By Cami Froneberger
Commitment to a sustainable planet through supporting farmers is a key company value here at Harvest Returns. By connecting agriculturists with passive investors, we believe we can build a more resilient food system and help farmers stay in the business of farming. Our team is proud to share in our sponsors' success stories and continue to watch them grow every quarter.
Yellow Hammer Farms
Converting an empty warehouse in Birmingham, Alabama to an innovative hydroponic farm has helped Yellow Hammer Farms (YHF) provide fresh, locally-produced greens and herbs to urban consumers. Founder Frank Fitts IV and his wife, Jillian, are dedicated to carrying on the legacy of Frank’s grandfather who started the farm in 1993. Originally located in Tyner, North Carolina, the small 70 acre farm produced popcorn, a crop not readily available in the area. Now, YHF is dedicated to continuing the tradition of bringing products with low availability to a modern environment.
By utilizing hydroponic farming, YHF can grow their products twice as fast with 90% less water usage. This practice also requires less space than traditional farming that takes large tracts of land to commercially produce the same products. The greens and herbs are protected from outside pests and inclement weather that could be detrimental to yields.
Yellow Hammer Farms recently launched their online store allowing them to offer local delivery and pickup to customers. Frank and Jillian also partner with local businesses to spread the word about YHF whenever they can. Ongoing partnerships include stores such as Piggly Wiggly and local restaurants. YHF also makes appearances at local farmers markets like The Market at Pepper Place. They recently partnered with Better Kombucha to provide fresh basil for their blueberry kombucha during the month of October.
VinWizard
For over 20 years the VinWizard team has worked with winemakers around the world to make premium wine more efficiently. Their wine production automation system enables users to monitor and control all aspects of winemaking processes, including water usage, pumps, grape crushers, humidity, CO2, and more, while minimizing production costs. A design with flexibility in mind, the system allows winemakers to adjust the simplicity or comprehension desired with the ability to add more control in the future.
Originally founded in New Zealand, the company is now based out of California where 81% of all U.S. wine is made and is the world’s 4th leading wine producer. Kelly Graves, CEO of VinWizard, acquired the company in 2021 after extensive experience as a California winemaker.
This system is now nationally recognized as the proven leader in winery automation.
Agrology
Sustainability is at the heart of the agriculture sensory systems produced by Agrology. The company’s Co-Founder and CEO, Adam Koeppel, spent nearly a decade building agriculture sensors in his basement before bringing his prototypes to the attention of his friend and colleague, Tyler Locke. Tyler, now the Co-Founder and CTO, knew a partnership with Adam could help them grow his impressive inventions into something greater.
After time and dedication, Agrology is now a Public Benefit Corporation with a commitment to farmers and the planet. Their ever-evolving sensory technology works to prioritize unique insights for specialty crops. Customers commonly use their systems to identify irrigation issues, track airborne compound exposure during fire season, optimize plant yield, and make comparisons across locations.
All this is possible because of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. These technologies allow the sensory system to monitor conditions and make accurate predictions for issues that will arise. The Agrology system is even equipped with technology that alerts the user's phone so they can stay updated in real-time. With easy-to-read formats, Agrology continues to make a difference in helping growers combat obstacles in their production.
Royal Caridea
Shrimp is the leading seafood consumed by Americans with population growth and consumers purchasing more high quality protein. Farming production of shrimp has outgrown conventional methods to meet demands. Producers are now moving to indoor farm facilities. Royal Caridea, an Arizona-based company, is one that is leading innovations in shrimp production.
These facilities will produce domestic, environmentally sustainable shrimp products. This is an important change given that the U.S. imports 1.5 billion pounds of shrimp annually from countries including India, Thailand, Ecuador and Indonesia. Consumers are typically buying frozen shrimp leaving much to be desired in the fresh, never-frozen market.
By utilizing their Gen 2 Shrimp Farming Technology (Gen 2), Royal Caridea is introducing transformative change with indoor vertical shrimp production. Their design actively reduces water usage and waste, energy consumption, and reduces land use by building systems in shipping containers. These factors allow their Gen 2 technology to be easily shipped and installed in any location worldwide.
The company recently launched a follow-on fundraising round for retail investors.