S1E6: 006 Dave Ridill - From Paramedic Firefighter to Vertical Farmer

Dave Ridill is a hydroponic farmer as well as the owner and head of operations at Clawson Greens, an organization that supplies Teton Valley and surrounding areas with fresh clean greens, locally grown year-round. Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he and Dave discuss the learning curve of vertical farming, the impact that Covid-19 has had on the industry and the importance of being nimble as an entrepreneur. Dave tells the story of how he chose a career as a vertical farmer over that of a paramedic firefighter and the impact he wishes to make with his AgTech organization.

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Key Takeaways

00:01 – Dave shares his background as a ski patrolman, his origin story as a vertical farmer and the work he’s doing at Clawson Greens
09:55 – Dave speaks to the learning curve of vertical farming, the breakdown of his clientele and how he is assisting his local community
16:35 – Dave expounds on the importance of remaining nimble as an entrepreneur in the AgTech space
20:09 – Dave breaks down a typical day in the life as a vertical farmer and the challenges that emerged due to Covid-19
27:32 – Best practices and insights Dave has learned from other hydroponic farms
30:56 – Dave talks about his marketing plans for Clawson Greens
35:49 – What Dave has learned about himself throughout his entrepreneurial journey
38:27 – What is something that Dave has changed his mind about recently
40:22 – Dave speaks to the trends that excite him about the future of vertical farming and where listeners can follow and connect with Dave

Tweetables:

“You have to understand that it [vertical farming] is a business in that if you want to actually do this you have there has to be this idea that you want to be successful. And, failure was not an option.” (08:17)

“I think that there’s a benefit for small farms like myself and all over the country – whether that’s indoor farming or just small scale farming in a community – is we have the ability to transition in a day or two from restaurants to a direct-to-consumer, to a drive-up.” (17:32)

“Our competition was more of what’s going on in California – the transportation and water shortages and climate change. That’s our competition.” (28:45)

“A lot of people still think their food just comes from the grocery store and they don’t have that connection that there’s actually farmers, there’s actually people who grow this food.” (37:02)

Links Mentioned:

Dave’s LinkedIn

Dave’s Website

Dave’s Facebook

Clawson Green’s Instagram – @clawsongreens

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