Agri Ventures Media - STEM Minds and Boreal Farms

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Agriventures is a STEM Minds and Boreal Farms initiative that merges education, agriculture and innovation. We aim to support sustainable practices while emphasizing the importance of technology in farming methods. Through collaboration and creativity, we are ready to transform the agricultural landscape.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Podcast: Interview with Colleen about Science of Plants and Soil

    Colleen Dempster, President and CEO of Rewild Soils Lab in Uxbridge, works at the intersection of ecology, soil science, and education to support a healthier local food system. Her work focuses on “rewilding” both ecosystems and people: she creates biologically complete compost and converts it into liquid amendments like compost tea and extracts, which restore the full soil food web for farms, gardens, cannabis cultivation, and restoration projects. Colleen emphasizes biodiversity, environmental awareness, and low-carbon, ethical practices, such as sourcing clean feedstock and maintaining a small footprint, while also running workshops and presentations to help people understand why caring for soil and the environment matters. The conversation frames her as deeply engaged in both the scientific and human sides of regenerative soil work.

  2. Aug 10

    Podcast: Interview with Rhonda and James – Toronto Urban Growers

    Toronto Urban Growers is a diverse and inclusive network of individuals and organizations committed to scaling up urban agriculture in the city.  They serve a network that cultivates relationships, and help new leaders emerge, while developing strategies to expand food production within the city. Part of their vision is the belief that young people, newcomers and new entrepreneurs should have more economic opportunities in the agri-food system. Many of their projects have embodied this vision.

  3. Aug 4

    Interview with Helen from PureLife

    Brandon interviews Helen from Pure Life Soil, a regenerative soil company in west Toronto that grew out of a family bait business over 50 years ago. The founders discovered that their byproduct—worm castings—is a highly potent, microbe-rich fertilizer, leading the company to evolve and rebrand as Pure Life Soil in 2021, now run by the third generation. Helen, who has a lifelong passion for soil biology, joined three and a half years ago and describes their large indoor, temperature-controlled facility where millions of earthworms are raised to produce consistent, high-quality castings that help regenerate land, trap carbon, and support healthy ecosystems.

  4. Jul 27

    Interview with Amos about LED Lights and Agronomy - Episode 2

    In this interview, Amos Bassi, a senior plant specialist and agronomist with international experience across Europe, Asia, and North America, shares how a lifelong passion for agriculture led him to specialize in sustainable and efficient food production. Growing up in Italy, he chose an agriculture-focused high school and pursued the path of a “doctor agronomist,” working across crop production, science, and technology. Now part of the Philips horticultural lighting division as a sales application specialist / senior plant specialist, he supports growers in greenhouses and vertical farms by translating plant science into practical strategies—optimizing lighting, adapting innovations to local climates and market needs, and helping producers improve yields while managing energy, labor, and other constraints.

  5. Jul 20

    Podcast: Interview with Anu and Brandon - Episode 1

    STEM Minds founder Anu Bidani and “agripreneur” Brandan Hebor discuss their shared mission to inspire youth and newcomers to see agri-food and agri-tech as innovative, meaningful career paths that address food insecurity, climate change, and an aging farming population. They connect soil health, plant health, and human health, emphasizing land stewardship, regenerative practices, and the importance of understanding the full agri-food value chain. Drawing parallels between early STEM education and today’s agri-tech gap, they argue that schools don’t need “new content,” but a new lens that links existing math, science, biology, robotics, and technology curricula to agriculture. They highlight hands-on learning at their Living Lab and farm, robots, drones, IoT, AI crop diagnostics, as powerful ways to make agriculture “fun and cool,” while promoting local food systems, community gardens, and small backyard growing as practical responses to food insecurity. They also identify a major opportunity in harnessing the skills of immigrants with agricultural backgrounds, re-framing farming as an entrepreneurial, tech-enabled, high-skill profession, and outline initiatives like “Just an Acre” to prove that regenerative, small-scale production can be both profitable and climate-positive.

  • 5 Episodes

About

Agriventures is a STEM Minds and Boreal Farms initiative that merges education, agriculture and innovation. We aim to support sustainable practices while emphasizing the importance of technology in farming methods. Through collaboration and creativity, we are ready to transform the agricultural landscape.

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