The Future of Agriculture Roundtable

Three top agronomy leaders break down the field data, soil health strategies, and regenerative breakthroughs that are reshaping farming from the ground up

UpTerra CEO Stephen Birch is joined by agronomy experts Liz Haney, David Sloane and Parker Christian for a grounded discussion on the realities facing agriculture today – from degraded soils to input dependency and rising costs. They share results from recent field trials and ezplore how UpTerra’s structured water and requency platform is enabling more resilient, profitable farming across diverse crops and geographies. A must watch for those tracking agtech performance, farmer adoption and regenerative market shifts.

Featured Hosts & Guests

Parker Christian

Chief Agronomist
Parker Christian customizes UpTerra’s water-structuring service to each field. As lead agronomist he adjusts the water charge to maximize water efficiency and nutrient uptake. In field trials he observes increased soil health, better root development and shorter internode length, all of which work together to raise yields. He plans to partner with Oklahoma State University on replicated trials to further refine the technology. Parker works closely with growers, translating research into practical agronomy and ensuring UpTerra’s system delivers measurable benefits.

Liz Haney

Agronomist & Soil Scientist

Liz Haney is a soil scientist focused on soil health, biology and ecosystem function. She is a co-developer of the Haney Soil Health Test and works closely with farmers, ranchers and land stewards to improve soil structure, organic matter and long-term productivity. Through her work with Ag Soil Regen, she leads workshops and field programs that help growers understand how soil responds to management, inputs and water use. Liz blends scientific insight with practical guidance, making complex soil processes clear and actionable for producers across many regions.

Stephen Birch - CEO

Chief Executive Officer, UpTerra Corporation, Host

Steve Birch is a seasoned entrepreneur and operator with over 30 years of experience building and scaling businesses across aviation, technology, and medical manufacturing. He founded multiple companies, including one that reached $450M in revenue, and led three to public listings. A member of a third-generation corn farming family, Steve combines deep operational expertise with a personal understanding of agricultural systems. He has served on numerous public and private boards and brings a strong track record of value creation and execution. At UpTerra, he is focused on scaling a proven platform that delivers measurable benefits to farmers.

David Sloane

Chief Agronomist, Goanna Ag

David Sloane, PhD, is an irrigation agronomist with more than 20 years of experience across row crops, tree crops, vine crops and specialty crops. He has worked in both the United States and Australia and has held senior agronomy roles at Metos, the U.S. arm of Pessl Instruments, and at AquaSpy. In addition to his technical work, David has led business development efforts in the agriculture space, bringing new irrigation and environmental measurement technologies into domestic and international markets. He has built and supported dealer networks, trained channel partners and worked directly with growers to improve water management and field performance. As part of the GroGuru leadership team, he contributes deep agronomic insight and plays a key role in strategic decisions. David earned his PhD in Agronomy from the University of Adelaide in Australia.

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