Joe Swartz: My itinerary for Indoor AgCon 2024
February 14, 2024
Last week, I shared my opinion that this year’s Indoor AgCon sees our industry at a potential turning point. Will we learn from the successes and mistakes of the past?
I believe that success leaves clues, and many of the people speaking at this year’s event are no strangers to success.
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it to all of these sessions, and this is just a portion of the incredible programming that the Indoor AgCon team has lined up. There are dozens of impressive speakers and panelists that I really respect across many of the sessions, but here’s a sampling of panels I’m especially excited about.
Monday
- Monday, March 11, 8:00am – Paul Sellew, Keynote Speaker
As a greenhouse guy myself, I’m so excited to see Paul occupy the Day 1 keynote speaking slot. He’s exactly the type of person I was referring to as an evangelist who has grown a business on sound principles. I’m really looking forward to hearing from him.
- Monday, March 11, 9:00am – Balancing For Success – Optimizing CO2, Light and Temperature
I have so much respect for the technical insight of Karla Garcia from Hort Americas. This panel seems like it will be a great opportunity to nerd out with some of the smartest people in the business.
- Monday, March 11, 10am – Blueprints to Profit: Navigating Greenhouse Building Success
Economic sustainability for farmers starts ages before they grow their first plants. I’m looking forward to hearing from John McMahon from Better Future Farms. He’s a great guy who worked with AmHydro when he was getting started.
- Monday, March 11, 11am – Mid-Morning Keynote – Leader Insights: Charting the Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture
I’m going to be intently tuning in to this panel to see how much the ideas I’ve expressed in this article are shared by other impressive industry leaders. I especially always love hearing from Gotham Green’s Viraj Puri, and Soli Organic’s Matt Ryan. Two of the best to ever do it!
- Monday, March 11, 3:00pm – Vivid Canopy At Indoor Ag-Con 2024
This is a panel and networking event designed to celebrate and encourage the amazing diversity of identities, backgrounds, and perspectives in our industry. It’s exciting to see a session like this happening, and I’m a huge fan of panelist Dr. Nadia Sabeh of Dr. Greenhouse.
- Monday, March 11, 4:00pm – Sowing Innovation: Virginia’s Vision for Controlled Environment Agriculture A Fireside Chat With Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Matthew Lohr
I think one of the keys to the future of our industry is building the types of relationships with federal, state, county, and municipal bodies that have been so meaningful for soil farmers historically. There are great things happening in Virginia, and I know that Moderator Paul Brentlinger of Crop King will make the most of this unique chat.
Tuesday
- Tuesday, March 12, 8:00am – Day 2 Morning Keynote: Indoor Farming- The Next Revolution In Agriculture
I’ll admit, I’m extremely curious about this keynote. As head of AgTech Investment at Citi, Adam Bergman has access to a really unique birds-eye view of the industry. It’s really encouraging to see him making the time to join this event, and I’m curious to see how much his perspective aligns with what I’ve observed about the moment we find ourselves in.
- Tuesday, March 12, 10:15am – USDA’s Growing Vision for Controlled Environment Agriculture
Similar to my comments about Monday’s “Fireside Chat” panel, I hope to make it to this session to hear the latest discussion around USDA support for CEA.
- Tuesday, March 12, 1:30pm – Cutting Through the Noise: Navigating the Future of CEA with Candid Insights
I’m going to be on this panel – along with Glenn Behrman of CEA Advisors, Jennifer Waxman of Seed2Source, and moderated by Philips Horticulture’s Allison Driskill. We’ll be talking in-depth about some of the ideas I wrote about last week. We’ll take a hard look at the state and future of the industry, with lots of time for audience discussion.
- Tuesday, March 12, 2:30 – Seeds of Success: Navigating Variety Selection for Thriving Indoor Crops
Another technical discussion close to my heart. I’ve worked with Dan Ovayda of FloraGen for years and have so much respect for his expertise.
Expo Floor
- AmHydro x Ryzee
For the first time ever, come find the AmHydro booth on the expo floor (Booth 715!) We’ve been working for over a year with tech company Ryzee to develop a brand new farm management platform, tested by farmers, and designed from the ground up and willaddress pain points that real growers deal with on a daily basis. Our team will be sharing information about this low-cost, all-in-one tool, and seeking to connect with growers who may be interested in testing the platform before it goes on sale.
I’m sure I missed some great ones. What panels are you excited for?
REMINDER: If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, it’s not too late!
Register with code AMHYDRO24 for 20% off Full Access Conference Passes.
See you in Las Vegas!
