Episode 96
S8E96: Jonathan Murray / Adapt Agtech - From Banker to Farmer: Ottawa's Thriving Tech and Farming Scene
Episode Summary
Join us for an engaging conversation with Jonathan Murray, co-founder, and CEO of Adapt Agtech, where we delve into his remarkable journey in the booming vertical farming industry. With a diverse background spanning banking, clean tech, defense, and Medtech, Murray shares how he leveraged his experience to navigate regulations and find solutions to complex problems. We explore Adapt Agtech's growth and its unique focus on producing gourmet mushrooms in hyper-local environments, including the company's hybrid business model and its plans for expansion into the US market. Jonathan also shares his thoughts on the future of urban agriculture, sustainability, and the importance of bringing new talent into the industry. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the fascinating world of vertical farming and sustainable agriculture.
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Key Takeaways
- Discover how Adapt is leading the way in the booming vertical farming industry with their focus on mushrooms
- Learn about the journey of founding Forage Hyperfoods and the importance of local mushroom production
- Explore how Adapt Agtech navigated complex regulations and developed a hybrid business model for vertical farming
- Find out about the colorful packaging and recipes of Hardy Foods, Adapt Agtech's retail product line
- Understand how Adapt Agtech is expanding into the US market and developing a platform for urban agriculture
- Hear Jonathan’s thoughts on bringing new people into the industry to solve the world's biggest problems
Tweetable Quotes
"We activated a new restaurant in the city of Toronto called The Butcher Chef. As you can imagine, a lot of meat at The Butcher Chef, and they're using mushrooms as an entire dish. It looks like a bouquet of mushrooms, and it's a standalone main course. That's pretty incredible to see."
"We're trying to advance access to sustainable food. That's the mission of the company. And we're supported from Impact funds, which is awesome because they believe that that's the ultimate goal.”
“We are averaging zero food spoilage because if we overgrow, we're donating to community kitchens and food banks. So not only do we have space in our containers to grow and sell and be a commercial enterprise and make money, for sure, but we're also reserving portions of those growers to donate"
Resources Mentioned
Jonathan's Website - https://www.adapt.ag/
Jonathan's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-murray-74747813/
Jonathan's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/adaptagtech/
Jonathan's Twitter - https://twitter.com/AdaptAgtech
Jonathan's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/adaptagtech
Jonathan's Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@adaptagtech
Connect With Us
VFP - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast
VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod
VFP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/
VFP Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod
Vertical Farming Jobs - http://verticalfarmingjobs.com
Vertical Farming Weekly - www.getrevue.co/profile/verticalfarmingpodcast
Sponsor Links
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Cultivatd’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cultivatdco/
Cultivatd’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/cultivatd
Cultivatd’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cultivatd/
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Transcript
And so it's definitely something that I think about all the time. All the time.
[:Is there something in the water in Ottawa? Is there an entrepreneurial vibe that just runs there? Because it seems like there's a lot of maybe disproportionate amount of companies that have gotten started. Is there something about the culture there?
[:I think that the ability let me go back a step. I think that having seen a company achieve success right, makes you feel like you can do it too.
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