The VISION Conference

Patrick Smith

Vice President

B.T. Loftus Ranches, Inc.

Patrick Smith is the Vice President of B.T. Loftus Ranches Inc. one of the longest running hop farms in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. A fourth-generation farmer, Smith serves on the Washington Hop Commission and is the chairman of the audit committee for Yakima Chief Hops. Patrick holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington, a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and a M.S. in Business Analytics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

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Marc Vanacht

Strategic Business Consultant

AG Business Consultants

Marc Vanacht is the principal of AG Business Consultants. Vanacht specializes in business strategy and development, product and marketing management, market research, and analysis for organizations, government agencies and businesses steeped in agriculture and the food chain. Vanacht has worked with equipment manufacturers, regional cooperatives, national and regional distributors, seed and chemical companies, publishers, farm management, and software companies throughout the U.S., the Americas, Europe, Africa and East Asia. Fluent in five languages (English, French, Dutch, German, and Spanish), Vanacht holds degrees in Business Administration, Law, Economics, and Philosophy.

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Danny Royer

Agriculture Executive Consultant, California’s Central Valley

Danny Royer has 15 years of experience operating, managing and leading large scale vertically integrated food production operations. In the last five years Royer has focused most of his attention on designing and implementing digital transformations. Royer is an advocate for radical transparency for organizations internally and for end consumers. Having worked most of his career in an area surrounded by diverse ecosystems, Royer is also passionate about creating sustainable farming systems that account for and mitigate ecological, hydro-logical and climate impacts. Royer has a degree in Agricultural Systems Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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Tyler Mark

Assistant Professor, Production Economics

University of Kentucky

Tyler Mark is an assistant professor of production economics in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. His applied research interests include broadband availability in rural areas, precision agriculture, precision dairy, dairy policy, renewable energy feedstocks, and hemp economics. Current projects include factors that impact the profitability of Kentucky farmers, broadband internet’s impact on precision agriculture data transmission, the economic aspects of hemp production in Kentucky, dairy policy in the Southeastern United States, and the development of the Kentucky economy. In 2014 he was awarded the C-FARE/AAEA Early Career Professional Leadership Award.

The Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky mission has changed over the years, from a Farm Economics department to one that deals with the entire farmer-to-consumer food system, environmental and natural resource issues, and local and international economic development. We have faculty and staff in Lexington, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, Owensboro, Henderson, Princeton, and Mayfield. We are also the administrative home for Kentucky’s Small Business Development Center. We are heavily involved in College-wide programs like the Community Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Food Systems Innovation Center, the Center for Crop Diversification, and International Programs.

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Kevin Freiberg

Best-selling Author, Speaker, Advisor

Freibergs.com

With over one million copies in print, Dr. Kevin Freiberg is a worldwide best-selling author who challenges leaders to innovate, change, and disrupt in order to distinguish themselves within their market. Kevin has helped over 2,000 companies in 60 industries across the globe stand out in a sea of sameness by accelerating innovation and fostering team chemistry. These principles have been translated into his 8th and most recent book, Bochy Ball!, which details the synergy and leadership of San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy in putting together a 3-time world series winning baseball team.

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Daniel R. Vradenburg

Board Chairman

Cavallo Ventures

Daniel Vradenburg, board chairman of Cavallo Ventures, is a recognized expert in production agriculture with a passion for producing food, fiber, and energy in harmony with nature. As one of the industry’s most innovative thought leaders, Vradenburg believes technological advancements in plant and soil biology, data analysis, machine learning, and genetics provide a unique opportunity to improve agriculture practices while protecting the environment. Vradenburg advocates leveraging knowledge and technology to provide advanced agronomy solutions for agribusiness. He has a B.S in Agribusiness from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and as of January 2019, Vradenburg is a Technology & Investment advisor to Wilbur-Ellis’s capital venture arm, Cavallo Ventures and other stakeholders in the Ag Tech arena.

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David Eddy

Editor, American Fruit Grower & Western Fruit Grower magazines

David Eddy is Editor, American Fruit Grower and Western Fruit Grower magazines. He is a Contributing Editor to American Vegetable Grower magazine, also published by Meister Media Worldwide, and the website, www.GrowingProduce.com. A native Minnesotan who grew up on the East Coast, Dave is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and resides in Modesto, CA.

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