Agile Homes’ Post

🤝 The Power of Inclusive Partnerships for Change 🌍 The future of agriculture & inclusive food systems is co-created with the communities who are directly impacted by it. By fostering partnerships with farmers, researchers, government and local rural institutions, we ensure that innovation is relevant, sustainable, and scalable. 🌾 In a previous post, I suggested the exploration of what co-design is. But how do we actually make it happen? Let's break it down with some key steps that truly ground the process in people's needs and make it work for everyone involved. 📍 Key Steps to Co-Design: ➡ Shared Understanding – The foundation of co-design starts with understanding each partners needs, values, and priorities. This ensures that all partners are aligned and that the vision and goals are in sync. ➡ Collaborative Decision-Making – Co-design isn’t just about sitting people around a table. It’s about actively involving everyone in the decision-making process, ensuring each partner co-creates solutions that are impactful and relevant. ➡ Fair Distribution of Resources – Ensuring budgets and resources are allocated fairly and as directly as possible, recognizing the value added by each partner, especially local communities and farmers, in the co-design process. This guarantees that all contributors benefit equitably from the outcomes. ➡ Flexible Design – Co-design means being adaptable. As new insights emerge, strategies must evolve. Flexibility is key, allowing for iterative learning and quick adaptation based on real-time feedback of all those involved. ➡ Scalable Solutions – Effective co-design results in solutions that are scalable. What works in one context should offer valuable lessons that can be adapted and expanded elsewhere. Co-design is about breaking power imbalances and ensuring that the voices & actions of those directly impacted – like farmers and local communities – are central to the transformation of agri-food systems protecting both human health and the planet. Together, we can make sustainable, inclusive, and innovative change a reality. 🌍🌾Thanks for the inspiration to co-work on innovation Bernard Triomphe Priscila Henriquez Viviana Palmieri Kelly Witkowski Martin AGBOTON Aurélie Toillier Helena Posthumus Leigh Winowiecki Manon Koningstein Mariana Wongtschowski Remco Mur Laurens van Veldhuizen Ann Waters-Bayer Isaac Muhofa #CoInnovation #CommunityDriven #Agroecology #FarmerLedResearch #InclusiveDevelopment #SustainableInnovation #FarmerLed #CommunityEmpowerment #CoCreation

Our latest Sifted article featuring two of our agritech entrepreneurs is live! Matija Zulj, founder and CEO of AGRIVI and Lucas Simons, CEO of SCOPEinsight have something in common: they're both trying to change farmers’ minds in regards to adopting new technologies to mitigate climate change and help agriculture reduce its impact on the planet. 🌱💻🌍 👉 Find out more about the startups trying to help farmers make the most of tech’s innovations: https://lnkd.in/d6ynUNp2

Grateful for this Milestone! I am thrilled to share that our collaborative work, a book chapter titled "A Critical Review on Start-Ups in the Agriculture Sector, "has been officially published in the book "Innovative Agriculture Strategies and Concepts in Extension," (ISBN: 978-93-6135-381-9). This chapter was co-authored with esteemed colleagues Biswajit Mallick and Aniket Das, and we explored the dynamic world of agricultural start-ups, analyzing key trends, challenges, and opportunities that are shaping the sector. This accomplishment wouldn't have been possible without the incredible guidance and editorial expertise of Biswajit Mallick (Co-Editor) and Jyotishree Anshuman (Editor-In-Chief). I am deeply honored by this recognition and excited to contribute to the advancement of innovative agricultural strategies. Looking forward to more impactful research and collaborations! 📖 For more insights, check out our chapter in pages 21-33. #Research #Agriculture #Startups #Publication #Innovation #AgriTech #ResearchScholar #ExtensionStrategies #AgricultureSector #Grateful #AcademicAchievement

#AgTech can solve a lot of problems, but are #technology solutions worth it? Farmers/growers need your tech to have tangible value and a proven ROI. But getting the technology to a sufficient level of performance and reliability requires testing, piloting, validation, and design iteration. Too many companies are struggling to accomplish these critical steps and we know potential customers are experiencing fatigue when it comes to those first two steps. That’s where we come in at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Real impact on the industry is our mission, and that means putting technology through its paces and supporting development with a focus on ROI. If you’re a venture capitalist considering a new investment, let us validate their concept. If you’re a tech company at any stage of development, let us validate your current progress or MVP. If you’re a farmer/grower, let us validate new tech you’re looking to adopt. If you’re a distributor judging whether or not to add new tech to your catalog, let us validate it. If you’re a big player considering acquiring somebody’s tech, let us validate it. React, comment, share, reach out, visit our website… just don’t pass up the opportunity to work with us and get AgTech into the hands of customers! https://lnkd.in/ggpFvSU7 #agriculture #horticulture #agtech #vc

🐝 What a beautiful video our team has made about how we can learn from and support pollinators. It has been incredible to work with the BloomX team, and they constantly impress me with their care for people and the environment. Their products increases crop yields by pollinating at the right time, without the need for shipping honeybees across the country. Some economic stats about pollinators from the Obama Whitehouse to show why pollinators are critical to food security around the world: - Insect pollination is integral to food security in the United States. Honey bees enable the production of at least 90 commercially grown crops in North America. Globally, 87 of the leading 115 food crops evaluated are dependent on animal pollinators, contributing 35% of global food production. - Pollinators contribute more than 24 billion dollars to the United States economy, of which honey bees account for more than 15 billion dollars through their vital role in keeping fruits, nuts, and vegetables in our diets. - Native wild pollinators, such as bumble bees and alfalfa leafcutter bees, also contribute substantially to the domestic economy. In 2009, the crop benefits from native insect pollination in the United States were valued at more than 9 billion dollars. Congrats to the creative team on this one, especially Jules Bartl for your brilliant artwork. #agriculture #agtech #biomimicry #natureinspired

Changing the mindset of farmers, this is the real challenge. Moving from Traditional to Data driven Agricolture. Read more about this two Startups from Microsoft's Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact program

🌱🚜 CSR Innovative Solutions is thrilled to reflect on the insightful discussions and valuable learnings shared during our 3rd Mentoring Session for the Sustain Circuit project! Here's a glimpse into the enriching experience and the engaging topics covered: 🌱Introduction to Digital Sustainable Agriculture: We delved into the evolving landscape of sustainable agriculture, exploring how digital technologies are revolutionizing farming practices for a greener future. 🌱Introduction to the Erasmus+ project DS-Farm Participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the DS-Farm project, its overarching goals, and the innovative strategies it employs to promote sustainability in agriculture. 🌱Avisionary leader in the field: Sebastian Sandig, the CEO of Trendlog.io® graced us with his expertise, shedding light on the motivation for businesses to embrace sustainable practices and the tangible benefits derived from the DS-Farm project outcomes. 🌱Smart Agriculture Digital Skills Course: We introduced a cutting-edge course designed to equip participants with the essential digital skills required to thrive in the realm of smart agriculture, fostering innovation and sustainability. At CSR Innovative Solutions, we are committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainability in agriculture. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants and speakers for their invaluable contributions to our 3rd Mentoring Session. Together, we are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future! 🌿🌍 #SustainCircuit #DigitalAgriculture #Sustainability #Innovation

Starting at Square One: Reflecting on a Course That’s Helped Me Refine My Vision Recently, I had the privilege of completing the Starting at Square One course through the Cornell Small Farms Program. Tailored for aspiring and new small farmers, this course was the right information, in the right format, at just the right time for me as I commence my journey in establishing commercial orris farming based on a cooperative model. Hearing presenters share the ups and downs of their own experiences, and gaining practical insights, was an important element of the learning experience. I’ll admit, I felt a little bit jealous looking at photos of their lush New York State farms as I glanced out at my dry paddocks! Two key lessons stood out for me: 1️⃣ The Power of a Holistic Farm Goal Whole farm planning isn’t a new concept but thinking about my vision in terms of how I want my life to be, rather than just picturing what my farm might look like, was empowering. It’s helped me refine my goals and create a framework for assessing future decisions against. This vision is something I’ll continue to revisit and adapt over time. 2️⃣ Creative Approaches to Land and Collaboration Learning about diverse ways to access land and finance your farm business—such as community-supported agriculture—was eye-opening. It’s expanded my perspective on potential models for collaboration as I continue to explore my journey and develop a model for orris farming. A huge thank you to AgriFutures Australia for supporting me through the Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant. This opportunity has not only strengthened my knowledge but also bolstered my confidence in taking the next steps. For those just starting out, I highly recommend considering courses like this one. They’re invaluable for gaining clarity, connecting with others, and turning aspirations into actionable plans.

5 questions to our CEO Svenn Hanssen 🤓 July 1st marked Svenns first day as permanent CEO at Oceanbox. For more than 2 years he has juggled the position as CEO at Oceanbox with that of being CEO at €10m IT Service provider Serit Tromsø. But today marked his first working day concentrating 100 % on Oceanbox. Question 1: The obvious question is why did you want to leave a business that was delivering day-in-day-out results to join a start-up company like Oceanbox? 🤔 Svenn: The topic of new venture creation and entrepreneurship immediately caught my interest when we founded Oceanbox back in 2022. To be able to look at a business and even whole industries in a completely different way triggered my innovative and creative genes. To be at the center of a whirlwind of competencies melting together is just mindblowing. Question 2: What is it with Oceanbox that you find appealing? Svenn: Definitely the disruptive side of Oceanbox with regard to technology vs. market fit. To be able to deliver results in minutes rather than months makes it possible to examine the ocean in completely new ways at the same level of cost. In there lies the unknown which we are now able to uncover and make accessible to a lot of talented people. Question 3: Is Oceanbox mostly a service for aquaculture and salmon farming? 👀 Svenn: It is easy to match the interests of the aquaculture industry to Oceanbox since most of their valuable assets are placed inside the ocean and is dependent on what the ocean currents bring in and take out of the cages. But the services can be used in several other areas. Like research, education, analysis of spill and pollution from industry and society, and our forecasting service can be used to better plan for future activities to reduce environmental impact, cost and operational hazard. Question 4: Will there be a Oceanbox service targeted for the general public? Svenn: Yes, right from the start we saw the need for this service to be available for a range of leisure and sporting activities, like route planning for kayaking, sailing or fishing. Wouldn’t it be nice to plot your kayaking route beforehand and save your strength going with the currents rather than against them? This is something that’s still on the drawing board and requires a lot of compute power to deliver to a large audience. Question 5: Where do you see Oceanbox in 5 years? Svenn: In five years we will have a high-resolution 3D model of every ocean and fjord in every corner of the world available for everyone to look at; past, present and future. 🚀 And for them to do whichever analysis they would like to on those data, making them able to answer fundamental questions about the environment and the sustainability of the ocean. We already have this in place for Norway, and if we can do it here, we can do it everywhere! #Oceanintelligence #Oceanography #SaaS #Sustainability

Farmyard sharing initiatives – completed! 🎉 Last week, Fransje Langers and Gerard Straver handed over the science shop report called 'Erfdelen: New housing forms on (former) farmyards' to Evelijne Bruning (co-ordinator Platform Erfdelen) during the big Working Conference 'Erf van de Toekomst' at conference centre De Reehorst in Ede, organized by the Vereniging van Agrarische Bedrijfsadviseurs. Erfdelen (or farmyard sharing) are initiatives where groups of people from different households choose to work together to start a housing project on a former farm. The study shows that the process towards a shared property is often lengthy, time-consuming, costly and complicated. A good understanding between initiators and municipality is essential in this process. Initiators need to understand the role and responsibilities of the municipality and align their plans for quality improvement with the municipality's social tasks. Conversely, it helps if authorities work on a map locating promising sites on which policy and pilots can accelerate. And for the right support, (local) governments need to work on capacity building, knowledge exchange and information provision.   When Pieter Parmentier, initiator of Platform Erfdelen, contacted Wageningen Science Shop, there was a huge response.  Although there is a lot of interest in this concept from citizens, it is still difficult to get off the ground. The central research question was: ''What is the potential social added value of property sharing and how can municipalities better cash in on this potential added value?'' Fransje Langers of Wageningen Environmental Research coordinated the Science Shop research with great verve and presented it last week. Meanwhile, some successful practices demonstrate that realising farmyard sharing initiatives is possible. These examples are crucial because they show not only that it can be done, but also how it can be done, bringing research to society! #scienceshop #wetenschapswinkel #society