Tag: ag

#28 Kurt Krumm (ARNG) – John Deere

Vets In Ag Podcast
#28 Kurt Krumm (ARNG) - John Deere
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We had to do a lot of things at the lower level, if we wanted to be fast and make a bigger impact

Kurt Krumm is an active-duty Army National Guardsman and the Aftermarket Product Manager for Precision Ag at John Deere.

Kurt’s early life led to a career like many others within ag and the military. He grew up on a farm, surrounded by heavy equipment and veteran family members, instilling in him this need to serve. In this episode, Kurt shares how his experiences as a Battalion Logistics Officer offer him a unique perspective on precision ag adoption and logistics management at John Deere. His time in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2016 to 2017 also instilled in him a sense of what can be accomplished at the lowest levels of leadership, if you empower and trust them.  It’s such a timely perspective given what’s happening there today.

Kurt also shares his perspective on just how far precision ag has come in the last 20 years since he joined the industry, Deere’s acquisition of Bear Flag Robotics, and stepping stones necessary as we move to fully autonomous and AI-enabled equipment operation.

#23 Richard Brion (USN) – Revolution Agriculture

Vets In Ag Podcast
#23 Richard Brion (USN) - Revolution Agriculture
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The core of my ethos became the need to have a constitution to take anything as far as necessary

Our guest this week is Richard Brion, US Navy veteran and CEO for Revolution Agriculture – an ag start-up seeking to reduce the logistics chain of fresh crops through shipping container-sized installations directly on land owners’ farms. Their unique business model aims to capitalize on the growing and decentralized population of small holder farmers and delivery services without adding cost, time, or labor requirements to the land owner.

The ethos Richard developed from his time in the service and defense contracting were originally shaped by some of his military leaders. This ability of these senior leaders to take trying circumstances and use them as opportunities to educate is a unique skill they develop over the years. It certainly stuck with Richard and has become a driving factor in the creation of Revolution Agriculture.

At the very least, you’ll enjoy these wild stories Richard shares from his overseas experiences. As the head of Revolution Agriculture, the technology they’re creating around the re-introduction of soil and pollinators into controlled environments is fascinating and something we’ll for sure continue to follow.

#19 Jed Dunham – Kansas State U.

Vets In Ag Podcast
#19 Jed Dunham - Kansas State U.
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It’s impossible to hide poor work on a farm

Our guest this week is Jed Dunham, a consultant with Kansas State’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. After graduating from Kansas State in 1996, Jed spent the next several years working in a variety of industries; from building playgrounds across the Midwest, heavy construction in Montana, coaching lacrosse in Virginia, working to bring veterans into agricultural educational opportunities, and riding a bicycle 4,600+ miles across North America. Once back in Kansas, his background as a historical researcher uncovered an incredible set of stories involving WWI soldiers. This work did more than just bring their lives to light again, it showed how their individual stories told the narrative of an important developmental time in American history.

This collection of stories, which Jed has called 48 Fallen 48 Found, led to the formal dedication of a World War I Memorial Stadium on the campus of Kansas State University in 2017. Jed continues to honor the sacrifices of our past through his work with Kansas State’s State Military Affairs Innovation Center.

Have a listen and weight-in how you think these soldier’s stories can best to told.

Episode 7 – Craig Ganssle – FARMWAVE

Vets In Ag Podcast
Episode 7 - Craig Ganssle - FARMWAVE
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“I wanted to be a lifer in the Marines…but I was medically discharged with a heart problem…automatic disqualifier…what the hell am I going to do now given these skillsets?”

This was an emotional episode for me as Craig Ganssle – Co-Founder and CEO for FARMWAVE – and I talked about his time in the Marine Corps coming to an expected end, his search for purpose in the private sector, and how his faith guided him throughout. Along that journey, Google Glass makes it’s first appearance within ag and starts Craig down the creation path for FARMWAVE – an artificial intelligence company using proprietary and curated data sets to train algorithms to provide predictive analysis around key agricultural considerations, including harvest loss, pest/disease pressure, and application coverage.

The way he describes his early interaction with producers and how he approached solving their problems is, I believe, the ideal way agtech companies should begin to identify and solve problems with tech in agriculture.

It’s a story which truly highlights the transferability of skill sets from the military to agriculture and in depth review of the incredible advances we’ve made within artificial intelligence and agriculture.

Episode 5: Bill Ashton (USN)

Vets In Ag Podcast
Episode 5: Bill Ashton (USN)
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My guest today is Bill Ashton, the USDA’s Military and Veterans Agricultural Liaison Program Manager. Bill was born and raised in New York City where he joined the Navy right after high school and spent the next 10 years as an enlisted sailor. Most of his career was spent either onboard or supporting the submarine community.  Following active duty service, Bill continued to service the Navy, this time as a civil servant where he was the Program Manager for the Navy’s Pay and Personnel Program.  After 14 years in this capacity, he then became the Director of Security for Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington DC before joining the USDA in January 2018.  This position was established by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill with Mr. Ashton serving as the first full-time government employee to hold this job.

We covered a lot of ground in this interview, from how skills Bill learned in the submarine community were brought forward into the ag sector to an overview of the impressive amount of veteran and career-focused initiatives at USDA. This episode is filled with stories of how Bill was plucked from different professions to turnaround and lead groups in completely different fields; a skill set he attributes to his time in the service.

Be sure to listen through to the end of the interview where Bill describes his thoughts on hydroponics aboard submarines; it’s really fascinating.

Episode 2: Jason Burley (USMC, USAF, USANG)

Vets In Ag Podcast
Episode 2: Jason Burley (USMC, USAF, USANG)
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Jason Burley is the Vice President and Director of Cargill Food Ingredient Sales for North America. Jason’s background is incredibly unique, one that spans three different branches (US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army National Guard) as well as both the officer and enlisted communities.

In this episode, we dive into Jason’s story and how it’s shaped the approach he’s taken today in driving veteran employment within Cargill. Jason shares a similar sentiment facing many veterans today after they transition; a disconnect from the type of bonds formed in a service and in a profession that serves a greater purpose. Jason explains how he found that purpose in agriculture. We also tackle some of the mistakes vets make when applying their leadership skills in the private sector.

Episode 1: Dr. Alex Thomasson Ph.D (USN)

Episode 1
Vets In Ag Podcast
Episode 1: Dr. Alex Thomasson Ph.D (USN)
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Welcome to the Veterans in Ag podcast, brought to you by AGD Consulting.

My guest for this first episode is Dr. Alex Thomasson – currently serving as the Department Head of Ag and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State. Dr. Thomasson retired from the Navy in 2014 after 22 years of service. He began his career as an Ag Engineer and Research Scientist for the USDA Ag Research Service, specializing in electronics and machines for cotton ginning. Dr. Thomasson then spent the next 15 years at Texas A&M University as a Professor and ultimately the Endowed Chairholder in Cotton Engineering, Ginning and Mechanization. It’s here where I first met Dr. Thomasson as one of my professors during my undergraduate studies in Ag Engineering. He is also an active member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Precision Ag Task Force, Rural Broadband Development Working Group, helping bring connectivity to rural farmers.

In this episode, Dr. Thomasson delivers one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand overviews of what’s happening within agtech that I’ve ever heard. If you’re even remotely interested in what agtech is and what’s happening right now, this episode is a must.

His approach to servant leadership within his department is something he extracted directly from his time in Afghanistan as an engineer and should be an example for us all. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to dig into Dr. Thomasson’s story; you’ll be surprised by what I find. 

Enjoy!