The Truth About Ag

After an introduction featuring Ryan Denis from the What the Futures podcast, John Deere’s inaugural CTO, Jahmy Hindman, joins Evan and Kristjan for a conversation. They cut through the noise around AI and ag tech and get into what’s actually changing on the farm. From his roots in Iowa to leading technology at Deere, Jahmy brings a practical lens to how data, machines, and decision-making are starting to come together.

A big part of the conversation comes back to the gap between how much data farms have and how little of it turns into something useful. What does “good” actually look like? How should farms compare performance? And where does Deere fit as equipment shifts from standalone machines to systems that have to work together?

They also spend time on the tension farms that they are feeling right now. Technology is moving fast, equipment is becoming more complex, and the way it’s paid for is changing. Nothing about that is simple. This episode lays out where things are headed, where they’re not, and what that means for how farms operate going forward.

After an introduction featuring Maverick Ag CTO Taylor Phillips, Devin Lammers joins Evan and Kristjan to talk about where AI in agriculture is actually creating value and where it still falls short. From a bison ranch in South Dakota to MIT, FBN, and now TerraClear, Devin brings both a tech and farm lens to the conversation, grounded in what works in the field.

The discussion starts with TerraClear’s work on HGV’s farm, mapping over 60,000 rocks and improving efficiency during one of the least liked jobs on the farm. Beyond rocks, the bigger opportunity: using high-resolution data and AI to understand what’s happening in the field in real time and make better decisions, faster.

This episode is really about turning data into action. From clean data and simple systems to ROI and real-world execution, the conversation highlights what needs to happen for agtech to move from ideas to something producers actually use.

Kristjan and Evan are joined by the renowned Arlene Dickinson, who shares how her early experiences with food insecurity shaped her thinking about food, business, and opportunity. From growing up without reliable access to groceries to building one of Canada’s leading marketing firms, her path into agriculture was not linear, but it was intentional. Through her work in venture capital, she began to question why a country with such strong agricultural production was not creating more value from what it grows. That realization led her to invest directly in the agri-food and consumer packaged goods space, where she now has a front row seat to both the opportunities and the gaps in Canada’s system.

Arlene challenges the idea that agriculture ends at the commodity level, pointing to the missed opportunity in processing, branding, and commercialization. She speaks to the need for better access to capital, stronger partnerships, and a willingness to think differently about how agricultural products move from field to shelf. At the same time, she highlights the importance of understanding markets, building products people actually want, and recognizing what skills are needed beyond primary production.

This episode of The Truth About Ag has Evan and Kristjan in conversation with Mike Frank, CEO of UPL. What follows is a wide-ranging conversation that starts on a mixed farm near South Saskatchewan and ends in boardrooms and fields across 140 countries. Mike breaks down how the crop protection business has shifted from mostly on-patent products to a world dominated by off-patent actives, and why the next decade of innovation might be less about brand-new molecules and more about formulation, mixtures, and better fit-for-purpose tools.

What’s actually happening with biologicals (and the difference between yield promise and real-world ROI), how resistance management is driving adoption in places like Brazil, and why regulatory speed matters when you’re trying to commercialize anything new are all questions they dig into. They connect dots between ag, health, defence, and AI, and why Canada has a real window right now to attract talent, build commercialization capacity, and expand export opportunities.

After catching up with Kristjan and Evan on their recent travels and conversations, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture, David Marit, joins them on this episode of The Truth About Ag. David reflects on his path from farming near Fife Lake to municipal politics, leadership within the rural municipalities association, and ultimately cabinet. He speaks candidly about mentorship, the importance of surrounding yourself with strong people, and the responsibility that comes with representing agriculture at the federal-provincial table.

The conversation quickly shifts to what is pressing on producers right now. Cost of production, return on investment, and the impact of trade disruptions sit at the centre. They discuss value-added processing and why expanding crush and processing capacity inside Saskatchewan changes the math for farmers. The discussion expands into research capacity, infrastructure gaps, and how Canada scales agricultural companies beyond small and mid-sized operations. There is also a clear focus on telling a better story about production practices, emissions performance, and the competitive advantage Western Canada already holds.

Bank lending structures, grain storage capacity, business risk programs, crop insurance design, and how large farms fit within existing rules all come under the microscope. David shares his concerns about regulatory bottlenecks at the federal level and their impact on innovation and livestock movement.