logo
episode-header-image
Aug 15
56m 36s

173: Unlocking Million Dollar Grants for...

Harry Duran
About this episode

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the complexities of applying for agricultural grants? I sat down with Andy Seckinger, Sales Director at United Grants of America, to demystify the process and explore effective sales strategies for farmers and entrepreneurs.

Andy's journey from a skeptical view of sales to becoming a passionate advocate for helping others is truly inspiring. He shares how his experiences in Iowa and personal challenges shaped his approach to sales and client relationships. Andy emphasizes the importance of understanding clients' needs, asking the right questions, and maintaining integrity throughout the sales process.

We delve into the world of agricultural grants, discussing how United Grants of America assists farmers in navigating complex government programs. Andy explains their team-based approach, which includes compliance experts, analysts, and account executives with farming backgrounds. He highlights the value of personalized service and the company's success-based fee structure.

Andy also touches on recent trends in agricultural grants, including changes in government programs and the increasing availability of funding opportunities. His insights provide valuable guidance for farmers looking to secure financial support for their operations.

If you're a farmer or entrepreneur seeking to improve your sales skills or explore grant opportunities, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiring stories. Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on sales, personal growth, and the world of agricultural grants.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/

Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/

Key Takeaways

5:02 History and mission of United Grants of America

9:16 Andy's journey into sales and professional development

14:26 Lessons from stand-up comedy applied to sales

19:40 The importance of self-improvement in sales

30:59 Overcoming personal struggles and professional growth

37:45 How United Grants of America assists farmers

42:55 Keys to success in securing agricultural grants

46:58 Exploring spirituality and vulnerability in business

Tweetable Quotes

"At the end of the day, there's three reasons why people buy. Are you going to make me money? Are you going to save me money? You're going to make my life easy."
"Life is here to help us. It's up to us not to say bad or good. Life is here to really help us."
"I don't think farmers' lives always fit perfectly into what's being offered. So you got to do a little brain surgery and understand what the end is mine and ask really good questions."

Resources Mentioned

APPLY HERE: https://www.verticalfarmingpodcast.com/grants

Website - https://www.unitedgrantsofamerica.com/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/united-grants-of-america

Connect With Us

VFP LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast

VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

VFP Instagram -

Up next
Aug 8
172: Gyroplant's Game-Changing Superstructures for CEA with Marcus Comaschi
Struggling with the complexities of indoor farming and looking for innovative solutions to streamline your operations? Join me as I explore groundbreaking ideas with Marcus Comaschi, R&D engineer at Gyroplant, who is revolutionizing the way we think about plant substrates in cont ... Show More
52m 7s
Aug 1
171: Vertical Farming’s Missing Link: Integrating Greenhouse Wisdom with Wessel van Paassen of Green Simplicity
Ever wondered why some vertical farms thrive while others struggle? The answer might lie in combining traditional horticultural wisdom with cutting-edge technology.I sat down with Wessel van Paassen, Managing Director at Green Simplicity, to explore the intersection of greenhouse ... Show More
49m 17s
Jul 25
170: Cartoons, Crops, and Community: Reimagining Sustainable Farming with Smart Farms’ Mike Smart
Have you ever wondered how to combine sustainable farming, education, and entertainment into a single innovative concept? I sat down with Mike Smart, founder of Smart Farms, to discuss his unique approach to revolutionizing the food industry and educating the next generation.Mike ... Show More
48m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Seeding Sustainability: Agriculture Innovations to Feed Future Generations
The agriculture industry will need to feed a projected 10 billion people by 2050. To meet this demand, project teams are transforming production—finding climate-friendly ways to maximize yields. Guests share how they’re helping agriculture giants like Cargill reduce carbon emissi ... Show More
25m 19s
Aug 2024
S5E31 Jad Allam | Manufacturing Yields, Growing Young Engineers, & Engineering Analytics
Send us a textIn this episode, Jad Allam discusses his journey into engineering, starting as a process engineer at Applied Medical and eventually becoming a Group Vice President. He shares his experiences in scaling up the Gen 2 Voyant device production, including the challenges ... Show More
48m 32s
Jul 2022
The future of supply chain with Ox's CEO Charu Thomas
Ox optimizes fulfillment operations by automating manual tasks and increasing workforce efficiency. Ox's CEO Charu Thomas started thinking about this space in college and then ended up founded a company in Northwest Arkansas!As a second-year undergraduate, Charu took her concept ... Show More
33m 51s
Aug 2024
Driving Supply Chain Solutions for Life Sciences with AI - with Andrei Tadique of Takeda
Today's guest is Andrei Tadique, Director and Head of Manufacturing Science at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Andrei joins us on today's podcast to discuss the biggest challenges for Life Sciences leaders in driving logistics and supply chain workflows. In the course of his conversation ... Show More
24m 19s
Aug 20
Carbon Robotics on a New Era of Farming with Robots and Sustainable Innovation - Ep. 270
Paul Mikesell, Founder and CEO of Carbon Robotics, shares how combining artificial intelligence and lasers is transforming modern agriculture. From identifying and eliminating billions of weeds without chemicals to boosting crop yields and reducing operational costs, AI-driven ro ... Show More
34m 57s
Jul 2024
Why Sustainable Farming Will Save The World with Peter Ballerstedt, PhD : 1178
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Dr. Peter Ballerstedt, a leading expert in ruminant animal agriculture, discusses the essential role of ruminant animals in sustainable farming. You'll learn about the critical importance of animals like cows and sheep in maintaining soil hea ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2023
Saving Crops with AI
AI can solve some of today's most complex challenges, and over the years this has become reality even in the agricultural industry. Due to environmental factors and other threats, sustainable farming is becoming more at risk, and by harnessing the power of AI, tools to help local ... Show More
35m 27s
Jan 2025
China Plans Space Solar Array, Apple's First USA-Made iPhone Chips, and OpenAI's Economic Blueprint
We're experimenting and would love to hear from you!In this episode of 'Discover Daily', we explore China's revolutionary space-based solar power project, set to launch in 2028. This massive undertaking promises to deliver solar energy with six times the intens ... Show More
7m 53s
Jan 2025
Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of AI/ML
In this episode of the Data Science Salon Podcast, host Anna Anisin sits down with two influential leaders in AI and data science to discuss their experiences, challenges, and insights into the evolving landscape of the industry. First, Fatma Tarlaci, Chief Technology Officer at ... Show More
40m 47s
Dec 2024
How Diamond Cooling Could Power the Future of AI, with Akash Systems
In this episode of No Priors, Sarah sits down with Felix Ejeckam and Ty Mitchell, founders of Akash Systems, a company pioneering diamond-based cooling technology for semiconductors used in space applications and large-scale AI data centers. Felix and Ty discuss how their backgro ... Show More
42m 21s