Kaylee Kerr, Author at AgriNovus Indiana

Biologicals – the broad category of ag input products derived from living organisms – have experienced significant growth in terms of adoption and investment. An analysis of Pitchbook data reveals there have been more than 6,000 deals in the global ag biotech market over the past decade. One of those companies driving growth is Biodyne USA. This week, we are joined by their National Director of Agronomy, Bodie Kitchel, to talk Biologicals vs. Biostimulants and what’s driving growth in the space.

For Bodie, everyone’s “why” looks a little different when it comes to the adoption of biologicals and farm economics are certainly a piece of that. He gets into the farmer mindset around adopting innovation to leverage net farm income and Biodyne being an education company to help farmers learn where their dollar has the most value. Bodie also talks about needing economic impact right away but also balancing that belief with the value of economic impact in years two, three, four and five.

With his experience in ag retail, how has Bodie seen innovation evolve? He talks about positioning, investment and companies being afraid of the unknown. Looking ahead, Bodie talks about that fear being outweighed by the urgency around innovating – and Biodyne USA doing it with speed.

Second facility opening in 2027 will support family farmers, create new jobs and is a critical part of brand’s journey to achieve at least $1 billion in annual net revenue by 2027

Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL), a Certified B Corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide, today has announced plans to expand its resilient supply chain with a second world-class egg washing and packing facility located in Seymour, Indiana. The 72-acre future home of Egg Central Station (ECS) Seymour will build upon key successes from the brand’s first facility in Springfield, Missouri. The new facility will enable Vital Farms to continue growing its pasture-raised egg business, create 150+ jobs for the Seymour community in its first phase, and is expected to help generate over $350 million in additional revenue for the brand as we push to our 2027 target of $1 billion in company revenues.

Putting down roots in Seymour for Vital Farms’ second facility allows the brand to continue to expand its strong network of more than 300 family farms to support new farm development within a day’s drive of the new facility. Vital Farms expects this new facility, in its first phase, will support approximately 165 family farmers producing the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales.

“This is an exciting milestone for Vital Farms. We continue to invest in our robust and resilient supply chain to expand our network of family farmers and continue our mission to bring ethical food to the table,” said Russell Diez-Canseco, President and CEO, Vital Farms. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received from the City of Seymour, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation and Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and we look forward to deepening our relationship and building an even stronger connection to Southern Indiana and its surrounding communities in the years ahead.”

“Indiana boasts a rich tradition of agriculture – one that continues to grow and evolve thanks to the vision and commitment of companies like Vital Farms,” said Ann Lathrop, chief strategy officer at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “This investment will not only result in increased economic activity – bolstering a statewide ecosystem that generates $4.6 billion in annual exports – but it will support Hoosier farmers, accelerate rural development and support continued quality of place enhancements in Seymour and the surrounding south central region for years to come.”

ECS Seymour will build upon the foundational key learnings and successes from Vital Farms’ award-winning egg washing and packing facility in Springfield, MO, Egg Central Station, which opened in 2017 and whose expansion achieved LEED® Gold Certification in 2024. The facility will feature similar environmental stewardship goals incorporated into the site plans, in addition to a flow-through design to improve safety and efficiency of the overall operation. Similar to its operation in Springfield, ECS Seymour will utilize industry-leading automation for processing equipment to improve overall production efficiency and quality, and will employ a world-class crew to lead the way in bringing this new facility to life.

ECS Seymour is expected to break ground mid-2025 and be fully operational at the beginning of 2027.

Shipt Continues Efforts to Reduce Food Insecurity and Increase Access to Nutritious Foods

Starting today, retail technology company Shipt announced it will accept SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments on marketplace orders. This upgrade to Shipt’s marketplace will increase access to healthy, affordable foods to almost 74 percent of America’s food deserts, and to over 86 million Americans living in communities where over 1 in 10 households receive SNAP EBT benefits*.

SNAP recipients will have access to a discounted monthly membership offer of $4.99, which is over 50% off a standard Shipt monthly membership. This Shipt membership offer for SNAP EBT recipients does not expire at any time and grants members access to all of Shipt’s exclusive membership benefits such as $0 delivery fee with a $35 order minimum and Shipt’s beloved Preferred Shopper feature. SNAP recipients will be able to use their benefits towards marketplace orders from Meijer and Target.

“Keeping people at the center of everything we do is part of our DNA as a company, and one concrete way Shipt puts this value to work is by helping communities tackle food insecurity,” said Shipt VP of Economic and Social Impact Khadijah Abdullah. “Accepting SNAP EBT payments is another step in Shipt’s efforts to reduce hunger, and we are proud to help more Americans access affordable, nutritious foods in a convenient way– no matter their income, their transportation resources, or where they live.”

By accepting SNAP EBT payments on marketplace orders, Shipt is helping eliminate a key barrier and providing greater access to affordable, nutritious food. The University of Michigan and Shipt have collaborated on several research projects demonstrating the benefits of grocery delivery to individuals with low income or food insecurity:

In one study, researchers found that grocery delivery services improved access to healthy foods for 70 percent of participants. The study assessed the feasibility of a program to deliver healthy foods to pregnant youth with low income.
Another project, funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, – which tested the viability of a program to provide food stipends and delivery services to improve the health of individuals with low income or food insecurity and Type 2 diabetes – underscores the important role delivery services play in connecting underserved populations to nutritious foods. The initial results show that a majority of participants reported that grocery delivery helped them make healthier meals and that they were more aware of their food choices.

“No one organization can solve food insecurity alone – it takes a collection of voices coming together to support and advocate for communities in need,” said Alliance to End Hunger President Eric Mitchell. “We applaud Shipt’s upgrades to accept SNAP EBT payments, and are thrilled to have such a community-minded company join us in our mission to end hunger.”

The SNAP EBT announcement is the latest milestone in Shipt’s initiatives to reduce food insecurity and increase access to nutritious foods, which were previously announced at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Shipt has also provided over 12 million meals for food-insecure individuals through its longtime partnership with Feeding America, and since 2022, has awarded $500,000 through its annual grants program to community organizations and nonprofits focused on addressing food insecurity, economic disparities and workforce development.

Shipt will be working with Worldpay as the payment processor for SNAP EBT payments. SNAP recipients interested in learning more about Shipt can visit shipt.com/snap.

*Based on census tract population data in the Shipt coverage area. Shipt coverage areas can map to multiple census tracts. Shipt defines a ‘food desert’ using the following definition provided by the USDA in the Food Access Research Atlas 2019: “Low-income census tracts where a significant number (at least 500 people) or share (at least 33 percent) of the population is greater than 1 mile from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store for an urban area or greater than 10 miles for a rural area.

The anu™ patented growing technology to be integrated with ekō Solutions’ customized up-cycled shipping containers to maximize crop output on a small footprint.

Land Betterment, a Certified B Corp focused on innovative environmental solutions and anu™, an ag-tech innovator, are thrilled to jointly announce they have entered into a commercialization partnership to build and sell autonomous fresh produce growing systems in ekō Solutions’ customized up-cycled 20-foot shipping containers. ekō Solutions is a Land Betterment portfolio company.

ekō Solutions, with its expertise in modular construction through up-cycling shipping containers into innovative building solutions, is joining forces with anu™ to revolutionize sustainable agriculture. Led by President Peter Rodriguez, ekō Solutions is ramping up the production of Pure Produce® Container Farms. Meanwhile, anu™, under the leadership of co-founders Scott Massey CEO and Ivan Ball CTO, along with VP of Research Dr. Sven Nelson, leverages its advanced Rotary Aeroponics® technology. This system, which simplifies farming and requires no prior experience, is enhanced by nearly $2 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and other state and federal agencies.

The anu™ technology, developed over the past seven years and validated in various residential, educational, and humanitarian settings, features user-friendly and sustainable, compostable seed pods that offer a seamless, “Keurig-like” farming experience. Together, anu™ and ekō Solutions enable the autonomous growth of fresh produce in a controlled environment, using less energy and space, thereby empowering communities and institutions with sustainable agricultural solutions.

“We are very excited to bring this partnership to the marketplace and together, we can enable users to grow fresh produce near or at the point of consumption on a smaller footprint. Potential markets served include, food desserts, local and national grocery chains and educational programs,” said Kirk Taylor, Co-Founder and President of Land Betterment. “Our rigorous R&D revealed that anu™’s vertical aeroponic towers with rotary processes not only increase yields but also enhance power efficiencies. The anu™ near-autonomous operations minimize human involvement. Their comprehensive IP and manufacturing expertise made them the ideal partner,” concluded Kirk.

“Global food insecurity is on the rise and according to the United Nations, approximately 13% of the food produced for humans globally was lost between harvest and retail. Food loss is often a result of fresh crops spoilage that never makes it off the farm. Other issues might arise due to poor-quality crops, inefficient supply chains or harvest disruption which leaves fresh produce to spoil. This doesn’t even consider populations who are unable to consistently access fresh, nutritionally dense food at markets or stores,” said Ivan Ball, anu™ Co-Founder.

Pure Produce® Container Farms

Indoor farming is transforming environmental and societal sustainability with Pure Produce®, which offers superior nutrition, flavor, and food safety far beyond that of organic produce. Farming with anu™’s innovative technology slashes water usage by 90%, completely eliminates the need for pesticides and preservatives, and significantly cuts carbon emissions. By replacing traditional produce supply chains and centralized farming with modular, up-cycled shipping containers, anu™ reduces energy and construction-related scope 3 emissions, emissions that come from activities that an organization indirectly affects in its value chain but does not own or control. Moreover, anu™’s advanced compostable seed pods virtually eliminate potent greenhouse gasses like methane and nitrous oxide by preventing fertilizer runoff and reducing landfill waste.

Following significant funding-a $194,197 NSF TECP grant and a $200,000 Indiana Smart Manufacturing Grant, anu™ is scaling up automated seed pod production. The first Pure Produce® Container has been delivered to anu™ headquarters in Evansville, Indiana, with plans to donate surplus harvests to local food desert relief programs.

Scott Massey, recently named to Forbes 30 under 30 and leader of his team in the victorious AgriNovus 2024 HungerTech Challenge, emphasized the broader impacts of their work: “This venture not only represents a major commercial milestone but also a significant step towards addressing the nutritional deficiencies driving our nation’s $2 trillion healthcare expenditure, which doesn’t even account for lost worker productivity. Our technology enables communities, especially those affected in food deserts, to achieve self-sufficiency in production of locally grown nutrient rich fresh produce. A lack of nutrition is actually the major factor in many common health issues throughout the country. Pure Produce® gives new meaning to the idiom ‘Let healthy food be thy medicine.” He added, “Our partnership with Land Betterment will be instrumental in alleviating this global problem. We are excited to implement our aeroponic technology-aeroponics is a form of hydroponics developed by NASA for growing fresh produce in space that grows food three times faster and uses 90% less water than traditional methods-into Land Betterment’s ekō Solutions customized up-cycled shipping containers.”

Scott Massey and Ivan Ball, Co-Founders of anu™ and Purdue Polytechnic Institute graduates, have developed innovative produce growing technology which allows for nearly autonomous operations, eliminating potential contamination. Not only is there minimal human involvement but there are no risks from weather as all the growing takes place in a controlled environment. With the use of AI, the growing towers can be optimized to maximize increased output. Anu™ innovations address criticisms of high-power consumption leveled against the traditional controlled-environment agriculture industry. It reduces the total number of LEDs needed to illuminate the aeroponic tower expanding outer plant canopy which reduces energy consumption while improving yield.

ekō Solutions has been rapidly expanding its up-cycled shipping container product line and offers a range of sustainable and energy-efficient dwelling solutions, including mobile workstations, bathrooms, dog grooming units, containerized food stands, farms, hunting retreats, and homes. These sustainable and energy-efficient structures combine contemporary design with practicality.

There are over one billion cattle globally, emitting methane through a natural process called enteric fermentation. Reducing emissions have become a top target of innovators across animal health and one company out of New Zealand is tackling the challenge from inside the cow. This week, we are joined by Mark Weldon, chairman of Ruminant BioTech, to talk about their bolus – a slow-release device that sits in the cow’s stomach for up to six months and delivers high levels of methane knockdown (think over 70% across a 90-day window).

How was this bolus developed? Mark talks about the mini pilot that launched Ruminant BioTech and the growing conversation around methane emission suppression. He also gets into factors that are paving the way for innovations like this to emerge and creating value — starting with the rancher and moving all the way through the food system.

What makes Ruminant BioTech different than other aiming to mitigate methane emissions? Mark talks about their differentiation, acquiring funding (good returns for doing good) and their plans to scale outside of New Zealand.

Nichole Like, The Pantheon’s CEO, joined city and state officials and a crowd of 200+ people today for AgroRenew’s Groundbreaking Ceremony marking the start of construction on the world’s first purpose-built melon-to-plastic manufacturing plant. Alongside Pantheon co-workers, Like presented the “Be A First” award to AgroRenew Founders Brian and Katie Southern, who are also members of The Pantheon, where their idea took root and flourished with partner connections and local support in early 2023.

The Pantheon’s “Be A First” award celebrates startups that launch from The Pantheon and invest in the growth of our community. AgroRenew is the award’s inaugural recipient.

“AgroRenew is a perfect example of what’s possible at The Pantheon,” says Like. “We believe in people and their ability to dream up amazing ideas and execute a vision. We knew when Brian and Katie Southern wanted to help solve the crop waste problem plaguing our local ag community, The Pantheon was where they needed to be.”

“The Pantheon deserves 100% of the credit,” says Katie Southern, AgroRenew’s Chief Science Officer. “The many partnerships we’ve formed and collaborations made to ensure prosperous economic growth, we owe to The Pantheon. We’re hopeful that this award will set a precedent to Knox County entrepreneurs that no matter what stage of business you’re in, The Pantheon is the place where dreams come alive.”

The groundbreaking took place today at the future site of AgroRenew at 701 E. Elkhorn Rd. in the Knox Industrial Park. AgroRenew plans to invest $83 million by 2026 to build out the facility in 4 phases. Once all phases are completed, the 196,000 sq. ft. facility will span 20 acres and employ more than 300 people.

In early 2023, Brian K. Southern, a business advisor and successful entrepreneur, was introduced to local farmers and agricultural leaders by Nichole Like, CEO at The Pantheon business incubator and co-working space. From those conversations, he learned about Knox County’s illustrious reputation as one of the nation’s primary watermelon production hubs, and the substantial amounts of organic waste generated annually. AgroRenew’s innovative bioplastics manufacturing plant will harness this local resource, ingeniously transforming watermelon waste into biodegradable and sustainable bioplastics. This pioneering endeavor aligns seamlessly with AgroRenew’s mission to reduce the environmental impact of plastic production and create a circular economy model.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb lead an international economic development trip to Brazil and Mexico in April 2024 to cultivate innovation and growth of the agbioscience and agricultural economy. This marks the Governor’s second international economic development trip of 2024 and his first official visits to both Brazil and Mexico.

Recent News