#BensonHillBuilds
This has been a tremendous week for the Benson Hill team. While it would have been amazing to celebrate the grand opening of our new headquarters together, our virtual grand opening spread the festivities over an entire week, and it has been a momentous one to say the least.
Check out the Innovation in Agriculture session, featuring the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, our Plant to Plate session with former co-CEO of Whole Foods Walter Robb, our virtual walk-through of the building and Adam Javan’s Flip the Switch Moment blog post.
Thank you for being a part of this amazing experience! We hope you enjoy browsing all of the exciting content from this week’s celebration.
Benson Hill Builds
On Monday, September 21st, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, visited Benson Hill to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of our new headquarters (HQ) and discuss his Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA) with our team. The Secretary kicked off his visit with a tour of our new HQ and witnessed first-hand how our new facility brings together three levels of science – food science, data science, and plant science – under one roof to deliver consumer-relevant products in partnership with farmers.
Food is health – and we think we can go farther through the combination of data science joining with advanced genetics. I’m intrigued by what Benson Hill is doing to link production and consumption in a transparent way.
SONNY PERDUE
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary Perdue’s tour took him through the following insight stations:
Food Science Insight Station:
The taste, texture, sustainability, and health of our food can be improved through genetics. Our Food Science and Commercial teams gather insights from consumers and partners, to inform front-end product design.
CropOS™, our leading food innovation engine, leverages public and proprietary data sources to tap a crop’s natural genetic diversity to uncover genes controlling quality traits such as protein, flavor, and texture.
We use gene editing, speed breeding, and predictive breeding to rapidly deploy traits and products using insights from data science. Our advanced capabilities in gene editing and predictive breeding are directed toward quality traits in a way that is novel for our industry.
Farmers are an integral player in bringing our technology to life. In addition to supporting farm profitability with premium, full-production contracts, we leverage environmental data to advise farmers on which varieties are best suited for their fields.
Secretary Perdue was able to hear directly from Illinois Farmer, Kent Donoho, who’s growing Benson Hill Seeds on his own farm.
This discussion was focused on the USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA) and how new technology advancements, from companies like Benson Hill, are designed to align consumer demand with farmer activities, along with the power of partnerships to drive the future of food.
Benson Hill Co-Founders Matt Crisp and Todd Mockler, PhD, were joined by Secretary Perdue and Chris Chinn, Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, who each gave remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
PRESS RELEASE
Benson Hill Builds a Home for the Future of Food
Newly Constructed Headquarters Will Nourish Innovation from Plant to Plate
Designing for Innovation
Take a tour through the new Benson Hill headquarters and see why The Future of Food Lives Here.
Today on the Radio
An Emergent Worldwide Hub For Plant Science — Benson Hill Doubles Down On St. Louis With New HQ
From Plant to Plate
This discussion focused on how a better food system means empowering breeders, farmers, food companies, retailers and consumers to ensure better food by intent, design and access.
Flip the Switch Moment
Read a blog post from Adam Javan, Benson Hill’s EVP of Strategy and Business Development, where he discusses the Flip The Switch Moment driving the future of food.
Community Celebration
Benson Hill is excited to sponsor a virtual food drive in partnership with the St. Louis Area Foodbank. Everyone deserves access to food and the promise of a healthy diet, which is why the St. Louis Area Foodbank is committed to building a stronger, healthier bi-state region where no one goes to bed hungry.
Every dollar donated will provide four meals to people in need. Please take a moment and consider celebrating our HQ Grand Opening with a virtual donation to fight hunger and feed hope.
