The Modern Acre

Kit Barron is the Head of Automation and Artificial Intelligence at FarmTogether, a technology-enabled farmland investment platform that provides accredited investors with direct access to farmland as an asset class. Kit has over 10 years of experience leveraging technology to shape the future of food and agriculture. Kit joins FarmTogether after six years at the Climate Corporation, where he helped build the world's leading AgTech platform, most recently as Director of Product, New Features.

Kit joins us for a wide-ranging conversation covering his time at Climate Corp, his role at FarmTogether, and the role automation, agtech, and AI has in agriculture. Don't miss this one!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/147

Lew Moorman is the Co-Founder of Soilworks, a Public Benefit Company on a mission to accelerate the Regenerative Food Movement by helping launch scalable, repeatable businesses that fuel the Regenerative economy. Lew's background is in the tech industry and he shares his story about why he decided to jump into the ag industry and start investing there. Tune in to learn what's he's up to with Soilworks, PastureMap, and Wholesome Meats!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/146

Bakur Kvezereli is the founder and CEO of Ztractor, a startup that develops Autonomous Electric Tractors (AETs) to increase farming efficiency, productivity, safety on the field while reducing production cost and environmental footprint. Ztractor has 3 models under development BearCub 24, Mars 45, and Superpolit 125. The first model BeraCub 24 is available for online pre-orders.

Prior to entrepreneurship Bakur was Senior Investment Officer at $1.5 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund, focusing on investments in Ag Tech. Between 2008-2011 he was the delegate to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Bakur joins us to talk about what led him to start Ztractor, the challenges of growth, the timing of the industry, and where they are going from here. Tune in!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/145

David Nothmann is the Chief Revenue Officer of Terramera, a cleantech leader focused on fusing AI, science and nature to create revolutionary technologies that transform how we grow food and solve other world-scale challenges. David joins the podcast to share more about his journey in the ag industry, including starting at Monsanto, investing in agtech, and his current role with Terramera. This episode was full of ag insights!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/144

Mike Machado is a California farmer, veteran, and former State Senator. He continues to own and operate his family's walnut farm in Linden, California. Mike joins us to share more about his decades-long journey in agriculture, lessons along the way, passing it to the next-generation, and continuing to innovate along the way. Mike also shares his perspective on leveraging environmental easements through California Farmland Trust as a way to protect his farmland from development.

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/143

Buy our squash box here!!!

Tim and Tyler are back and feeling fiery. Tune in to learn why we think there should be more action and less complaining about how much farmers make for every dollar spent and why we're trying to do something about it with our new squash boxes. We also share our thoughts on the Driscoll's and Plenty partnership and what that indicates moving forward. Lastly, Tyler explains a hot take on Halloween decorations.

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/142

Arama Kukutai is a co-founder and partner at Finistere Ventures, one of the pioneering venture firms dedicated to agritech, founded in 2006. Arama has been an investor, company founder and entrepreneur in the Agribusiness sector for over 20 years. Arama joins us to talk all things agtech investing, covering what he's paying close attention to right now and if the investment space is oversaturated. Don't miss this interview with an expert in agtech!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/141

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 to dive deep into sourcing farmland for the platform and what he looks for, including land and financial criteria, operators, and crops. We also dig into farmland as an investment and the adoption of technology on the farm. Josiah also shares his thoughts on some really interesting crops that have high-demand potential.

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/140

Uri Rosenweig is the Head of Product at Trellis, a leading provider of Food System Intelligence, using AI to optimize the way millions of acres of land are transformed into consumable food. Uri brings over a decade's experience as an agricultural innovator and expert in farm management systems and optimization. He earned his BA in economics, sociology, and political science at Bar Ilan University.

Uri joins us to talk about how data and AI can transform the food supply chain and how he and the team at Trellis is scaling this technology.

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/139

Nathan Gilliland is the CEO of Bellwether Coffee, a venture-backed, high-growth tech company working to positively transform the coffee industry through their flagship product, a coffee roaster. Nathan joins us to discuss how their roaster is shifting the traditional supply chain model by bringing the coffee roasting closer to the consumer, literally in the coffee shop! He also shares his background, more about the business, and what's next for Bellwether!

Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/138