Have you ever wondered how to combine sustainable farming, education, and entertainment into a single innovative concept? I sat down with Mike Smart, founder of Smart Farms, to discuss his unique approach to revolutionizing the food industry and educating the next generation.Mike's journey is a fascinating blend of technology, entrepreneurship, and agriculture. From his early days in crypto and digital payments to his current focus on sustainable farming, Mike has always been driven by a desire to empower individuals and decentralize systems. His latest venture, Smart Farms and the Bucket Buddies brand, is a testament to this vision.At the heart of Mike's concept is the Bucket Buddies book series, which features anthropomorphic characters teaching children about farming, nutrition, and sustainability. But it doesn't stop there – the brand extends to physical products, grow kits, and plans for animated content, all designed to engage children and families in the world of agriculture.We delved into Mike's ambitious plans for scaling his concept, including the development of hyperlocal farms across the country and the creation of educational experiences that blend entertainment with hands-on learning. Mike also shared his thoughts on the challenges of bringing such a multifaceted project to life and his strategies for attracting investors and partners.If you're interested in innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture, education, or building a brand with a purpose, you won't want to miss this inspiring conversation with Mike Smart. Tune in to hear how one entrepreneur is working to transform our relationship with food from the ground up.<h2>Thanks to Our Sponsors</h2>CEA Summit East - <a href="https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/</a>Indoor AgCon - <a href="https://indoor.ag/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://indoor.ag/</a><h2>Key Takeaways</h2>5:35 Crypto journey and payment industry experiences8:14 Origins of indoor farming interest13:44 Creating the Bucket Buddies book series19:33 Walt Disney-like vision for Smart Farms23:52 Current progress and future plans29:14 Scaling the brand and outsourcing production34:53 Immediate needs and ideal partners<h2>Tweetable Quotes</h2><blockquote>"How about we funnel all of that consumerism into sustainable farming methods and then scale those sustainable farming methods as a nonprofit as opposed to forcing people to pay taxes to jump on board with whatever systems they can remain centralized and shut us off from our electricity or shut us off from our food supply anytime they want."</blockquote><blockquote>"Adults are indoctrinated and it's harder and in fact impossible to change the mind of an adult who doesn't want to change their mind. And so it just only makes sense to start with educating the youth, making this stuff entertaining, fun, stickable, addicting."</blockquote><blockquote>"I'm Daddy in my world and I'm fixing everything I can fix with these processes. And if I can create a subscription service to these micro local hyperlocal farms and instill the curriculum into all the libraries and the schools and homeschool communities so that the kids are learning Smart Farms is where we get our food... Then we're going to be a household name."</blockquote><h2>Resources Mentioned</h2>Website - <a href="https://smartfarms.global/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Https://smartfarms.global</a>LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smart-bucket-buddies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smart-bucket-buddies</a>Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/16n455CPLE/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/share/16n455CPLE/</a>X - <a href="https://x.com/smartfarms2024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://x.com/smartfarms2024</a>YouTube - <a href="https://youtube.com/@smartfarms2024" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtube.com/@smartfarms2024</a><h2>Connect With Us</h2>VFP LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast</a>VFP Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod</a>VFP Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/</a>VFP Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod</a>Subscribe to our newsletters!AgTech Digest - <a href="https://agtechdigest.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://agtechdigest.com</a>The Indoor Farmer - <a href="https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/</a>Horti-Gen Insights - <a href="https://www.hortigeninsights.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.hortigeninsights.com/</a>🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing by <a href="https://fullcast.co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FullCast</a>Mentioned in this episode:2025 US Indoor Farm Reporthttp://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/report

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170: Cartoons, Crops, and Community: Reimagining Sustainable Farming with Smart Farms’ Mike Smart

Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEA

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