I be using ChatGPT too? Today we’ve asked Marc Arnusch, President of Arnusch Farms, to share his experiences using ChatGPT in farming, negotiation, and more. He’s had the opportunity to use the tool for tasks big and small, and has witnessed some exciting outcomes, and some that leave him worried. For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

6 Sep 202341min

Innovation in the protein space has most recently seen a lot of hype around “alternative” proteins, from high tech microbe engineering to proprietary science that makes plants into something magically similar to juicy burgers or satisfying nuggets. But innovation in protein is a much deeper field. And when it comes to actually getting products to customers, protein innovations are just as likely to happen on the production floor as the lab bench. Today, we’re talking about how protein companies are thinking about innovation. We talk to Ashli Blumenfeld and Ben Rosenthal, Co-Presidents at Standard Meat Company, a family owned meat company founded in the 1930’s. Ashli and Ben chat about how they’re future-proofing their business, from how they make decisions about products and partnerships, to how they invest in innovations that might come to define the protein space. For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

16 Aug 202337min

A few months ago, Matthew got the chance to represent Tenacious on a panel at the Evoke Ag Conference in Adelaide, Australia. The conversation was called “Going Global, Who's investing in Agribusiness,” and featured a group of investors who tackled some of the most pivotal questions facing the agtech investment space today; from tackling sustainability and ESG and managing through a generative AI revolution to getting to the next billion dollar exit. For more information and resources, visit our website.The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

2 Aug 202337min

In recent years, the vertical farming startup space has been characterized by ecstatic highs and disappointing lows. More than a billion dollars worth of funding has flowed into a relatively small number of investments, but despite this resourcing and years of runway, we’ve started to see frequent, high profile collapses. So, is there a value proposition with vertical farming? Or was it all hype, and time is running out? Today, we’re joined by Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin, Founder at Phyllome (a Tenacious Ventures portfolio company), to help us tackle these tricky questions.  For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

19 Juli 202336min

When we think about the effects of climate change on the ag sector, we tend to focus on the impacts to the farm– particularly those events will have an impact on farmer livelihoods. The reality is, unpredictable weather during the growing season is only one part of the challenge. Generalized climatic uncertainty from season to season is proving to be just as crippling, and not just for farm operators, but for the whole value chain.Ag retailers, and other upstream ag businesses, are seeing their own climate-related disruptions, which often means that as farmers are working on contingency plans to adjust to unpredictable conditions, the companies they rely on are doing the same. And sometimes, these dueling alternative plans don't align.To dig into these challenges, we're returning this week to the ag retail space with another perspective, from another continent. Today we're joined by Rob Dawes of Rob Dawes Consulting, who’s career has given him unique insight to both the farmer and the retailer perspective.For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

21 Juni 202335min

In the ag business sector, the retail channel is sacred. Ag retailers are home to the people who actually shake hands with farmers, know their kids by name, and drive by their fields regularly. So if you’re someone looking to sell a product or service to a producer, it can be almost impossible to go around these heavily-influential, and often highly localized, organizations. And yet, the ag retail world is changing. Shifts in the way producers learn about, try, and buy the things they need to run their businesses is putting pressure even on ag retail– relationships or no.This week, we're diving deep into how ag retail is changing, and what it might look like in the future. You’ll hear from Shane Thomas, Author of Upstream Ag Insights.For more information and resources, visit our website.The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

7 Juni 202342min

For the final installment in our three-part food waste series, we’re climbing all the way up to the top of the supply chain to gain a deeper understanding of on-farm food loss and waste. The challenges that farmers face getting food to the farm gate have ramifications that are felt all throughout the food system, so by understanding this vital link in the chain, we’ll gain insight into how we might begin to shift the way we understand waste overall. Today, you’ll hear from Sarah Hulick, food waste expert and a Horticulture Faculty Member at Cabrillo College, and then we turn to Olympia Yarger, CEO of  Goterra (a Tenacious Ventures portfolio company), for some closing remarks on what shifting the food waste narrative will truly require.For more information and resources, visit our website.

24 Maj 202339min