The Modern Acre

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

Cousin Brad (Brad Squires) joins us again on the podcast to give an update on his farm, Heirloom Acres Farms, and orchard, Orangevale Fruit Co. We talk through how the farm business has involved, the focus on community building, regenerative practices, and much more! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/163

Haven Baker is the Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder of Pairwise, an agtech company that has developed the world's most sophisticated genome editing platform. Haven is the former Senior Vice President / General Manager of Simplot Plant Sciences, where he led the team that launched the innovative, non-browning Innate® potato. He holds a PhD in chemistry from Northeastern University, an MBA from Harvard University, and a BS in biomedical engineering from Yale University. Haven joins the show to teach us all about CRISPR technology and how he and the team at Pairwise have leveraged in to build the business. We also talk about how they think about GMO vs. non-GMO and much more! Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/162

Tyler reveals the details behind his mini Twitter fight about farmers being paid for carbon credits. Tune in to hear Tyler and Tim talk through their thoughts on the evolving carbon market and companies, certifications, and marketplaces focused on regenerative agriculture. Tim and Tyler also talk through their perspectives and insights into partnerships, including things to think about when considering partners. Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/161