263. Master Tomato Grower Series (Episode 2) w. Roberto Ramirez of Best Boy Farms
Release Date: 06/10/2025
278. Scaling Lessons, Pivots, and Growing Inside Corrections w/ David Flynn
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we sit down with David Flynn, CEO of AmplifiedAg, a Charleston-based company building technology and systems for container farming and grow room operations. David spent 25 years as a U.S. Army officer, earned the Silver Star, and found his way into CEA through founder Don Taylor after settling down in Charleston in 2015. We walk through the full arc of Amplified AG, from six containers in Summerville, SC to 160 containers in Columbia, SC and how that journey shaped a sharper, more focused company on the other side of it. We get into what the distribution reality...
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277. 2026 Predictions Series (Episode 3) w. Dave Chen, Equilibrium Capital
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we close out the Predictions for 2026 and Beyond series with Dave Chen, CEO of Equilibrium Capital. With over $1 billion raised and deployed into large-scale greenhouse operations and companies like Revol Greens and Little Leaf Farms, Dave brings one of the most grounded capital perspectives in CEA. We dig into the faster-than-expected consolidation that reshaped the TPC sector, why leafy greens took longer than anticipated but has now hit a genuine retail inflection point, and how the vertical farm survivors are finally gaining traction by committing to high-value...
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276. 2026 Predictions Series (Episode 2) w. Adam Bergman, EcoTech Capital
CropTalk
n this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Predictions for 2026 and Beyond series with returning guest Adam Bergman, Managing Director of EcoTech Capital. Our conversation is grounded in Adam’s 2026 report, The Ugly, the Bad, and the Good, where he lays out a clear read on the AgTech and FoodTech landscape heading into the year ahead. We dig into why Adam expects 2026 to bring the highest number of bankruptcies, restructurings, and fire sales yet, how the lack of exits is tightening investable capital across the sector, and why the companies that survive will be the ones with viable...
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275. 2026 Predictions Series (Episode 1) w. Adam Greenberg, IUNU
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we kick off the 2026 Predictions Series with Adam Greenberg, CEO of IUNU, to examine where the CEA industry is headed in the year ahead. Adam shares five clear predictions shaping commercial greenhouse operations, including why profitability is replacing yield as the primary KPI, how labor constraints are becoming structural, and why forecasting accuracy is now a competitive advantage. We also explore how varietal selection is tightening around controllability and why fragmented technology stacks are losing credibility as operations seek more integrated...
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274. Scaling CEA Without Losing the Fundamentals w. Paul Sellew
CropTalk
In the final episode of CropTalk for 2026, I’m joined by Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. Paul shares his journey from growing up in a family-run nursery in New England to building Little Leaf Farms into the leading packaged salad brand in Controlled Environment Agriculture. We talk through the early choices that shaped the company, why Little Leaf scaled deliberately, and how a consistent focus on people, plant health, and execution created long-term stability while much of the industry moved too fast. The conversation also looks at what unfolded in CEA over the past...
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273. Future Leafy Green Leaders series ROUNDTABLE (Episode 4)
CropTalk
The Future Leafy Green Leaders Series concludes with a roundtable that brings together three growers who have lived the realities of modern CEA lettuce production. Dominick DiMucci (Haven Greens) shares the nonstop demands of scaling a fully automated mobile-gully system. Gus Brennan (Greenswell Growers) adds four years of operational perspective, where consistency, maintenance, and team motivation define success. Jonah Helmer (Campo Caribe) brings the lens of tropical production, navigating extreme humidity, passive-cooling greenhouse challenges, and hands-on team management. Together they...
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272. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 3) w. Jonah Helmer, Campo Caribe
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we conclude the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Jonah Helmer, Director of Growing at Campo Caribe in Puerto Rico. Jonah shares his path from early hydroponic work at Cornell to leading a deep water culture operation in a tropical climate that requires careful management and consistent decision making. We explore what it takes to balance high humidity, strong sunlight, and disease pressure while maintaining steady production and reliable systems. Jonah breaks down the lessons that come from operating a retractable roof greenhouse, preventing root issues,...
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271. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 2) w. Gus Brennan, Greenswell Growers
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Gus Brennan, Head Grower at Greenswell Growers in Virginia. Gus shares his path from vertical farms and cannabis cultivation to leading a lean, data-driven lettuce operation built on resourcefulness and grit. We explore what it means to be “scrappy” in CEA—how small teams can solve big problems through creativity, prioritization, and practical decision-making. Gus breaks down the lessons that come from fixing your own systems, balancing perfection with progress, and leading through accountability. A...
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270. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 1) w. Dominick DiMucci, Haven Greens
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we kick off the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Dominick DiMucci, Director of Cultivation at Haven Greens in Ontario, Canada’s first fully automated mobile gully lettuce facility. Dominick shares his path from greenhouse research at Colorado State to leading a high-tech, seven-day-a-week operation in King City. We discuss what it takes to manage a nonstop production loop, the mechanical and water quality challenges that define year one, and how data, discipline, and team culture drive performance. Dominick also offers a clear view of the industry’s...
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269. Master Strawberry Grower Series ROUNDTABLE (Episode 4)
CropTalk
The CEA Strawberry Series concludes with a roundtable bringing together three critical voices. Josh Tamminga (TamBerry Farms) shares the grower’s reality after four seasons of production, Katia Zacharaki (Niab | InnoPhyte Consulting) provides a research-driven perspective on disease pressure and physiology gaps, and John Place (Nourse Farms) weighs in from the propagation side. Together they break down plant quality, margins, and the steps needed to move strawberries forward in controlled environments.
info_outlineIn this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Master Tomato Grower Series with Roberto Ramirez, Head Grower at Best Boy Farms (Hazel Farms), formerly part of Bushel Boy. From his roots as a crop worker in Mexico to leading 19+ acres of high-tech greenhouse production, Roberto shares what it really takes to scale in CEA. We cover labor retention, biological controls, tech evaluation, and his outlook on AI and genetics in controlled environment agriculture. A grounded, insightful conversation on growing crops, leading teams, and staying ahead in a changing industry.