In this episode, I speak with Kendra Armstrong, the Co-Founder and CEO of Crop Convergence. Kendra shares her journey from growing up on a family farm in Indiana to becoming a startup founder in the agtech industry. We dive into her early experiences on the farm, her decision to pursue plant breeding, and how she eventually found her passion in creating decision-making tools for farmers.Kendra's story is filled with relatable moments, like shoveling hog manure as her first job and the humorous family joke about getting a "real job." Her insights into the challenges and rewards of farming, both traditional and vertical, are truly enlightening.
Kendra also opens up about the realities of running a startup, from bootstrapping and calling in favors to the importance of honest communication with farmers. She emphasizes the need for tech solutions that genuinely benefit growers, rather than just being another shiny tool. Our conversation touches on the importance of listening to farmers' needs, the value of building resilient and efficient tech, and the collaborative spirit within the agtech community.
If you're interested in the intersection of technology and agriculture, or just love a good entrepreneurial story, this episode is a must-listen.
Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag
4:25 Work Ethic in Farming
5:57 Transition to Computational Tools in Plant Breeding
9:30 Starting Crop Convergence
10:50 Kendra Armstrong's Transition to Entrepreneurship
13:55 Core Focus of Crop Convergence
15:20 Vertical Farming Requirements
20:22 Indoor Farming Journey
29:41 CEO Transition
32:00 Making Tech Tools Useful for Farmers
38:41 Goals for Crop Convergence
"My first job was shoveling hog manure out of a hog barn. It does provide a different standpoint. I think my personal feeling around value and the value I bring to society is so much associated with the farm."
"I think that sometimes I think back, and I'm like, what was I thinking at the time? I was in the truck with my dad when I was 16 years old. He asked, 'Kendra, do you want to farm?' I said, 'No, I don't want to farm. It's too stressful.' And now, here I am, a startup founder."
"We build decision-making tools for growers and farmers, enabling them to better understand the overall scope of their decisions and how those decisions interact with each other. Our goal is to provide as much information as we can in a simple, quantified, and straightforward manner."
Website - https://www.cropconvergence.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-armstrong-a9109322/
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Mentioned in this episode:
Indoor AgCon 2025
CEA Summit East 2024
AgTech Companies
https://agtechcompanies.com
2025 US Indoor Farm Report
http://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/report