Bolthouse Fresh Foods’ Post

Forget the rocking chair, farm boss! Being a farm owner ain't about giving orders. It's time to swap that Stetson for some sweat and join the crew in the fields. Why? Because a leader who gets down and dirty earns way more than respect - they ignite a fire in their team. Imagine the scene: you're shoulder-to-shoulder with your workers, planting seeds, wrangling livestock, or battling weeds. Not only are you learning firsthand the challenges they face, but you're showing them you're not afraid to get your hands dirty. That builds trust, respect, and a camaraderie that money can't buy. Think about it: your workers are the backbone of your operation. They're the ones facing the early mornings, the scorching sun, and the backbreaking labor. When you join them, you're saying, "We're in this together." That shared experience fosters loyalty, encourages communication, and motivates everyone to go the extra mile. But the benefits don't stop there. By actively participating, you gain invaluable insights into your farm's daily operations. You'll see firsthand what works, what doesn't, and where improvements can be made. This hands-on knowledge fuels smarter decision-making, leading to a more efficient and productive farm. So, ditch the distant leadership style and embrace the power of getting involved. It's not about micromanaging; it's about showing your team you're one of them, invested in their success, and willing to roll up your sleeves to get the job done. Remember, a farm thrives on teamwork, and a leader who works alongside their team sets the stage for a truly bountiful harvest. Now, grab those boots and get ready to grow! Happy new week #farming #agribusiness #agriculture #farmmanagement #farmowner #recruitment

It's always great to see how agriculture can affect small towns and this article highlights a couple great examples. What about locally? Does your hometown have great farmer owned businesses? LET'S SHARE THEM HERE!!

#WWNCoopSpotlight #CooperativeSpotlight #Coops "Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. is an American agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries headquartered in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. It currently has over 700 member growers." #CoopsMakeaBetterWorld #Coops HOW OCEAN SPRAY BECAME A COOPERATIVE "In 1930, three cranberry farmers, Marcus Urann, John Makepeace and Elizabeth Lee, turned their passion for the cranberry and their farming way of life into something truly special: Ocean Spray. They understood that together their three small, independent cranberry farms were stronger. Their farms were also better able to bring all the benefits of their beloved superfruit, the cranberry, to more consumers. Today, with more than 700 farms spread across the United States, Canada and Chile, Ocean Spray’s farmer-owners produce 65% of the world’s cranberry crop. After launching jellied cranberry sauce, the cooperative’s first product, Ocean Spray grew very quickly, as more and more small cranberry farmers saw the benefits of a cooperative structure: - Earning 100% of the profits from their hard work instead of being at the mercy of the marketplace. - Knowing which products their cranberries were used in and guiding how they were sold to the consumer. - Sharing in the joy of producing products consumers love—ones that make a positive impact on their health while building a sustainable future for the planet and their families. https://lnkd.in/e3SpqPKn

Couple in their 30’s farm less than 500 acres. Wife is part owner of a local restaurant. Restaurant is the main buyer of their meat, eggs, & produce. → 99% of their crops are either livestock feed or sold direct to consumer. Husband has been on-farm full time for 3 years; wife is about to quit her day job & go full-time on farm. The way they can make a living on < 500 acres is… • Low costs • Highly labor intensive • Diverse products sold “value-added” through the restaurant & D2C --- I wonder if we’ll see (maybe we already are) a wide-spread return to “the old days” of smaller, highly diverse farms which sell products to people, rather than CO-OPs & conglomerates. Maybe it will be two ends of the spectrum. Very large, economies-of-scale type operations on one side; small, diverse operations on the other; with “no man’s land” being medium, non-diverse operations. What do you think agriculture will look like in 25 years?

GroZilla: Cultivating Hope in Urban Agriculture at Fair Park's Texas Star Shadow I enjoyed joining Restorative Farms’ co-founder Doric Earle, PhD MBA yesterday to discuss GroZilla , the 15-ton hydroponic growing container farm at Fair Park with Noelle Walker from Dallas' NBC 5 news affiliate. The objective is to establish a replicable model for urban settings lacking access to fresh, nutritious food and facing restricted opportunities.... grow food equity, jobs and hope. Earle, an SMU Professor of Practice, one of four co-founders of Restorative Farms, aims to foster agricultural entrepreneurs in underserved communities. "We must empower individuals to become entrepreneurs since large corporations won't readily employ them in those areas," Earle emphasized. "People need to forge their own paths.” GroZilla is just one set piece in this Restorative Farms urban ag initiative. We believe strongly that urban agriculture can be a catalyst for both community impact as well as regional-wide food system transformation which is one of the reasons Restorative Farms has been a strong advocate for the Dallas InnerCity Growers' (DIG) and has worked closely with the City of Dallas' Urban Agriculture director, Rabekha Siebert.   #urbanfarming #fooddesertsolution #communityimpact #economicimpact #foodculture #foodjustice #foodculture #CEA #controlledenvironmentagriculture

Do you have a farmers mindset? 1) Farmers plan for the year. (They think long term) 2) Farmers plant more than is necessary. (They raise the odds for success) 3) Farmers focus on the work they love doing (They’re not distracted) 4) Farmers are good caretakers (They take ownership to manage their land and themselves) 5) Farmers rest when the day’s over (They give it their all and then are done with it) 6) Farmers accept the outcomes they get. (They are grateful) “The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” — Will Rogers Are you a farmer? https://lnkd.in/gQQ33pwU #farmersmentality #ownership #problemsolver

Are you farming the unfarmed? Love him or hate him, Jeremey Clarkson continues to break records with his Amazon Prime show, Clarkson’s Farm. Season 3 drew in 5.1M viewers in its first week immersing viewers in the challenges, triumphs and setbacks of running a farm in the UK.    In Season 3, Clarkson adopts a new strategy.    Responding to local council opposition to his restaurant, a disappointing harvest and rising costs, his big #idea: Farm the “unfarmed”.   Through the series he tries to create a variety of new non-arable income sources from the previously unfarmed woods, wildflower meadows and hedgerows. Some of these build on previous investments like raising cows and selling burgers in his cafe, whilst others are entirely new for his farm like pigs, jam and mushrooms. While the final white board analysis may lack some important details, their conclusion is intriguing. Capitalising on the previously unfarmed areas provided a healthy profit to balance the uncertainty of his arable crops. Of course not all of the new experiments worked out profitably (I don’t think he’ll try nettles again...), but others may well be even more lucrative profit centres in the future once optimised. Thinking on my own business and those companies I work with I couldn’t help wondering: 👨🌾 What opportunities am I missing by not “farming the unfarmed”? 👩🌾 And especially in times of turbulence and uncertainty, can we afford not to? What do you think: should all businesses look to diversify their revenue streams? #strategicinnovation #innovationstrategy #agriculture #diversification #resilience

Should patent owners let others farm their unfarmed? Alan Cucknell's excellent post below (definitely worth reading!) got me thinking... Granted patent claims are often much broader than the patent owner really needs to cover their own business interests. For example, a granted patent claim might read" "A device comprising [insert clever technology]". The patent owner might sell a specific type of device, let's just say power tools, and might consider their competitors to be other power tool manufacturers. Let's suppose though that the technology could also be used in dentistry and that the granted patent claim encompasses dental equipment having that technology. The patent owner might currently only be 'farming' the power tool space, with the dental equipment sector currently being 'unfarmed'. The patent owner might not want to enter the dental equipment market themselves, but might be able to approach dental equipment manufacturers to use the technology under licence. Now, I'm not really saying anything new here, but perhaps presenting it slightly differently using the farming analogy. I do wonder though: should more patent owners go through the process of looking at 'unfarmed' areas of their patent scope and seeing if they can generate some revenue from that by letting others farm their unfarmed... #Farmed #Unfarmed #Patents

🌾 Did you know that the Center for Land-Based Learning has a Beginning Farmers Training Program? This program not only empowers the next generation of agricultural leaders, but also contributes to the vitality of our local food systems. Read more about the program and the Center here: https://lnkd.in/gSyYUMhZ Learn more about Woodland's 190+ food & ag businesses at thefoodfront.org. #WeAreWoodland #TheFoodFront #Agriculture #Sustainability

🇺🇸 Little Leaf Farms Expands with New Greenhouse in McAdoo, PA Little Leaf Farms, the leading brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture (CEA), has announced a significant expansion in McAdoo, Pennsylvania. This fall, the company will open a new 10-acre greenhouse, marking its third greenhouse in the state and making its Pennsylvania campus the largest leafy greens CEA campus in North America. The addition of the 10-acre greenhouse will significantly increase Little Leaf Farms’ capabilities, boosting its staff count in Pennsylvania to over 300. This expansion supports the company’s growth throughout the Southeast and Midwest regions, increasing its retail footprint to over 7,000 grocery stores. To fuel this expansion, Little Leaf Farms recently closed a new credit facility with a capacity of $250 million. This includes term loan facilities, delayed draw facilities, and a revolving credit line. This financial milestone significantly boosts the company’s ongoing capital expansion initiatives, helping to meet the increasing consumer demand for sustainably produced, locally grown lettuce. Read more at iGrow News! Subscribe to our weekly digest at agtechdigest.com/subscribe