Opening Thoughts:
So more or less Kip has been a big influence of many in the tech space in Ag and even the broader parts of Ag too. Just look him up really to know more. From his consultant side to being on multiple boards or being in many leadership positions this guy has dealt with it all.
I didn’t put a specific title to him as I don’t know really what to put beyond something like, “Juggernaut spelunker of Agriculture.” What is weird I guess is at some point we actually never worked on something directly together considering many close ties. Also, I’m not that big of deal either so I know for sure there was more important people for him to deal with directly anyway.
All in all, I really enjoyed this conversation with Kip and I think you will too. We really should’ve recorded the first 30 minutes too of just catching up. This is actually becoming a trend with the people I bring on here.
Either way, check it out and hopefully you’ll take some good and interesting things from this all. I know I did!
Here is a Summary:
In this conversation, Nathan Faleide interviews Kip Pendleton about the adoption and challenges of biologicals in agriculture. Kip shares his journey in the industry, from working in the seed industry to focusing on information and data collection through precision equipment. He believes that biologicals will be the next wave in agriculture, providing sustainable solutions for feeding the world. However, there are challenges in verifying the effectiveness of biologicals and managing expectations. Kip emphasizes the importance of harnessing and utilizing agricultural data to make better decisions and drive technological adoption. He also discusses the global competition in technological adoption, with countries like Brazil leading the way. This conversation explores various themes in US agriculture, including the impact of Brazil on the market, the utilization of technology, the fear of data privacy, the importance of collaboration, the need for change and adaptation, the potential of data, the value of sharing and learning from failures, the importance of interconnected systems, the changing business models, the potential impact of technology companies, the role of robotics, the need for collective action and data stewardship, the need for change in politics, the potential for positive change, the lessons from COVID-19, and key principles for success.
Takeaways
Biologicals are the next wave in agriculture and offer sustainable solutions for feeding the world.
Verifying the effectiveness of biologicals and managing expectations are key challenges in their adoption.
Harnessing and utilizing agricultural data is crucial for making better decisions and driving technological adoption.
Global competition in technological adoption, with countries like Brazil leading the way, is increasing. Brazil has had a significant impact on the US agriculture market, changing dynamics and affecting prices.
The utilization of technology is crucial for US agriculture to stay competitive and maintain its position as a global leader.
There is a fear of data privacy in US agriculture, but the potential benefits of sharing and utilizing data outweigh the risks.
Collaboration and working together are essential for the success of the agriculture industry.
Adaptation and change are necessary in agriculture to keep up with evolving systems and consumer needs.
Data has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and drive advancements in various areas, including seed success, robotics, and value creation.
Sharing and learning from failures is important for progress and improvement in agriculture.
Interconnected systems and collaboration between different stakeholders in agriculture can lead to greater success.
The business models in agriculture are changing, and companies need to adapt to stay relevant.
Technology companies, such as Amazon and Google, are entering the agriculture market and understanding the food chain better than traditional players.
Robotics can play a significant role in agriculture, particularly in areas with vast acres and a shortage of labor.
Collective action and data stewardship are crucial for the future of agriculture.
There is a need for change in politics to support and advance the agriculture industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that rapid change and collaboration are possible and necessary in agriculture.
Key principles for success in agriculture include working with others, utilizing data effectively, and knowing the value and purpose of one's work.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:15 Kip Pendleton's Journey in Agriculture
06:20 The Rise of Biologicals in Agriculture
07:46 Challenges and Verification of Biologicals
10:13 Managing Expectations for Biologicals
13:37 Adoption Issues and the Role of Startups
16:01 The Role of Ag Retailers in Adoption
21:13 Technology and Scaling in Agriculture
24:03 Knowledge Transfer and Progression in Agriculture
25:41 Harnessing and Utilizing Agricultural Data
27:10 The Trigger for Technological Adoption
28:10 Global Competition in Technological Adoption
28:37 Impact of Brazil on the US agriculture market
29:35 Utilizing technology in US agriculture
31:02 The fear of data privacy in US agriculture
32:31 The importance of collaboration in agriculture
34:04 The unique cooperative system in North Dakota
34:32 The historical context of agricultural systems
36:26 The need for change and adaptation in agriculture
37:24 The potential of data in agriculture
38:21 The importance of sharing and learning from failures
39:18 The value of comparing and sharing data in agriculture
40:15 The need for interconnected systems in agriculture
41:12 The changing business models in agriculture
43:09 The potential impact of technology companies in agriculture
44:34 The importance of collaboration and working together in agriculture
46:21 The role of robotics in agriculture
48:46 The need for collective action and data stewardship in agriculture
51:34 The need for change in politics and agriculture
52:03 The potential for positive change in agriculture
53:18 The lessons from COVID-19 for agriculture
55:17 Key principles for success in agriculture
Watch and Listen:
Here are the links below to listen and view the podcast and/or scroll down to read the summary and watch it here!
www.AgUnsenored.com - All podcast links here to subscribe to.
Ag Uncensored YouTube channel - A link to this specific episode and my page
Podbean - https://aguncensored.podbean.com/e/kippendleton/
Apple - (The link is suppose to embed, if not just go to the website to the link)
Closing Thoughts:
There are a few things I really took from this conversation with Kip. The first one was just the wild west side of biologicals and how it’s likely very similar to all the seed companies from the 60s through 70s. A lot of consolidation to say the least.
Beyond that was just the follow-up emails with some great suggestions of books from things my kids could read and understand to life lessons. Here are some links and statements he sent over.
Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-Kept Thinking, Learning & Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers
https://a.co/d/27y4PZj
Here is another with some links to another Newsletter I’m sure many of you are part of.
From Kip, “One of the books I recommend to Leaders is Atomic Habits. This is a free newsletter from the author.”
3-2-1: On hard conversations, how to ruin a good strategy, and asking for what you want
read on JAMESCLEAR.COM | MARCH 14, 2024
Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!
Here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...
3 Ideas From Me
I.
"The beginner chases the right answers.
The master chases the right questions."
II.
"Flexibility alone is not a great strategy, but the lack of it can ruin one."
III.
"How to clarify a concept you can't articulate:
1. Change mediums. Draw it. Photograph it. Sing it.
2. Change levels. Explain what is one level up (bigger picture) or one level down (finer details).
3. Change fields. What would this concept look like in different fields?"2 Quotes From Others
I.
Novelist and writer Francine Prose on hard conversations:
"Sometimes being in a car, looking at the road, not having to make eye contact, is the ideal setting for heavy conversation."
Source: A Changed Man (hat tip to Ben Casnocha)
II.
Author and entrepreneur Eliot Peper on taking risks:
"If you know something's going to work, it's not worth working on. It requires no courage. It requires no faith. It requires no skin in the game. Whether you're a spy or a teacher or a spouse or a painter or an abuela or an astronaut or a monk or a barista or a board-game designer, the bits that matter are the bits you make matter by putting yourself on the line for them. The unknown is the foundry where you forge your chips. Everything important is uncertain. Sitting with the discomfort of that uncertainty is the hard part, the wedge that can move the world."
Source: Foundry
1 Question For You
What is something you want, but you haven't asked for?
Want to share this issue of 3-2-1 via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link:
All around some cool and nice things to share from a colleague. I’ll say Atomic Habits is a constant I hear about and I’ll be honest I’ve not read it yet for reasons that probably are weak at best (I’m an article guy and when young farm brochures…)
Regardless if you’ve even kept reading to this point I’ll just say this about Kip, he’s a master class guy and one that you should connect to if you can. You’ll learn something and I’ve just touched the surface.
What is the Newest Podcast Coming:
Well still working on that, but lets just say after World Agritech last week there is no shortage of ones coming. Just need to balance schedules and times with everyone.
Also, big thanks to all the high fives, handshakes, and shout outs from the ones that watch, listen, read, and mainly really enjoy my dumb and funny memes that I met last week and some of the first time in person. It’s greatly appreciated.
Remember to subscribe, like, share, and check out more at www.AgUncensored.com or through Youtube, Linkedln, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the handle @AgUncensored.