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.
Barnstorm
Agriculture robotics grows increasingly popular with producers and investors alike as automation helps fight labor shortages and inflation in the industry. Barnstorm AgTech was founded in 2020 and is a part of the revolution to provide farmers with robotics that can improve their operations. They are currently developing a system of easily transported “swarms” of tractor-like driverless vehicles called Barnstormers™. This autonomous system completes basic farm operations, such as seeding, tillage, spraying, and spreading.
Barnstorm founder and CEO, Parker Wells, is driven by his own experiences as a 4th generation farmer managing a 6,000 acre farm in Saskatchewan.
Barnstorm is part of a broad trend in the robotics industry called Robotics as a Service (RaaS). This allows for the company to offer services rather than the direct sale of equipment. With this in mind, they have designed their Barnstormers have a unique form factor which is specifically tailored to efficient multi-vehicle transport. Currently, the agriculture robotics market is forecasted to reach a revenue of 8.83 billion dollars by 2025 with a CAGR of 24.7%.
American Beef Ranch
Idaho-based American Beef Ranch (ABR) is dedicated to becoming the industry standard in grass-fed, grass-finished beef and lamb production. They are setting regenerative production standards that they hope will be an example other operations can replicate, opening opportunties for them to share their knowledge through teaching their own grazing schools, hosting other industry experts to teach schools, and through consulting services. Primarily focusing on the Red Angus cattle breed and Dorper sheep, they also hope to provide the highest quality breeding stock to other producers.
With over 10 years of experience under his belt, Jesse Nelson, owner of ABR, understands the importance of attention to detail in providing high quality meat products. He, along with his wife, Linnea, are passionate about the future of ABR and keeping family values at the core of their operation.
The demand for high-quality protein continues to grow with consumers seeking more nutritional and environmental benefits. Grass-fed livestock are generally lower in calories, contain more healthy omega-3 fats, and are more nutrient-dense than grain-fed livestock. With a CAGR of 14.72%, the global grass-fed beef market is expected to grow to $39.95 billion from 2020 to 2025, giving American Beef Ranch a bright future ahead.
Aquaco
By sustainably producing the highly coveted Florida Pompano fish, Aquaco is providing consumers with the confidence that they are receiving fresh, high-quality seafood. The company's cutting-edge biosecure facility contributes to sustainability and a small carbon footprint thanks to biofilters that allow for 97% of its water to be recycled. Their production also actively reduces the impact of commercial fishing on Florida waterways.
They also up-cycle fish waste into fertilizer for local organic farms and implement a delivery tote recycle program that eliminates unnecessary packaging. Raising Florida Pompano in an indoor recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) system allows for control at every level, ensuring the water quality and overall environment is precisely what each fish needs to grow comfortably.
Joe Cardenas, Founder and CEO of Aquaco, is confident that his company can help build the aquaculture industry in the state of Florida while proving their sustainable business model.
Rocky Mountain Reclamation
On a mission to restore soil biodiversity, Rocky Mountain Reclamation (RMR) has worked for over 40 years to revegetate land across the Western US. They have become a leader in research and development in the revegetation industry as well. Using their fine-tuned techniques has allowed them to restore land that has been used for industrial purposes such as mining or wind energy development.
Revegetation is a regenerative practice used in restoring areas that have seen damage from urbanization, invasive weed species, mining, or degradation caused by flooding, drought, or erosion. RMR is proud to deploy their team of healers, known as the “green team,” to heal the land and natural environment after significant disturbances. They complete work for the National Park Service, private ranches and farms, and many other public and private entities.
The company was recently acquired by Sage Green, LLC and under new leadership by CEO Eric Hayes.