The Modern Acre

Charles Baron, VP of Product and Co-founder of Farmers Business Network, talks with us about the values of the company that has disrupted the ag industry with price transparency. FBN is a company based around a network of farmers that leverages data to provide valuable insight and market intelligence back to the farmers. In our words, Farmers Business Network is "robinhood" for the ag industry. Charles talks about how and why he and his co-founders were inspired to build this business based around technology and the challenges they faced right from the start. He talks about how they had to boot strap the business to build traction and how they really focused on listening to their customers to innovate their product. FBN is a true Modern Acre case study, tune in! Connect with Farmers Business Network Website | Twitter | YouTube Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter

Jack Zech, a fourth-generation farmer, talks about coming back to his family farm after several years moving up the ladder of a large clothing company. We discuss what he learned through managing retail stores and overall strategy for Uniclo and what motivated him to leave corporate America to return to his family's farm in the California delta. Jack shares how he is adjusting to the change and how he has started in filling whatever gaps the farm needs. In addition to helping with the farming operation, Jack is starting a distillery business as a sister-company of the family farm. We dive into some of the early wins and challenges he has faced with building this business. Enjoy! Connect with Jack Email Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter

Margaux Alvarez, a 5x CrossFit Games athlete, shares how she has built a successful wine business around her personal brand. We cover everything from how she grows her own grapes to the winemaking process to all of the regulatory challenges of the alcohol industry. She has scaled her business by leveraging her personal brand as a CrossFit athlete and coach, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and marketing. She connects with others by being honest about her story, while engaging well in her community. This is a great episode that everyone can learn from, no matter the sector of agriculture. Connect with Margaux Instagram | YouTube Connect with Vine Yard Wine | CrossFit Connect with The Modern Acre Website | Instagram | Twitter

In this episode, we dive into the beverage business, SAP!, with co-founders Chas Smith and Nikita Salmon. SAP! offers sparkling water that's flavored with maple and birch sap, straight from Chas and Nikita's home state of Vermont. We discuss their upbringing in Vermont and how the maple industry has evolved. They share how they started the ag business and have scaled it through supply chain optimization, local and regional sales distribution, and marketing through social media. We could not stop asking questions and digging into how they've grown their business from nothing. Tune in! Connect with SAP! Website | Instagram

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE In episode 6, we talk with Alli Cecchini, Executive Director of First Generation Farmers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and training of the next-generation of organic farmers. Alli grew up on her family's asparagus farm and eventually came back and convinced her parents to let her use a half an acre for community farming. That half acre turned into a massive community and education program, including school field trips and agritourism. Alli has since created the Urban Edge Sustainable Farming Program, a program which provides organic farmer training to first generation farmers passionate about agriculture. Alli shares her journey, what she's learned, and why she is passionate about creating change. Connect with FGF Website | Instagram | Facebook

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE In this episode, we talk about the importance of education in inspiring the next-generation of farmers and ag entrepreneurs with the president of the California FFA, Luke O'Leary. Luke talks about his experience with FFA in high school, the transition to college in Texas, then back to California for a year spent traveling around the state inspiring and educated the next generation. We discuss the importance of educating others about the importance and breadth of agriculture, as well as the role FFA plays. Connect with Luke HERE Connect with the California FFA HERE

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE On episode 4, we have a hugely valuable conversation with Jesse Vollmar, Co-founder and CEO of the farm management technology company, FarmLogs. Jesse discusses his passion for technology and software development, and how he brought that passion back to the agriculture community. We talk through the difference between maximizing yields and maximizing profits, as well as what lessons he has learned as a CEO. Jesse touches on the importance of net neutrality and how technology will continue to impact agriculture. FarmLogs is a platform of easy-to-use tools and software that enables farmers to more effectively leverage data on the farm. There are over 50,000 farms covering over 80M acres that use FarmLogs, allowing thousands of farmers to run more efficient and profitable businesses. That's a LOT of modern acres. Check out FarmLogs HERE Connect with Jesse HERE

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE On this episode, we talk with Austin Maness, COO of Harvest Returns, a crowdfunding platform for ag investing. Austin talks about learning about agriculture and farming from his grandparents, his extensive military service, and helping start an innovative ag business. Harvest Returns provides farmers with more flexible financing options that a traditional loan, while also providing an alternative, passive investment for investors. Austin provides some examples of ag businesses they have worked with and talks about how the industry is trending and adopting technology. This is a good one, tune in! Check out Harvest Returns HERE Connect with Austin HERE

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE "A flamethrower is at stake here people." On this episode, we interview John Stenderup, Strategic Sales Executive for C.H. Robinson. We discuss what growing up on a farm was like, studying international ag business at Cal Poly, and transitioning to supply chain management, logistics, and global trade for fresh produce. We also get into what his recent Mount Everest climb was like. Needless to say, it's a jam packed show! John talks about learning about hard work doing odd jobs on the farm and how that established a foundation for him later in life. We discuss the disruption of technology in agriculture in the past 10 years and how that will continue to change the industry at a faster pace. John highlights the importance of relationships, networking, and partnering with academia to push innovation. Connect with John HERE Read the Cal Poly article HERE

Launch Giveaway: Scope the details HERE We made it! Episode 1 of The Modern Acre. On the first episode of the podcast, we share more of the vision of The Modern Acre and who we are. We'll let our voiceover guy take it from here… "The Modern Acre - Agriculture for the Next-Generation Farm & Business The Modern Acre is a community of students, farmers, professionals, and entrepreneurs passionate about building their ag businesses through modern day innovation and technology. If you're in the ag industry and looking for strategies for your business and inspiration from industry leaders and disruptors, you're in the right place. Stay tuned and join the community of ag innovators at themodernacre.co" Thanks, voiceover guy. But seriously, we are really excited about starting this podcast and hope it will provide a ton of value to you! You can connect with Tim and Tyler HERE