From growing up on a dairy farm in north central Iowa to serving as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns has spent much of his career connected to American agriculture. Now, he is continuing that work in a new role as senior advisor for Avalo.
Johanns joined Avalo in early June, bringing decades of experience in agriculture, public policy and government to the agricultural technology company.
His agricultural roots stretch back to his childhood near Osage, Iowa, where his family operated a 160-acre farm with dairy cattle, beef cattle and chickens.
“We were the epitome of the family farm,” Johanns said.
After college and law school, Johanns began his legal career in Lincoln, Nebraska. He later served as a county commissioner and Lincoln city council member before becoming mayor of Lincoln. His career in public service eventually took him to the governor's office in Nebraska, followed by roles as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Senator.
“My professional career has been around agriculture from the very beginning,” Johanns said.
That experience now informs his work with Avalo, a company using artificial intelligence and plant breeding technology to develop crop varieties designed to address challenges facing agriculture.
Johanns said one of the company's goals is developing crops capable of performing with fewer inputs and under difficult growing conditions. He pointed to cotton production in Texas as an example, where farmers regularly contend with hot, dry and windy conditions.
Reducing the inputs required to successfully produce a crop could provide benefits throughout the agricultural supply chain, he said, including lowering production costs for farmers and meeting marketplace demand for more sustainable products.
“Farmers are looking for that because it holds down the cost of raising that crop,” Johanns said. “Users of the product are looking for that because they want to be able to say, ‘We are using products that are more sustainable for our world.’”
As senior advisor, Johanns provides guidance on farming conditions, developments in Washington and marketplace needs. He hopes his experience can help Avalo identify opportunities and continue developing solutions that meet farmers' needs.
So far, Johanns said the people behind Avalo have been his favorite part of the new position.
“They are change makers,” he said. “They are people who are looking at our agricultural system and just saying very simply, ‘We can do better.’”
Most importantly, Johanns said he sees Avalo as a farmer-focused company, which is an approach that aligns closely with the philosophy he carried throughout his career in public service.
“Whether I was the governor or the Secretary of Agriculture, I would say over and over again, ‘I want to be the cheerleader for the American farmer,’” Johanns said.
In his new role, he hopes to help Avalo grow while ensuring farmers remain at the center of that growth.
“My goal is to make sure that we always put farmers first,” Johanns said, “and to make sure that we're getting the word out that Avalo is new and something different, and it's going to have a huge impact on agriculture.”
