Upland Agricultural Consulting’s Post

What’s the best part of working with innovative companies? It’s not just the technology or the strategy—it’s the people who have the vision to see things differently. Rick Langille and Peter Maher are the kind of people who don’t just think about the future, they build it. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 Harvest Today is on a mission to revolutionize how the world grows food. Their innovative Harvest Wall system is modular, scalable, and adaptable, transforming the way communities, big or small, grow fresh produce. From homes and schools to urban spaces and commercial farms, they’re enabling year-round food cultivation. 🌱 It’s all about making living, nutritious food accessible—whether you’re growing for your family or your entire community. Their smart design and patented technology make it possible. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: • World class content to showcase leadership team insights • GTM strategy and execution to building Harvest Today’s network of growing strategic partners • Accelerating the teams communication strategy as they step-up their international expansion • Help build a global LinkedIn community focused on something that affects us all - healthy living through food 🔗 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 Harvest Today is transforming the controlled environment agricultural space and redefining what it means to grow local, sustainable and fresh produce. 🌿 #IndoorFarming #Sustainability #HarvestToday

Embarking on a reconciliation plan journey can bring benefits to your community, stakeholders and bottom line. When it comes to Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs), one size does not fit all, especially in a sector as diverse as agriculture. OBE Organic's journey is an inspiring example of how meaningful First Nations engagement can empower all stakeholders, improve operations and broaden market appeal.

Currently, regenerative farming is in its 'glass half-full" phase. To fill that glass to the brim practitioners and those who gain a living from extolling the virtues of RF need to focus more on land-use designs that genuinely achieve climate-neutrality (capture and permanently store biogenic CO2 for centuries). This is achieved by growing crops within agroforestry systems designed beyond the narrow vision of the 'forester' (she or he of 1600 - 2500 trees per hectare). Systems are designed to provide biomass that can be harvested over short harvesting cycles to manufacture biochar through appropriately-scaled technologies. Then, most crucially, study the 'carbon redistribution effect'. Bury the biochar beyond 30cm depth. Craft the plant root metabolome for improved microbe-assisted stress resilience; and finally appreciate that mycorrhizal fungi, on their own, need other fungi to capture the CO2 that they release. Then, and only then, shout from the rooftops @CloCarbonCymru

Learning from Land O'Lakes: A Broader View on Business Responsibility In my 5th week of BEW3001 class, we have been diving into Stakeholder Theory, which emphasizes that companies should consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders, not just their shareholders. Inspired by this concept, I chose to explore how this theory plays out in real life by looking at Land O'Lakes, a leader in the dairy industry known for its commitment to sustainability. What impresses me about Land O'Lakes is their dedication to ensuring all involved—from farmers to customers—benefit from their business practices. They are transparent about their environmental efforts and their continuous improvement, which builds trust and demonstrates their commitment to more than just profit. However, it is not always straightforward. Balancing the needs of various stakeholders, such as ensuring that their farmers earn a decent living while keeping products affordable and environmentally friendly, presents significant challenges. My study of Land O'Lakes taught me that while this stakeholder approach is demanding, it also leads to innovative solutions that benefit both the business and the wider community over time. This experience has been incredibly enlightening for me: successful business is not just about financial gain; it is about making a positive difference. I am now even more motivated to be part of businesses that consider the bigger picture and strive to positively impact everyone they touch. #BusinessEthics #Sustainability #CorporateResponsibility #FutureOfBusiness #StakeholderEngagement #EthicalLeadership #SustainableAgriculture #Agribusiness #EnvironmentalStewardship #SocialResponsibility

🌱 Two takeaways from the 2024 Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum: Christi Electris (Executive Director), Priscilla Trinh (Communications Manager), and Dorothy Suput (Senior Fellow) attended the annual gathering, featuring a host of panels and workshops centered on transparent dialogue, and ways to deploy capital in support of regenerative agriculture. Plus they had an inspiring field day at the Savory Institute's West Bijou Campus bison ranch. 🌳 Christi: I come away energized and inspired from joining the large gathering of mission-aligned individuals and firms innovating along both the financial and regenerative agricultural value chains. I am struck by how much the space has grown so much since we at Croatan Institute began working on how capital can be leveraged to build soil health and community wealth in our 2019 Soil Wealth report. 🌎 Priscilla: Scale, scale, scale. It's estimated that $200-450 billion is required to finance global transitions to regenerative food systems. At RFSI alone, $20B in assets were represented. Change is possible. I appreciated the inclusion of farmers, ranchers, and landowners in the room, and hope to see more at the next events. A humbling reminder from Byron Shelton that stuck with me while touring Savory Institute's hub was: "The only place you can actually control the water cycle is in this top layer of soil.” Many thanks to the organizing efforts of Sarah Day Levesque, Rachel Ringle, and Bjorn Broekman for an amazing convening! Anthony Corsaro (AC), Esther Park, Tim Crosby, Skya Ducheneaux, Paul McMahon, Tina Owens, Mark Watson #regenerative #food #agriculture #foodsystem #soil #invest #capital #scale #learn #unlearn #investor #impact #startup #farmer #landowner #ranch #supply #value #chain #finance #economy #water #climate #action

🌱 A(gri) Team always on the move! 🚜 Whether we're en route to visit a farm or heading to a meeting, our team at The Earnest Co. is constantly on the move. We're committed to putting in 110% effort in everything we do, ensuring excellence in every project we undertake. At The Earnest Co., we're more than just a team – we're a dedicated force driving positive change in agriculture. Our mission is to provide solutions to underutilized landowners, transforming barren plots into thriving hubs of productivity. Through our innovative approach, we create a circular economy that not only generates profits but also prioritizes food security. Join us on our journey as we continue to make a meaningful impact, one plot of land at a time. Together, we can cultivate a brighter, more sustainable future for all. 🌱💼 #TheEarnestCo #AgriTeam #CircularEconomy #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture

At Farms by Amber, LLC, we’ve been deeply committed to growing both our products and services to better serve our community, partners, and customers. This quarter, we’ve applied for $500,000 in grants as part of our focus on scaling operations and laying the groundwork for the next three years of impactful growth. Our work is guided by the 4 C’s—Community, Capacity, Capability, and Capital—ensuring that every step we take adds value to the people, organizations, and markets we serve. From strengthening our local presence to building connections on a national and international scale, we remain focused on balancing purpose with profitability. Here’s what we’ve been working on: 1. Collaborating with institutions and community-based organizations that align with our values to expand sustainable food systems and workforce development programs. 2. Enhancing our capacity and capability through innovative practices, new infrastructure projects, and hands-on training opportunities. 3. Delivering fresh, nutrient-dense products while scaling our services to empower others through consulting, education, and business development. The accompanying picture reflects our commitment to being fully engaged—whether on the farm, in a training session, or at the intersection of Zoom Parkway and Teams Avenue. No matter the location, we are always working both on and in the business. With intentionality rooted in our core values, we strive to nourish the body, liberate the spirit, and fuel the soul. As we look ahead, we are energized by the partnerships we’re building and the impact we’re creating. To our community, partners, and supporters—thank you for believing in our vision. Together, we’re creating a brighter, more sustainable future. #StrategicGrowth #BusinessExpansion #SustainableAgriculture #LocalFoodSystems #CommunityPartnerships #WorkforceDevelopment

When doing something really new, the pundits think you’re crazy. And, perhaps, you are. Since the beginning of Fork Farms, people have not been shy sharing their opinions about all the ways it would fail, ranging from: there was “no deliverable product,” to the company was a “part time hobby or vanity project,” to comments less flattering or safe for work. People thought the idea of schools growing a substantial portion of their own food on site was too cumbersome, costly, or crazy to be worth investing in. No shame on any of those people. They had valuable, albeit painful insights. We took them on board and Fork got better. But where the opinionators missed is in failing to recognize that there is a huge groundswell of support for a better solution to how we nourish our kids and communities. We have watched these systems transform the way kids eat and relate to food. It doesn’t seem quite as crazy now, and that’s how change happens. The validation that comes from the business recognition is tremendous, and we are deeply grateful. But the greatest reward is what happens state by state, school by school, brick by brick, and kid by kid. And as far as we have come, there is far more work left to do.

At OAT, we operate from the following core values: - Farmer-focused. Our programs, policies, and ideas are driven by those who work the land. - Inclusive and equitable. We honor Oregon’s past, present, and future agricultural leaders as we create opportunities for new generations and communities to steward the land. - Ethical and accountable. We are committed to wise stewardship of Oregon’s agricultural resources, and OAT’s human and financial resources. - Connected to community. We celebrate the critical benefits that agriculture provides to every Oregonian, not just to those who make a living as producers. - Collaborative. Because agriculture and conservation depend on relationships, we bring people together to work towards our shared goals. - Open minded and thoughtful. We listen closely, make careful decisions, and learn from our experiences and partners.

Exciting News! Project Everberry 🍓 Receives ARC ARISE Funding We are thrilled that Project Everberry, led by Grow Ohio Valley in partnership with EnergiAcres, CNX, and many other impactful organizations, has been awarded $418,000 in ARISE funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). This is part of a broader initiative to transform economies and support sustainability across the Appalachian region. Grow Ohio Valley will use ARISE funding to develop a comprehensive, action-focused plan to create a multi-state food hub to address food scarcity, increase food quality, and promote sustainable agricultural practices across 14 counties in three Appalachian states. To do this, the grantee and partners will engage with food system experts, partners in academia, state officials, local communities, and professional consultants to assess each states’ needs, attributes, barriers, and assets in this endeavor. #Appalachia #foodsecurity #impact #sustainability