Read More about Women in Ag Tech

 Lessons from the iPad to Agriculture

 Just as the iPad revolutionized tech through versatility and adaptability, specialty crop growers need ag technologies tailored to their complex challenges. Tools like ARA, WEED-IT, and Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder show how innovation in precision agriculture is beginning to meet the unique needs of these underserved producers.

Inside IPM with Michelle Opela, Costa Farms

Greenhouse Grower’s new Grower to Grower podcast features candid conversations with industry leaders, including Michelle Opela of Costa Farms. In this episode, she shares her journey from marine biology to IPM leadership and offers insights on biocontrols, innovation, and learning through experience.

Mississippi Farmer Leads the Fight Against Food Deserts

U.S. Army veteran and third-generation farmer Marquitrice Mangham is transforming rural food access through her nonprofit In Her Shoes and Farmacy Marketplace, a grocery store and mobile produce truck serving underserved communities. Alongside fresh food access, she empowers local growers with hands-on training in sustainable farming and business development.

 Mapping the Future with Natalie Martinkus

 Natalie Martinkus, founder of Dry Creek Engineering and Geospatial, is helping Washington state growers bridge the ag tech gap with accessible GIS mapping, drone data, and field-level insights. With a background in civil engineering and roots in Texas agriculture, Martinkus launched her business to serve an underserved market—and to create a flexible, family-friendly career. She works hands-on with clients to turn complex ag data into visual, actionable tools for boosting efficiency and profitability.  Her mission: make tech work for growers, not overwhelm them.

The Buglady Speaks: Biocontrols, Bugs, and Lessons from 25 Years in the Greenhouse

  In the debut episode of Greenhouse Grower to Grower, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans—better known as The Buglady—shares wisdom from her 25 years at the forefront of biological pest control. From her early fascination with insects to building a thriving consulting business, Suzanne dives into the realities of using biocontrols in greenhouses, the industry’s knowledge gaps, and how failure often fuels the best innovations. 

 Innovation in Action: How Tech is Reshaping Produce Production

 In Episode 4 of the Ground Breaking Podcast, host Heather Tunstall interviews Vonnie Estes, Vice President of Innovation at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). They discuss how technological innovations are addressing challenges in produce farming, particularly those related to climate change and labor shortages. Estes highlights IFPA’s collaborative efforts with industry stakeholders through events, government advocacy, an accelerator program, and their own podcast series, Fresh Take on Tech, to support growers in adapting to the evolving agricultural landscape.

 Costa Farms’ Mari Carrasquillo on E-Commerce Trends in Floriculture

 In the latest episode the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast by Greenhouse Grower, a sister brand to Women in Ag Tech, Mari Carrasquillo of Costa Farms shares insights on the rising influence of e-commerce in horticulture, including best practices and how consumer buying habits are evolving. Tune in to hear the full discussion and stay up to date on the future of growing.

Energy Trends in Vertical Farming

 In a recent Q&A with CEAg World, a sister brand to Women in Ag Tech (WiAT), energy engineer Gretchen Schimelpfenig breaks down the major energy challenges facing vertical farms and offers practical tips for improving efficiency. From HVAC systems to LED lighting, understanding where energy is being used—and how to tweak it—can make a big difference in profitability. Growers are encouraged to “tweak and peek” to find the right balance between crop health and energy savings.

 Ag Life, Unfiltered: Rachel Fishback Joins WIAT

 ​Seventh-generation farmer Rachel Fishback lives in Washington, Iowa, in the southeast part of the state, but her community reaches beyond the Midwest. Known online as Iowa Farm Mama, Rachel is using her growing influence to share the realities of agriculture with global audiences. Through her social media platforms, her company People of Ag Media, and her show Pride of Pork AcresTV, she blends creativity, advocacy, and storytelling to connect consumers with the people behind food production.

3 Ways CEA Growers Can Optimize Conditions in Their Facility

 ​Since 2017, when Nadia Sabeh, Ph.D., founded Dr. Greenhouse, an agricultural and mechanical engineering firm, her goal has been to create the right environment for high-quality crops all year round. She emphasizes that understanding and maintaining precise environmental set points—such as temperature and humidity—is crucial for optimizing plant health and productivity in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities. Here she shares three tips for CEAg growers to create ideal growing conditions in their facilities.

 Taylor Farms Digs into the Secrets of Cover Crops

 ​Kim Horton, Agronomy Manager at Taylor Farms, uses her scientific expertise to enhance sustainable practices and improve cover crops for Taylor Farms. She emphasizes the importance of integrating cover crops into existing planting schedules and adapting farming practices to accommodate these changes. Here she shares three tips for CEAg growers to create ideal growing conditions in their facilities.

Maximizing Crop Production with Smart Fertilizers 

 Molly Yager, Sales Manager at Apollo Ag Technologies, discusses smart fertilizers, their role in reshaping crop production, and how they can enhance productivity, reduce costs, and promote sustainable farming practices. She emphasizes the importance of integrating these innovative fertilizers with precision agriculture tools to optimize nutrient delivery and minimize environmental impact.

Women in Ag Tech Profile: One-on-One With Corteva’s Wendy Srnic

CropLife Media Group Editor Lara Sowinski interviews Wendy Srnic, Vice President, Biotechnology, Corteva Agriscience, and keynote speaker for the past WiAT meeting.

Photo Highlights: Women in Ag Tech Cultivate Connections, Share Successes at Tech Hub LIVE

The Women in Ag Tech (WiAT) community held its third in-person meeting at Tech Hub LIVE on July 29, 2024.

AquaSpy Shares Ag Tech VISION

AquaSpy is a small company with a big vision for the future of ag tech.

Kathleen Glass is Vice President of Marketing for AquaSpy, which is a soil moisture monitoring company based in California, and also one of the main sponsors of the VISION Conference and Women in Ag Tech (WiAT), as well as one of the founding members of the Global Ag Tech Alliance.

Farming the Data: The Critical Need for Tech and Data Literacy in Food and Agriculture

Our fast-paced, ever-evolving world often tricks most into believing that technological interconnectivity is the backbone that frames and supports daily life. While digitization, modernization, and security of our critical infrastructures are vital for innovation, accessibility, and progress, they remain operations that augment the underlying sectors: networks of people, processes, and technologies.

A Tip of the Cap to Women in Agriculture

Launched in 2023, WiAT is a growing community of women in ag tech who are interested in networking, mentorship programs, exchanging ideas, and collaborating with like-minded industry professionals.

Women in Ag Tech: Building Community, Implementing Ideas, Taking Next Steps

The new initiative is focused on raising awareness of women’s expanding role in the ag tech community and in the broader ag industry.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Mineral’s Erica Bliss

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

FarmSense Selected as $750,000 Winner in the 2023 Radicle Inclusion Challenge Presented by Nutrien

Today, agtech startup FarmSense, announces that it has been named one of two winners in the 2023 Radicle Inclusion Challenge presented by Nutrien.

NASA, WiAT, and Tech Hub LIVE — What a Blast!

Let’s just say the stars aligned perfectly for the CropLife and NASA teams at Tech Hub LIVE, says CropLife Editor Lara Sowinksi.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Jaymie Forrest

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Amy Asmus

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Women in Ag Tech Holds First Meeting at Tech Hub LIVE

The newly formed group provides women in agriculture technology with a platform to connect, engage, and build a community at Tech Hub LIVE.

Tech Hub LIVE: Empowering AgTech Innovation and Networking

Tech Hub LIVE, an emergent AgTech trade show, recently took center stage in Des Moines, IA, captivating attendees with its diverse range of exhibitors, insightful presentations, and invaluable networking opportunities, writes Sunny Kaercher at CropLife.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Kathleen Glass

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Carolyne Vowell

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Patricia Stock

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Hylon Kaufmann

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on Carolyn Gunkel

We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

Learn About the Women in Ag Tech Initiative at Tech Hub LIVE 2023

The group aims to provide women in agriculture technology with a platform to connect, engage, and build a community.

Persevering in Precision Agriculture As a Female Potato Agronomist

Wisconsin farmer Moriah Rataczak shares what it takes to be a woman in precision agriculture.