The Modern Acre

Jeff Dunn is the Chairman and CEO of Bolthouse Farms, a farm and consumer brand focused on carrot production and healthy beverages. Jeff was the CEO of Bolthouse for 6 years before helping sell the business to Campbell's Soup Company in 2012. In a twist of events, Campbell's sold the company back to Jeff last year. Jeff joins us to dive deep into that journey and to share more about what makes Bolthouse special and innovative. Tune in! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/173

Michael Bosworth is the CEO of Next Generation Foods which was established in 2006 to market and distribute locally grown foods in Northern California. Next Generation Foods' seeks to shorten the supply chain, increase traceability and transparency of the local food system and promote foods grown by local family farms. Michael joins us to share more about his story as a farmer turned founder, including why he started NGF, processing and distribution, creating a retail brand, and much more! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/172

Michael Guirguis is the co-founder and CEO of Seso Labor, a labor marketplace for agriculture that addresses the labor problem by connecting U.S farms with qualified seasonal workers via America’s agricultural guest worker program (H-2A). Michael joins us to dive into his background in labor policy, founded and scaling the company, and some meaningful insights into the complex nature of agricultural labor. Must listen! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/171

Stacy Kimmel, PhD, is the Vice President of R&D at AeroFarms, an indoor farming company and Certified B Corporation that uses the latest breakthroughs in vertical farming, artificial intelligence and plant biology to grow and distribute fresh produce locally and globally. Stacy joins us to give an update on AeroFarms, including their recent announcement of going public via SPAC, company and product rebrand, and construction of their newest indoor farm. Tune in for an insightful update into one of the most innovative companies in the indoor farming space! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/170

Israel Talpaz is the co-founder and CEO of See Tree, an agtech startup that uses the power of machine-learning algorithms to get smarter, and offer farmers the most precise window into the strength of their tree crops. Israel joins the podcast to talk about how he founded the company and how they are scaling both geographically and in crop type. Tune in to learn more about their approach, technology, and more! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/169

Vonnie Estes is the Vice President of Technology of the Produce Marketing Association. Vonnie joins us for the second time to give some updates and insights into some hot topics within agriculture. We talk through the recent merger of PMA and United Fresh, the latest in carbon markets, agtech exits including SPAC's, indoor farming, and seeing a Rivian in the wild! This episode has it all. Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/168

Jayce Hafner (CEO) and Sami Tellatin (COO) are the co-founders of FarmRaise, a digital platform that equips producers with financial resources to build vital farming communities that are profitable, equitable, and ecologically resilient. Their simplified farm funding app applies farmers for major USDA cost-share programs in less than 20 minutes. They also track local and state funding programs as they open throughout the year and provide 1:1 support to help farms unlock more capital. Jayce and Sami join the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation. We cover how they founded and have grown the business, the challenges of farm financing, regenerative hot takes, and much more. Tune in! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/167

Josiah Terrell-Perica is the Director of Farmland Investing at FarmTogether, a technology-enabled farmland investment platform that provides accredited investors with direct access to farmland as an asset class. Josiah joins us for the second time on the podcast to dive deep on some of FarmTogether's recent deals, what Josiah looks for in farmland, and sustainable water management and principles. He provides an overview of both climate and market related factors to consider in farmland investing. A ton of good stuff in this one! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/166

Loren Booth is the President of Booth Ranches, a premium citrus grower located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Their Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, Cara-Caras, Minneolas and W. Murcotts are distributed worldwide. Loren joins us to talk about the origin story of the farm and how she joined and has developed the business over time, including focusing on bringing more of the farming operations and business in-house. We also discuss their focus on sustainability and technology. Tune in! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/165

Dan Miller is the founder and CEO of Steward, a private lender providing regenerative farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and producers the capital they need to expand and sustain their businesses. And through our innovative online platform, qualified lenders have the opportunity to join in our mission and help fund the growth of regenerative agriculture by purchasing loan participations. Dan joins us to talk about how he started and is growing the business. We go deep on regenerative ag, transition finance, and investing in value-add processing and direct marketing. Don't miss this one! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/164