Tag: drones

#25 Scott Jackman (US Army) – Deveron

Vets In Ag Podcast
#25 Scott Jackman (US Army) - Deveron
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I spent 23 years [as an Army aviator] doing remote sensing where my role was to figure out how to convey information in the best way possible for the decision maker.

Scott Jackman is a US Army veteran and President for the US Division of Deveron, a Toronto-based agtech company using proprietary algorithms, third-party data collection platforms, and teams of agronomists and data scientists to help growers understand and monetize their field variability. We had one of their US sales reps on the show a few weeks ago, Andrew Patrick, another military veteran.

Scott had a unique opportunity with the National Guard at the beginning of his career to experience real-world military service through supporting relief efforts around the ‘93 flood of the Mississippi River. This isn’t something many service members get to do before their formal career begins and it really solidified for Scott a true calling towards service. This then become the next 23 years of his life.

The perspectives he gained over the course of that career as an Army helicopter pilot, his entrepreneurial endeavors following military service, which ultimately led to his current role at Deveron, equipped him with a unique set of skills and appreciation for servant leadership.

Have a listen to find out how all these pieces fit together and to get a better idea of the services offered by Deveron and their goal of turning the physical world into digits.

#22 Andrew Patrick (USMC) – Deveron

Vets In Ag Podcast
#22 Andrew Patrick (USMC) - Deveron
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I wouldn’t say it’s a distrust, but rather potential customers not understanding who we are and what we do

Our guest this week is Andrew Patrick, Marine Corps veteran and Sales Development Representative at Deveron, a Toronto-based agtech company using proprietary algorithms, third-party data collection platforms, and teams of agronomists and data scientists to provide insights to growers and ag enterprises.

Throughout this interview, you’ll hear Andrew describe the intention with which he made some early decisions in his life – from joining the Marine Corps, to forgoing deployments to continue to pursue his education, to finding a passion early in agriculture through FFA. The thought with which he made some of these difficult decisions early in life has to have some relation to his time in the Marine Corps.

His understanding of the current challenges agtech companies face around trust and education within the farmer community is an important one to recognize and appreciate for client-facing representative like Andrew. While he is new to his career in ag, I hope the freshness of his transition from military service and the decisions he’s made around his chosen career path can be an inspiration to other vets who might currently find themselves in the same place.

Episode 3: John “Glad” Castellaw (USMC)

Vets In Ag Podcast
Episode 3: John "Glad" Castellaw (USMC)
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From driving mules to mechanization, from stuffing fresh-picked cotton in his shirt to keep him warm at night to enclosed, climate-controlled tractor cabins, it was impressive to see how far agriculture had come over the years through John’s stories.

My guest for this episode was John Castellaw – Co-Founder and CEO for Farm Space Systems and retired Marine Corps 3-Star General. For 36 years, John led Marines around the world from a unit of 40 young men and women to a Marine Aircraft Wing of over 7,000. He flew over two dozen different aircraft during his tenure, served on the UN staff during the Siege of Sarajevo, executed humanitarian operations in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and commanded the American forces in stability and security operations in East Timor. John also served as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Central Command during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even more impressive than reliving the evolution of agtech through the stories of a single man was to see John’s realization that we can’t keep beating the dirt into submission. He fundamentally understands that we need to adopt more regenerative and sustainable practices, a sentiment not always shared by multi-generational farmers.

John takes me through his upbringing on the same cotton farm in W. Tenn where we reside now and how these experiences drove him into service and ultimately led him back to the farm after nearly 40 years. This interview is filled with words of wisdom about life and business tied up in stories such as ag as a component of national security, the importance of servant leadership, and the military’s advances in technology which are being more widely adopted within ag.

My favorite story involved a well drilling unit and a veterinarian in East Africa.

Have a listen to find out how it ends!