Vertical Farming Podcast - S9E118 Christopher Thomasen / Seasony - From Engineer to Entrepreneur: The Transformational Journey and The Vision for The Future of Vertical Farming

S9E118 Christopher Thomasen / Seasony - From Engineer to Entrepreneur: The Transformational Journey and The Vision for The Future of Vertical Farming

11/10/23 • 47 min

Can a journey encompassing exotic travels, engineering, and entrepreneurship shape the future of vertical farming? This episode unravels that mystery as we sit down with Christopher Weis Thomasen, CEO and Co-founder of Seasony. A vivid storyteller, Christopher shares his transformative experiences from Namibia to Japan, painting a vivid picture of how these encounters helped develop his entrepreneurial mindset.

Moving away from traditional farming, Christopher takes us through his pivot to automation and standardization in vertical farming. The intriguing conversation touches on the challenges and benefits of adopting new technology in farming, particularly mobile robotics. His insights on transitioning small farms to automation are enlightening, putting into perspective the critical role of automation in the future of farming.

As we explore the future of vertical farming, Christopher lays out his vision for localized food production, demonstrating how global trends are pushing this new norm. From the benefits of space efficiency to the practical advantages for retailers and end users, he paints a promising picture of large scale, near distribution food production. His candid advice on finding your place in the value chain and automating processes early is an invaluable takeaway. Tune in and connect with an episode that showcases the landscape of vertical farming through the lens of a savvy entrepreneur.

Thanks to Our SponsorsAgTech Marketing Team

Horti Agri Next MEA

Key Takeaways

00:00 Entrepreneurship and Travel

05:35 Robotics in Vertical Farming

16:47 Automation and Standardization in Vertical Farming

28:33 Engineers and Conferences in Vertical Farming

32:27 Vertical Farming's Importance and Future

36:50 The Future of Vertical Farming

Tweetable Quotes

"As an entrepreneur, I think you can get pretty caught up in working all the time, so it's nice to just plug out a little bit and basically see something else.""So if there's a lot of robotics engineers that are working on a super interesting problem that tends to attract other robotics engineers to go to that same place because here they can exchange ideas and spar with colleagues that are in the same fields.""The sooner the better. Typically. I mean we would love to get involved quite early in the process, also in the design process, to help the vertical farms actually figure out how do they design for automation in the best possible way."

Resources Mentioned

Chris' Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-weis-thomasen/

Chris' Email - [email protected]

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

Subscribe to our newsletters!

AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

The Indoor Farmer - https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/

Horti-Gen Insights - https://www.hortigeninsights.com/

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Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast

Mentioned in this episode:

AgTech Companies

https://agtechcompanies.com

2025 US Indoor Farm Report

http://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/report

Thanks to Our SponsorsAgTech Marketing Team

Horti Agri Next MEA

Key Takeaways

00:00 Entrepreneurship and Travel

05:35 Robotics in Vertical Farming

16:47 Automation and Standardization in Vertical Farming

28:33 Engineers and Conferences in Vertical Farming

32:27 Vertical Farming's Importance and Future

36:50 The Future of Vertical Farming

Tweetable Quotes

Resources Mentioned

Chris' Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-weis-thomasen/

Chris' Email - [email protected]

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

Subscribe to our newsletters!

AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

The Indoor Farmer - https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/

Horti-Gen Insights - https://www.hortigeninsights.com/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast

Mentioned in this episode:

AgTech Companies

https://agtechcompanies.com

2025 US Indoor Farm Report

http://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/report

Previous Episode

S9E117 Jessica Gómez de la Rosa / Origeen Greener Cities - Exploring the Rise of Vertical Farming in Mexico

Prepare to embark on a transformative journey with Jessica Gomez de la Rosa, the innovative CEO of Origeen Greener Cities. From the vibrant buzz of Las Vegas to the concentrated energy of New York City, Jessica will guide us through her captivating discovery of Indoor AgTech and how it's revolutionizing the agricultural landscape. She unveils her ingenious system for vertical farming and surprises us with the revelation that varied crops could flourish within her carefully crafted environment.

We'll then jet off to Mexico, where Jessica's groundbreaking VPOT technology is setting the stage for a vertical farming revolution. She'll lead us through the labyrinth of educating people about the benefits of hydroponic farming and showcase how this cutting-edge technology is being implemented in a variety of settings - homes, shipping containers, and greenhouses. If you're curious about the financial prospects in Mexico's vertical farming industry, Jessica's insightful analysis promises to be a treasure trove of information.

As we navigate the peaks and troughs of introducing a leading-edge technology in the vertical farming space, Jessica's candid reflections on the challenges and rewards of this journey will provide invaluable insights. We'll delve into the intricacies of Origeens' distinct black and white VPOT tech, the vital role of community support in entrepreneurial endeavors, and the promising outlook for the future. Grab your headphones, this episode promises a fun ride through the world of vertical farming that you certainly don't want to miss!

Thanks to Our SponsorsAgTech Marketing Team

Horti Agri Next MEA

Key Takeaways

02:01 - 03:00 Modular Scalable Indoor Farming System

07:21 - 08:54 Changes and Feedback on VPOT Design

13:11 - 15:05 Interest in Vertical Farming in Mexico

16:36 - 17:55 Investment Opportunities in Mexican Agriculture

21:54 - 23:07 Hydroponics and Vertical Farming Interest

26:42 - 29:15 Indoor Farming Conference in Mexico

30:43 - 32:01 Vertical Farming Community in Mexico

36:13 - 36:53 Startup Space Excitement and Innovation

Tweetable Quotes

"I've always wanted to be involved in something that can make an environmental and social impact.""When the investors and people start knowing about the benefits and start to know about the environmental and social and about food security, they will be more curious and they will be open to integrate this kind of agriculture.""I think what we need to do is create noise. As I said, the few that we are here at Mexico in vertical farming, we are trying to create or build that community, to make noise and to make people know about the benefits."

Resources Mentioned

Origins Greener Cities - https://www.origeen.com.mx/

Indoor AgTech - https://indoor.ag/

Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/indoor-agcon/

World AgriTech - https://worldagritechusa.com/

Vertigo Pacto - https://www.vertigopacto.com/

Expo Agroalimentaria Guanajuato - https://expoagrogto.com/

Rijk Zwaan - https://www.rijkzwaan.com/

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

Subscribe to our newsletters!

AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

The Indoor Farmer -

Next Episode

S9E119 Jonah Krochmalnek / Microgreens Consulting - Turning Green: A Finance Graduate's Venture into Microgreens Farming

Ready to journey into the heart of nature and discover the green world of microgreens? Prepare to be inspired by financial graduate turned passionate farmer, Jonah Krochmalnek. He takes us through his life journey, from his humble beginnings starting a microgreens business in his parent's spare bedroom, to figuring out the market demand and different strategies that helped him succeed in the microgreens industry. His experiences, trials, and triumphs will be a guiding light for other budding entrepreneurs.

Jonah Krochmalnek's passion doesn't end with farming; he also reveals how he navigated COVID-19's impact on his business, Living Earth Farm, while juggling other tasks like managing an Airbnb property and building a course. Hear about his process of selling his business, the importance of finding the right buyer, and his fascinating transition into creating a microgreens consulting company and podcast. His insights on these experiences provide valuable lessons on how to handle business during trying times.

Finally, join us as we discuss the personal side of entrepreneurship -- the challenges one faces when balancing personal life, business, and family. Jonah shares his personal development journey, the benefits he reaped from meditation and books, and the lessons from his podcast Microgreens Mastery. This chat is packed with golden nuggets for entrepreneurs in the vertical farming space, so don't miss out! As Jonah says, "business is a journey, not a destination," and we invite you to embark on this journey with us. Find more about Jonah and the microgreens industry across various resources and platforms mentioned in the podcast. Tune in now!

Thanks to Our SponsorsAgTech Marketing Team

Indoor AgCon

Key Takeaways

00:00 Passion for Growing Food and Farming

09:01 Market Demand and Adapting Strategies

16:44 High Quality Microgreens and Successful Business

25:08 Navigating Challenges and Finding Balance

31:00 Sell Business and Transition to New Ventures

42:08 Business and Personal Life Challenges

49:27 Connecting for Microgreens Information

Tweetable Quotes

"So much wisdom and beauty in living with the speed of nature rather than the speed of a city.""You know, all this knowledge I've accumulated is so valuable to other people because they can skip all the steps that I had to take to get where I needed to go, all the failures along the way.""I think it's just very fulfilling to see these farms that I work with and see how much easier life can be with having the right information or having the right equipment and how much time they can save."