Brash Ag

Raymond King and Kit Franklin

Brash Ag will be lifting the lid on everything agricultural technology and agtech. Your hosts Raymond King and Kit Franklin are both Chartered Agricultural Engineers and experienced innovators and technologists. Through a mixture of commentary, insights and interviews, Ray and Kit will be using their experience to explore and explain the concepts, ideas, technology and business models that make agtech one of the most exciting and engaging industries to be involved in. Email us: contact@brash-ag.com The first season and launch of the podcast was supported by the Douglas Bomford Trust www.dbt.org.uk Raymond King https://www.linkedin.com/in/flynt-technology/ Kit Franklin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-franklin-33649a51/

  1. 73. Emergency Pod - Ag robot meltdown!

    2 DAYS AGO

    73. Emergency Pod - Ag robot meltdown!

    Is it the end of the road for Agrointelli and their Robotti autonomous gantry platform? In the spirit of “The Rest is Politics”, Kit and Ray take to the airwaves to discuss the breaking news of Agrointelli’s bankruptcy. While the company is currently still producing robots and fulfilling orders their liquidity challenges could mean the end of the line for the company founded in 2015 to commercialise academic research. With a Danish government fund keeping the lights on, can a deal be done before time runs out? The pair also discuss other autonomy plays in the agricultural space, are the likes of Agco and John Deer going to lose market share to smaller players or will massive distribution take the prize in the long run? Also this week the co-hosts break the news of the termination of the joint venture between Mahindra and Mitsubishi in Japan. With Mahindra pulling out of the Japanese market and focusing on their domestic customers, Ray and Kit ponder as to the motivations for such a move? Is Mahindra turned off by the aging population in Japan or have they pulled away with all the IP they need to further grow their domestic offering? Finally, with the rise of automation across industries, including farming, do we have enough technicians and apprentices to keep the machines working? The pair take on the debate? O and some cool AI in construction: https://youtube.com/shorts/elT6Ggcx_vQ?si=Iag54RO6c2ei2Lcu

    49 min
  2. 72. News Feed: Can vertical farming solve food security?

    5 MAR

    72. News Feed: Can vertical farming solve food security?

    Can a war lead to more investment in vertical farming? How can a tractor help you iron your trousers? What new tech can farmers buy with the latest grant funding in the UK? This Week Ray and Kit catch up for a much overdue news feed episode. With recent developments in the Middle East and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz all but ceased the UAE has experienced food supply disruptions. The co-hosts discuss the opportunities for vertical farming to be part of a food security plan for the country and how agricultural engineers (as ever) are part of the answer. The pair also dive into the recently announced Farming Equipment and Technology Fund for 2026 and what new tech is supported this time round? Are farmers ready to invest in a grain weevil? Will UK dairy farmers have an appetite for mobile slurry separators? Does Roger Robson-Williams have the marketing for electric tractor conversions nailed? How does ironing and running a toaster link to James Watt and horse power as a unit of measure…

    38 min
  3. 71. Sam Scales: Scaling autonomous farming down under

    26 FEB

    71. Sam Scales: Scaling autonomous farming down under

    How do you sell a brand new concept to some of the sharpest farmers and business people in Australia? What is the killer sales strategy? Is autonomy a barrier to adoption or do farmers need to think about things at a system level? This week Kit and Ray are joined by Sam Scales, product specialist at Landpower in Australia,. Sam is pioneering the sale of Agxeed robots in Australia. Sam has a fascinating background going from an apprenticeship to Masters degree from Harper Adams alongside a wealth of experience from roles at Hawk Plant Hire, Railability and JCB. Sam explains how a chance call from his good friend (and friend of the pod) Will Flittner, led to him and his wife travelling down under to work for Landpower, a huge scale dealership for Claas, Grimme and AgXeed equipment (to name a few of their brands). Now a few years into the role Sam has been demonstrating, hiring and selling equipment to some of the world's most savvy farmers. Sam shares his secrets to delivering value for his discerning customers; from understanding agronomy, how autonomy can help improve the soil and applying a systems based approach to help farmers adopt new ways of working with machines that drive themselves. This is a must for engineers, farmers and anyone trying to build a market for new technologies. #engineering #agtech #agritech #agriculture #farming #swarmfarm #robotics #Australianfarming #Australia #farmingdownunder #automation

    59 min
  4. 70. Kit's on the pull for AgriTech at the National Farm Machinery Show

    19 FEB

    70. Kit's on the pull for AgriTech at the National Farm Machinery Show

    How much horse power is too much for a stock tractor? 300hp? 500? How about 5000hp? Does subscription free AI exist? and why are small bales King in the USA? This week Kit brings us four of his top picks from the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville Kentucky. But before we hear about the latest Agritech Kit shares his experience from the Championship Tractor pull and some of the ear splitting engines fitted to these beasts of the arena. Meanwhile at the show we heard from: Eric Franks of Visionworks Camera Systems who tells us all about their subscription free AI safety cameras that promise to help drivers identify and avoid collisions with bystanders by providing alerts and distance measurements. Mark Ray from GEA who explains the CattleEye system for tracking lameness in dairy herds using AI driven camera systems to monitor behaviour. Can prognosis be better than diagnosis and do the numbers stack up for all dairy businesses? Bryce Baker of PTX talks through the latest developments from the GPS navigation company and how their hardware and software could help farmers to access autonomy for field operations such as corn carting and harvest. Could retrofit autonomous tractors open up opportunities to complete tillage tasks within time critical windows? Bryce also showcases the Arrowshot technology that can perfectly orient and place maize (corn) seeds in the ground during drilling to ensure all the leaves all all the plants are aligned in the field. Ben Mansfield (a friendly face from the UK and Harper Adams days) describes how British manufacturer JCB is finding its niche in the US machinery sector with skid steers and telehandlers. Ben also explains how JCB is challenging perceptions about the role of a telehandler on the farm. Could a ‘construction machine’ really find a home working in an ag setting? European farmers think so. As ever Ray and Kit deliver these insights with their own thoughts and insights…

    1 hr
  5. 69. Ezekiel McReynolds: Cyber security lessons; from the frontline of warfare to the bottom line of farming

    12 FEB

    69. Ezekiel McReynolds: Cyber security lessons; from the frontline of warfare to the bottom line of farming

    Could farm machinery be the new frontline for the war on cyber crime? How will cyber threats shape the future of autonomy on farms and what can farmers and engineers do to protect themselves and each other? In this episode Kit and Ray are joined by Ezekiel (Zeke) McReynolds to talk all things Cyber security and agritech. With a fascinating background that spans agricultural engineering and military work, Zeke is well placed to guide the co-hosts through the murky world of cyber crime and the vital work that is being done to help keep users, owners and the public safe. The hosts share some of their experiences of how cyber security has been (or hasn’t been adopted) from their own experiences innovating in farm robotics and ag machinery space. Zeke also offers some real down to earth examples of how farmers and engineers can implement cyber security in their day to day work without breaking the bank in the process. A big fan of Brash Ag, Zeke also echos the rallying cry to encourage more engineers into agriculture and highlights the opportunities for Cyber specialists to move to a more rewarding career supporting farmers and agtech in the field. Could agriculture help free more people from sinking forever into their seat cushions?...

    58 min
  6. 68. Maddison Dixon: From Blues clubs to blue skies, how drones and the Mississippi Delta changed the world

    5 FEB

    68. Maddison Dixon: From Blues clubs to blue skies, how drones and the Mississippi Delta changed the world

    How did the Mississippi delta change the world of music, aviation and agriculture? This week Ray and Kit are joined by Maddison Dixon, Associate director at Agricultural Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University. Maddison explains how growing up watching crop dusters perform feats of daring in the Mississippi delta ignited a passion for aviation and agriculture. The co-hosts also get fascinating insight into the history of blues music and how it led to some of the greatest rock bands and music in the world from Muddy Waters to Led Zepplin. With a deep understanding of drones and their applications stretching back to when the technology was in its infancy, Maddison gives amazing insights to not only the technology but also the business cases for services providers and even farmers. With the recent ban on the sale of Chinese manufactured drones in the US, Maddison helps explain some of the motivations behind the move. He also explains how the AAI has been working with US drone manufacturers to help keep pace with foreign competition. While the first manned flight may have been from American soil, Kit and Ray wonder whether flight was really perfected by the British with the Spitfire or perhaps we have all been overtaken by the Chinese?...

    53 min
  7. 67. LAMMA Show Pt2 - Cows can’t use toilets…can they?

    29 JAN

    67. LAMMA Show Pt2 - Cows can’t use toilets…can they?

    In this second episode from Ray's adventure to LAMMA Show 2026. Ray brings another three of his top picks from his day. Did Ray manage to complete his side quest? We find out when we hear from: Jeremy Clark at Smaxtec, the smart bolas company that promises to turn biometric data into actionable insights using the power of AI and machine learning. Jermey explains the benefits of being able to spot medical issues and calving from internal temperature data before the cattle show any visual signs of distress. A shout out to Emma Pattison for showing Ray through the Smaxtech data dashboard and how the product works. Bart Pennings from Hanskamp and their revolutionary new cow toilet that promises to reduce emissions for housed animals and add value to the waste collected. Bart explains how the idea came from a tried and tested technique that veterinarians use to capture urine samples. Bart also gives some of the drivers behind the product, including the part that legislation has played, driving the Hanskamp engineers to provide a solution. Ben Bamnet of Somerset EV, old friend and guest of the pod. Ben gives us a frank run down of the EV tech on display at LAMMA including the latest electric Fendt tractor and Merlo Telehander. Are all electric tractors created equal and has anyone perfected the electric telehandler yet? Ben also gives us an update on the EV converted Leyland tractor, including some modifications that have opened up new capabilities. Another jam packed episode with plenty of new tech and insights from the co-hosts. Remember to like, subscribe and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and LinkedIn for the latest updates.

    48 min
  8. 66. LAMMA Show Pt1 - V8s & Mullets, 1980’s fashion but state of the art Tech

    22 JAN

    66. LAMMA Show Pt1 - V8s & Mullets, 1980’s fashion but state of the art Tech

    LAMMA Show Special Part 1. This week Ray brings three of his top picks from his recent trip to LAMMA 2026 show at the NEC. Ray spent a day at the show and brings the Brash Ag listeners his highlights of the tech and innovations that were on display, we hear from: Eoin Clarke, Marketing Executive from McHale tells us about the Terradrive driven axle on the Fusion balers wrappers. Eoin tells us about the challenges that McHale has seen for farmers of hilly ground, how the tech works and importantly what it costs! Chris Gordon, Operations Manager from Kidd Machinery gives us some of the history of Kidd Machinery, why John Harvey Engineering Limited bought Kidd Machinery and how the recent purchases of Bush Pig and WRAG Fencing have helped to produce a formidable product line up. Could this be the start of a home grown Alamo group? Shout out to Freddie Siebert for taking the time to show us around the stand as well and sorry that we mistook you for your brother Robert Siebert. Rowan Duckworth, Digital Services Specialist at Hutchinsons, tells us about the Terramapping technology (provided by Soil Optix) that Hutchinson provides to help farmers optimise their fertiliser applications for maximum efficiency. Rowan also explains an exciting new integration between the Omnia platform and John Deere, allowing farmers to get access to the full value out of their machinery and software. We also get the co-hosts' thoughts on the rise and reign of the mullet and harlequin shorts combination, which has become the staple for all budding Young Farmers. As well as how LAMMA has changed and evolved to have a significant retail section for farmers restock their wardrobes and workshops!

    47 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Brash Ag will be lifting the lid on everything agricultural technology and agtech. Your hosts Raymond King and Kit Franklin are both Chartered Agricultural Engineers and experienced innovators and technologists. Through a mixture of commentary, insights and interviews, Ray and Kit will be using their experience to explore and explain the concepts, ideas, technology and business models that make agtech one of the most exciting and engaging industries to be involved in. Email us: contact@brash-ag.com The first season and launch of the podcast was supported by the Douglas Bomford Trust www.dbt.org.uk Raymond King https://www.linkedin.com/in/flynt-technology/ Kit Franklin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-franklin-33649a51/

Information

  • Creator
    Raymond King and Kit Franklin
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Brash Ag

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