AgriNovus Indiana

This week Inside INdiana Business Host Gerry Dick sits down for a one-on-one discussion with Gleaners Food Bank CFO/COO Joe Slater.

115. How a food bank can improve health outcomes

Indiana Farm Bureau has outlined its legislative priorities for 2026 and this week. Katie Nelson, the organization’s Executive Director of Public Policy, joins this week to talk about the three buckets of prioritization heading into session, why they’re focused on broad issues and the call to action for agbioscience innovators. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>A legislative recap of 2025 and lingering challenges that persist for the industry&nbsp;</li><li>The broad policy scope that Indiana Farm Bureau has casted heading into 2026 and the “why” behind that&nbsp;</li><li>Investment in agriculture, the challenges farmers are facing and how Katie hopes some measures move forward to enable operational success&nbsp;</li><li>Helping rural communities thrive, the uphill battles being faced – from education to healthcare – and where Indiana Farm Bureau plans to be most active&nbsp;</li><li>Supporting Indiana farmers through helping them to have the resources they need (water, land, etc.)&nbsp;</li><li>How Indiana Farm Bureau is navigating federal challenges, the shutdown and conversations on behalf of farmers&nbsp;</li><li>Trade agreements they’re eyeing heading into 2026 that may impact Indiana farmers most critically&nbsp;</li><li>The call to action for the agbioscience community to drive these priorities forward&nbsp;</li></ul>

Katie Nelson

Executive Director, Public Policy, Indiana Farm Bureau

Indiana Farm Bureau has outlined its legislative priorities for 2026 and this week. Katie Nelson, the organization’s Executive Director of Public Policy, joins this week to talk about the three buckets of prioritization heading into session, why they’re focused on broad issues and the call to action for agbioscience innovators.

396. Indiana Farm Bureau’s Katie Nelson on legislative priorities, trade agreements + navigating uncertainty

Everyone has a story of how they’ve come into their career and many times on this podcast we hear the phrase “I got here by accident.” This week, we are joined by Angel Vazquez, a Field Atlas Ambassador and Ball State University student, who is exploring his interest in agbioscience careers, sharing the industry story with his peers and what he hopes to accomplish after graduation. We get into: &nbsp; <ul><li>How he is thinking about his career journey as college winds down &nbsp;</li><li>Angel’s personal story, why medicine is the path he chose and how he hopes to make a difference in the lives of others&nbsp;</li><li>The curiosity of agbioscience and wanting to be a Field Atlas Ambassador&nbsp;</li><li>Agbioscience conversations on Ball State’s campus and how his peers engage when discussing career opportunities in the industry&nbsp;</li><li>Learning from his peer Ambassadors on other college and university campuses&nbsp;</li><li>What he thinks students are seeking in a career&nbsp;</li><li>What employers should know about connecting with students&nbsp;</li><li>His favorite Field Atlas experience and what it taught him&nbsp;</li></ul>

Angel Vazquez

Field Atlas Ambassador, Ball State University

Everyone has a story of how they’ve come into their career and many times on this podcast we hear the phrase “I got here by accident.” This week, we are joined by Angel Vazquez, a Field Atlas Ambassador and Ball State University student, who is exploring his interest in agbioscience careers, sharing the industry story with his peers and what he hopes to accomplish after graduation.

395. Turning curiosity into career exploration, peer connection with Field Atlas’ Angel Vazquez

October was a busy month and we spare none on today's update with AgriNovus CEO, Christy Wright, and VP Libby Fritz. Updates include: <ul><li>A new global HQ for Elanco and our upcoming One Health Summit co-hosted with BioCrossroads (<a href="https://biocrossroads.com/annual-indiana-life-sciences-summit/2025-biocrossroads-life-sciences-summit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">register here</a>)</li><li>Corteva's restructure into two companies and what comes next</li><li>BiomEdit's $2M Bezos Earth Fund Grant (<a href="https://youtu.be/vxmXiK4xda4?si=KLgEl5poU6vCiWJ9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">listen to CEO Aaron Schacht here</a>)</li><li>BioBond launches two new adhesives -- one for fake fingernails and school adhesives</li><li>ARI's new HQ at the 16 Tech Innovation District to secure Indiana's bioinnovation future</li><li>Quadrant is coming on 12/3! Register <a href="https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></li></ul>

October was a busy month and we spare none on today's update with AgriNovus CEO, Christy Wright, and VP Libby Fritz. 

394. Christy Wright recaps a busy October, talks new HQs for Elanco + ARI, a Corteva restructure, BiomEdit's Bezos Grant + more

Biochar is an effective and profitable way to manage organic waste – and there are innovators creating new platforms to enable producers, investors and equipment suppliers to grow and deploy waste-to-value projects faster and easier than ever before. This week, we are joined by Jason Dodier, Co-Founder and CCO of Grain Ecosystem, to talk decarbonization projects, the value of the American farmer and grain as a risk reduction partner. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>What Grain Ecosystem does and how they deploy these waste-to-value solutions&nbsp;</li><li>How this process looks for each player in the system – farmers, investors and equipment suppliers&nbsp;</li><li>The Grain Ecosystem model and its adoptability that differentiates it from competitors on the market&nbsp;</li><li>Feedback they get from the ecosystem as they deploy solutions&nbsp;</li><li>Grain’s momentum built up over the last three years and the company’s biggest opportunities for growth&nbsp;</li><li>Working with Elevate Ventures and other Indiana partners to expand their footprint in the state&nbsp;</li><li>What’s ahead for Grain Ecosystem&nbsp;</li></ul>

Jason Dodier

Co-Founder + CCO

Biochar is an effective and profitable way to manage organic waste – and there are innovators creating new platforms to enable producers, investors and equipment suppliers to grow and deploy waste-to-value projects faster and easier than ever before. This week, we are joined by Jason Dodier, Co-Founder and CCO of Grain Ecosystem, to talk decarbonization projects, the value of the American farmer and grain as a risk reduction partner. 

393. Grain Ecosystem’s Jason Dodier on waste-to-value solutions + innovating to create growth for farmers, agbiosciences

From agbioscience innovation to defense, pharma, food and nutrition, and beyond – the bioeconomy is broad; and the intersection of innovation, research and policy generates a lot of questions when it comes to how we grow and scale to be a global leader right here in the United States. This week, we are joined by Sarah Glaven, Visiting Fellow at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center and a former biotechnologist representing The White House, The Pentagon and The Naval Research Laboratory. We get into: &nbsp; <ul><li>Sarah’s professional story, from being an outdoors kid to leading critical bioinnovation work on a national scale&nbsp;</li><li>How she defines the bioeconomy and what she believes is its importance to the US’ future&nbsp;</li><li>Biggest headwinds we are facing when it comes to the growth and scale of the bioeconomy&nbsp;</li><li>How her past experiences have shaped her perspective on the critical alignment needed among policy, innovation and research to advance the bioeconomy in the US (and the grade she’d give us on that alignment today)&nbsp;</li><li>Indiana’s position in the bioeconomy and how reshoring biomanufacturing supply chains can reduce disruption and increase competitiveness in the US&nbsp;</li><li>Creating a skilled workforce to grow the bioeconomy and examples of upskilling and developing talent that have her most impressed&nbsp;</li><li>What has Sarah most excited about the US’ bioinnovation future&nbsp;</li></ul>

Sarah Glaven

Visiting Fellow, Princeton University's Andlinger Center

From agbioscience innovation to defense, pharma, food and nutrition, and beyond – the bioeconomy is broad; and the intersection of innovation, research and policy generates a lot of questions when it comes to how we grow and scale to be a global leader right here in the United States. This week, we are joined by Sarah Glaven, Visiting Fellow at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center and a former biotechnologist representing The White House, The Pentagon and The Naval Research Laboratory. 

392. Princeton University’s Sarah Glaven on growing the bioeconomy + finding critical alignment among policy, innovation + research

From agbioscience innovation to defense, pharma, food and nutrition, and beyond – the bioeconomy is broad; and the intersection of innovation, research and policy generates a lot of questions when it comes to how we grow and scale to be a global leader right here in the United States. This week, we are joined by Sarah Glaven, Visiting Fellow at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center and a former biotechnologist representing The White House, The Pentagon and The Naval Research Laboratory.

The intersection of innovation and regulatory – specifically when it comes to food is health – is a growing conversation. This week, we are joined by Dave Riggs, Business Cluster Unit President for Eurofins SFA, to talk laboratory science, consulting food brands around the world and health emerging as a trend on their minds. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>The work his SFA team leads and who they aim to serve&nbsp;</li><li>How much food companies have to think about in product development and the risks that come up in a product’s life cycle in quality and safety standard aren’t met&nbsp;</li><li>How laboratory scientists approach their work like consultants to overcome challenges and drive big outcomes for food brands around the world&nbsp;</li><li>Food is Health making its way into the Eurofins labs and unintended consequences that have come alongside the movement&nbsp;</li><li>Balancing innovation and scientific discovery with an evolving regulatory landscape&nbsp;</li><li>Challenges and headwinds on the horizon for the food industry and how those create opportunities for creativity across the value chain&nbsp;</li><li>Dave’s advice to young talent considering science careers&nbsp;</li><li>What’s ahead for Eurofins&nbsp;</li></ul>

Dave Riggs

SFA Business Unit President, Eurofins

The intersection of innovation and regulatory – specifically when it comes to food is health – is a growing conversation. This week, we are joined by Dave Riggs, Business Cluster Unit President for Eurofins SFA, to talk laboratory science, consulting food brands around the world and health emerging as a trend on their minds.

391. Eurofins’ Dave Riggs on balancing food innovation with the regulatory landscape + opportunities for creativity across the value chain

This weekly podcast dives into agbioscience, where agriculture, life sciences and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs across food, animal health, plant science and agtech. This one-of-a-kind podcast offers updates on the latest advancements and future trends from those at the forefront of agbioscience innovation.

115. How a food bank can improve health outcomes

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