Dirt Smart

Ep. #16 Bullets to BX - Ben Bardsley

In this special episode the host of Dirt Smart sits in the interview chair and is interviewed by Dirt Smart Producer, Ty Paxton. Ben’s story begins on his family’s 130-year-old tree fruit farm in Kent, southeast of London. It’s where he learned the rhythm of farming — the grit, the rewards, and the relentless work — from his father and grandfather. After university, he served as a decorated veteran in Afghanistan, where his life changed forever after being ambushed and shot through the torso by the Taliban. Following a remarkable recovery, Ben returned to the family fruit business, becoming CEO and scaling it by an astonishing 1,400%. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of BX — a farm intelligence platform helping farms transform fragmented data into powerful, actionable insights. This episode isn’t just about business success. It’s about survival, resilience, and purpose — how near-death shaped Ben’s mission to create lasting, positive impact through farming. It’s a story of grit, perseverance, and vision. Learn more about Ben [https://benbardsley.earth/] Learn more about BX [https://bx.tech/]

Ep. #15 Retail Titan - Jason Tarry

Jason Tarry spent more than three decades inside Tesco [https://www.tesco.com/], UK's largest retailer. He rose from graduate trainee to the CEO and he's shaped how Britain shops, eats, and thinks about value. Few leaders understand the full chain from field to fork like Jason. He knows farming, he knows food, and he knows how the smallest supply chain can ripple across an entire nation.  Jason is now the Chairman of UK's most principled institution - the John Lewis Partnership [https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/] - which own the UK's largest premium retailer, Waitrose [https://www.waitrose.com/]; a business built on purpose, quality, and trust.  In this episode we explore Jason's journey and how he rose to become the retail titan he is today.  Learn more about John Lewis Partnership [https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/] Learn more about Waitrose [https://www.waitrose.com/] Learn more about our Sponsor, BX [https://bx.tech/]

Ep. #14 AI Vision Queen - Jenny Lemieux

Imagine scanning every tree in your orchard - blossom to harvest - and knowing with confidence what you will grow, harvest, the amount to sell, and where to send labor. In this episode we meet the founder making this crystal ball a reality for farmers across four continents.  Jenny Lemieux is the CEO and Co-Founder of Vivid Machines - a Toronto-based Ag Tech company turning orchards and vineyards into living data sets. Their Vivid X Vision System mounts onto farm equipment to scan trees at tractor speed, delivering up to 90% accuracy on forecasts - transforming how growers plan labor, thinning, spraying, and ultimately the sales they make to their customers.  Since launching in 2020, Vivid Machines has raised $10 million in seed funding, won recognition from global ag tech awards, and earned strong grower feedback for reducing inputs, saving on labor costs, and delivering more predictable harvests.  Jenny's unique path from chemical engineering and product design to AI leadership, she has shaped her mission to bring precision, transparency, and profitability to the specialty crop world.  Learn more about Vivid Machines  [https://www.vivid-machines.com/] Learn more about our Sponsor, BX [https://bx.tech/]

Ep. #13 Packaging Giant - Kailan Dunn

In this episode we dive into the post-harvest world with Kailan Dunn, President & CEO of H.R. Spinner - one of the largest fruit packaging companies in the United States selling over 100 million boxes every year.  Since 1916 H.R. Spinner has been an industry-leading company enabling tree fruit growers to protect, sell, and deliver their crop with smarter boxes, pads, and in-house automation with box makers, tray formers, and pad inserters. Their work is integral to keeping apples, potatoes, hops, and blueberries moving.  This is a story of packaging, people, and the future of what goes on behind the scenes in the food supply chain.  Learn more about H.R. Spinner [https://www.hrspinner.com/] Learn more about our Sponsor, BX [https://bx.tech/]

Ep. #12 From Apple to Apples - Tyler Price

Tyler Price is a Stanford educated CEO leading one of the largest fruit growing and packing companies in Washington State, Price Cold Storage and Packing Company. A fourth generation family business that's been in operation for nearly a century, Tyler is leading the company into the future with a state of the art facility, bold partnerships, and a relentless focus on quality. He's not just running a company, he's an industry leader, shaping the conversation around technology, food safety, and the next generation of talent through his role as Chairman of the Washington Apple Education Foundation.  This is a story about innovation, scale, family business, and the kind of leadership it takes to perform on a global scale. Learn more about Price Cold Storage & Packing Company [https://www.priceapples.com/] Learn more about Washington Apple Education Foundation [https://waef.org/]  Learn more about our Sponsor, BX [https://bx.tech/]