The Modern Acre

Help us celebrate our 350th episode by doing one (or all!) of the following: Share a recent episode with a friend or colleague Join our membership community The Modern Acre Co-op Subscribe to our new newsletter focused on food & ag strategy — Tim Bucher is the CEO and Founder of Agtonomy, a hybrid autonomy and tele-assist platform for agriculture vehicles. They partner with established equipment manufacturers to transform tractors and agriculture machines into autonomous and remote-controlled equipment that is accessible to local farmers. Tim is a lifelong farmer who also spent the bulk of his career in the tech industry in Silicon Valley. He worked for a number of successful startups and founders, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Michael Dell. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE.

Jack Richardson is kicking off a new and improved version of The Modern Acre newsletter. After starting his career in venture banking, Jack has spent the last five years in AgTech, first at a food waste startup and now in precision technology at an Ag OEM. He's spent most of his career in strategy roles where he's explored ways to make business models work. Outside of his specific roles, he's written about the space more broadly – you may have come across my prior writing on LinkedIn. In tandem with the contributing to the monthly newsletter, Jack will join us on the podcast every month to break down his latest research and dig into the strategy behind the company he's profiling. This month we dig into Mt. Joy. Check out the newsletter here. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Subscribe to the newsletter! Jack on Linkedin Mt. Joy Episode with Grant Jones Join our membership community

Austin is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. During the 2020 presidential campaign, he advised candidates Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg on agricultural policy before ultimately serving as Co-Chair of the Biden campaign’s Agriculture Antitrust Policy Committee. He is a Fellow of the Thurman Arnold Project at Yale University, an initiative that brings together faculty, students, and scholars to collaborate on research related to competition policy and antitrust enforcement. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Common Good Iowa and the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project. In 2022, The Advocate named him a "Champion of Pride.” He recently published his debut book, Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry, which profiles a series of powerful magnates to illustrate the concentration of power in the American food system. The book has received universal acclaim. Publishers Weekly gave it a Starred Review and the host of Bloomberg's Odd Lots commended the book, remarking that “I have come away with a completely different idea of agriculture that I cannot unsee." The book has received praise from across the political spectrum, including a rave review from The American Conservative. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Austin's Website Join the Co-op

Michael Lavin is the founder and managing partner of Germin8 Ventures, a purpose-driven venture capital firm that believes in the power of technology to fix the global food system. Founded in 2018 and backed by C-level executives, entrepreneurs and technologists across the food and agriculture industries, Germin8 is building a portfolio of entrepreneurs and businesses with the potential to profoundly change the future of FoodTech and AgTech. Michael oversees all aspects of Germin8’s investing, operations and strategy in addition to actively participating on the boards of its portfolio companies. Prior to Germin8, Michael served as an investment banker and financial consultant at Mesirow Financial, a global financial services firm managing more than $100 billion of assets, where he executed numerous M&A, capital raising and restructuring transactions for early stage startups, middle market and Fortune 500 companies with a particular focus on food and agriculture, industrial technology and aerospace. Michael is an advisor, mentor and member at several accelerators and incubators including Rabobank’s TERRA Accelerator, Alchemist Accelerator, Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, 1871, The Good Food Accelerator, Family Farmed and The Hatchery. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Michael is based in Chicago but splits his time between the San Francisco Bay Area, Europe, Tel Aviv and other hubs where food meets tech. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Germin8 Ventures Michael on LinkedIn Join the Co-op

Jason Giannelli is the farm manager for two large California farming operations, Old River Farming and R & G Fanucchi. Jason shares more about what's happening on the ground in California right now with SGMA, farming practices, and regulatory pressures. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Jason on LinkedIn Join the Co-op

Chris Tolles is the CEO and Co-Founder of Yard Stick. Yard Stick measures soil carbon. Scientists and farmers alike know that climate-friendly agricultural practices have the potential to remove atmospheric CO2 at gigaton/year scale. When these practices are adopted, more carbon is stored in soils, improving soil health and fighting climate change. But significant measurement challenges have held soil carbon efforts back - until now. By reducing the cost of soil carbon measurement by 90%+, Yard Stick will dramatically expand the opportunities for evidence-based regenerative practices to simultaneously improve ecosystem health, increase farmer income, and combat climate change. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Yard Stick Website Join the Co-op

Kevin Bearley is a Principle at Pinion and partners with business owners to create sophisticated income and tax solutions that include structuring organizations, transitioning businesses, and maximizing tax benefits at present and into the future. Kevin navigates complex family dynamics and advises family business owners that fair doesn’t always mean equal. When putting together estate plans, he focuses on ensuring operating assets and cash flow are accessible to on-farm heirs for long-term, prosperous farm operations, while also providing a monetary benefit to other off-farm heirs. Kevin Bearley listens closely to family business goals and develops financial strategies so the family business will survive and thrive in future generations. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Pinion Website Join the Co-op

Did you miss World Agri-Tech in SF last month? Do not fret, because Tim and Tyler break it all down for you with their takeaways from attending the show. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links World Agri-Tech Join the Co-op

Pat McCullough is the CEO of ProducePay, the marketplace transforming the global produce industry into a more connected and sustainable supply chain. Prior to being appointed CEO in January, Pat served as a board member and advisor to ProducePay for two years. An esteemed global business leader, McCullough brings to this role more than 25 years of corporate experience and deep expertise in international business development, structuring and joint ventures from leadership positions held at startups and Fortune 500 companies such as Ford Motor Company, Berkshire Hathaway and Just Energy. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Produce Pay Website Join the Co-op

The Food Manufacturing Guy is a food manufacturing CEO with extensive experience in vertically integrating a food brand. He also has built a following on X for spicy takes on the food industry while keeping his account anonymous. Tune in for his first ever podcast interview where we dive into some of his takes. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links The Food Manufacturing Guy on X Join the Co-op

Marc Kermisch is the Global Chief Digital and Information Officer at CNH Industrial, a leading global manufacturer of agricultural, construction, and financial services vehicles and equipment. Tune in to hear how he and CNH are thinking about innovation in agriculture. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Marc on Linkedin CNH Website Join the Co-op

Feroz Sheikh is an accomplished CTO, thought leader and an entrepreneur. He has founded and led multiple technology-driven ventures, raised VC funding and took them to successful M&A. He has worked philanthropically, making education accessible to 200 million children in India using digital technologies. He is currently focusing on driving digital transformation across agriculture globally as the CTO of Digital at Syngenta. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Feroz on Linkedin Syngenta Website Join the Co-op

Jack Richardson is kicking off a new and improved version of The Modern Acre newsletter. After starting his career in venture banking, Jack has spent the last five years in AgTech, first at a food waste startup and now in precision technology at an Ag OEM. He's spent most of his career in strategy roles where he's explored ways to make business models work. Outside of his specific roles, he's written about the space more broadly – you may have come across my prior writing on LinkedIn. In tandem with the contributing to the monthly newsletter, Jack will join us on the podcast every month to break down his latest research and dig into the strategy behind the company he's profiling. This month we dig into Maui Nui Venison. Check out the newsletter here. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links Subscribe to the newsletter! Jack on Linkedin Maui Nui Episode 7 Powers Blog Post 7 Powers Book Join our membership community

Matt Woolf, Ph.D., is Terrain’s specialty crop analyst, focusing on tree nuts, fruits and vegetables. He is a native of California’s Central Valley, where his family grows almonds, pistachios and a variety of row crops. Matt has an extensive academic, teaching and research background in economics. He earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and economics, a master’s degree in international and development economics, and a Ph.D. in economics from the Australian National University. He has experience in economic modeling, macroeconomic analysis, data science techniques and their applications in agriculture. — This episode is presented by Pinion. Learn more HERE. — Links The Wonderful Company Episode Join the Co-op

This is the story of The Wonderful Company and Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire power couple that started one of the largest private holding companies in the world. In addition to owning notable brands like POM, Teleflora, Fiji Water, and more, the Resnicks are also one of the largest farmland owners in the US and are market leaders across almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, mandarins, and lemons. — This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our interview with Cole. — Show Notes: (01:26) The Story of the Wonderful Company (03:24) Stewart Resnick (06:37) Lynda Resnick (11:19) Flowers by Wire: Teleflora (18:34) The Franklin Mint: “Startups are a bitch”  (24:23) Early Farming Days (31:18) Roll International and Water Controversy (38:53) POM (45:50) Fiji Water from Fiji, not Cleveland! (49:45) Mandarins, Cuties, and Halos Oh My! (54:43) The Wonderful Company and Wonderful Pistachios (56:36) Stewart’s Big Personality (59:00) Revenue (59:32) Other Ag Businesses (1:00:04) Wine and Lemons, too?! (1:01:27) Recent Lawsuit (1:02:17) Closing Thoughts and Analysis

On this edition of Acre Insights, Tim and Tyler do a quick check in on their reading competition. Then, they discuss how there are "really interesting vibes" happening in agtech right now as well as break down the news that Trinitas Farming in California filed for bankruptcy. Links: The Story of The Climate Corporation Traction Verity Habits of the Household Psychology of Money Rubies in the Orchard Tyler's wife Ruth's Book Recs Trinitas Farming Bankruptcy Become a Premium Subscriber Sponsor: This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our interview with Cole.

Cole Jones is the Founder and CEO of Local Line. Local Line is the all-in-one local food-sourcing platform for Restaurants, Grocers, and Distributors. Use Local Line to discover and buy from thousands of family farms that sell every kind of product category including produce, meat, dairy, and more. Whether you're a single-location independent grocery store or a nationwide chain, Local Line helps retailers of all sizes build scalable farm-to-fork supply chains. Links: Cole on Linkedin Local Line Website Cole's First Interview   Sponsor: This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our first interview with Cole.

Peter Askew is a domain name investor turned dude ranching, ranch employing, onion farmer. Tune in to hear his story and his unique approach to building VidaliaOnions.com. Links: Peter on X Vidalia Onions Peter's Projects   Sponsor: This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our interview with Cole.

This month, Tim and Tyler talk with Ariel about her latest Topsoil edition - "Agriculture, but make it precision - A framework for precision ag with Greg Chiocco." Ariel Patton is the creator of Topsoil, a newsletter bringing you monthly frameworks to help make sense of agriculture, at just the right depth. Ariel has focused her career on driving digital transformation of agriculture to help farmers manage their businesses more profitably and sustainably at Monsanto, Granular, Corteva and currently, Mineral. Links: Join the Co-op Subscribe to Topsoil Greg Chiocco on Linkedin Sponsor: This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our interview with Cole.

Philip Taylor, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Mad Agriculture. He co-founded the organization in 2016 with his life partner, Nicole Brinks, to reimagine and restore our relationship to the land, sea, and each other through good agriculture. Prior to founding Mad Ag, Philip was a career global ecologist who specialized in ecosystem and soil carbon cycling. His research ranged widely, from understanding soil ecology and ecosystem biogeochemistry to exploring solutions to the sustainability challenges of agriculture. Philip’s work has been published in numerous journals, including Nature, Nature Climate Change, and Ecology, and he has diverse international experience in both private and public sectors, having led research and business efforts throughout North America, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Now, he is bringing his entire being into Mad Agriculture—his life’s work, until he returns to the soil. Links: Phil on Linkedin Mad Agriculture Mad Markets   Sponsor: This episode is presented by Local Line. Learn more HERE. Check out our interview with Cole.