The Nest Family Office’s Post

Speaker Henry Gordon-Smith of Agritecture added: "I am excited to participate in the 5th UAW Summit 2024, where I will be discussing the latest advancements and opportunities in urban agriculture including vertical farming. My talk will focus on innovative technologies and sustainable practices that can transform urban farming and the business models needed to enhance success. The industry is at a pivotal moment, with significant growth potential in Africa driven by increasing urbanization and the need for resilient food systems." https://lnkd.in/dusWRa9H

The regenerative agriculture movement has changed a lot since I first learned of it in 2014. I was captivated by the potential but the movement was little known beyond small circles, and in the business and investment world I lived in, barely at all. Except for a few trailblazing investment managers like Paul McMahon. Regen ag events I attended back then were at most 100-strong. Groundswell Agriculture in the UK last week hosted some 8,000 attendees — apparently double the year before — of mostly farmers but with tech startups, VCs, politicians, princes (!), food brands, and more all rubbing shoulders. The movement — which at times has felt fractured and bogged down in debate about definition etc — felt unified, positive, and big for the first time. Business-oriented and pragmatic but also diverse and personal conversations at every turn. Hearing from the likes of Eddie Abbew and the fun of the Wildfarmed tent brought fresh and consumer-facing energy to this farming event. And seeing Prince William milling around felt significant too. A highlight for me was listening to Ben Taylor-Davies. “This has nothing to do with being noble to wildlife; it just happens that what I learned [about] farming with nature is far more profitable than fighting her at every juncture.” There’s still some way to go to get everyone at the table, but it’s on its way. Read more of my takeaways here. https://lnkd.in/e3J6aYnh Thanks to the epic crew I went with Antony Yousefian Benedikt Bösel Naeem Lakhani Emily Broughton Saumeel Pachigar Addy Windsor-Clive Kelly Ann Ross Ichsani Wheeler, PhD Robert Gerlach Koen van Seijen Antonella Ilaria Totaro #groundswell #regenag #ecology #biodiversity #agroforestry #regenerativeagriculture

I'm so grateful to have participated in Meridian Institute’s inaugural Systems-Based Investing Field Lab at #dukefarms last week. I met so many great people who are doing good things for their communities, and for our planet. The Field Lab brought together a diverse group of investors, philanthropists, systems change experts, and food and agricultural leaders from the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. We went out into the field to tour four farms with farmers, ranchers, and community leaders from Duke Farms, Cotton Cattle Farms (@cottoncattleco Richard Cotton), Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse (@bobolinkdairyandbakehouse JonathanWhite), and Wildflower Farm (@wildflowerfarmnj TomiaMacQueen). We discussed the challenges that farmers face and the opportunities for capital deployment to transform our food systems. The Field Lab was sponsored by the Doris Duke Foundation, Builders Vision, and the McKnight Foundation, and convened by Meridian Institute. I am excited to see what next steps are, and for the momentum building around Regenerative Agriculture. My three take aways are: 1) Large Landowners that have farmland assessments need to realize that by allowing conventional farming on their land they are lowering the value of their investment due to the contamination from the chemicals and depletion of top soil with monoculture crops like soy and corn. Regenerative farming actually increases property value by rebuilding the ecosystem and soil for future generations. How about that for legacy? 2) Regenerative farmers need access to land to farm, especially in expensive peri-urban areas like New Jersey. See number 1 above! 3) It would be great for farmers to have one regional organization to reach out to for resources like financing, grant and farmland availability, as well as mentorship; from a veteran farmer’s perspective, and about the business side of farming. The future is bright, and we are doing our best to be the change we want to see in the world. Stay tuned!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙖𝙣? Watch the video here. https://lnkd.in/gSgRWttM What is regenerative agriculture? How is it done? What does it mean? Join  Alexis Bonogofsky, Jeff Mundell, Liz Munn, and Jared Sorensen to hear from producers about the challenges and opportunities of taking a regenerative land management approach to food production. 

It was great to collaborate with the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship in our work to inspire community members to take an interest in tropical agrifood tech solutions. We are working to establish Hawaii as an agrifood and aquaculture tech and innovation hub for the Asia Pacific and Global South. Hawaii can be a global leader in developing solutions for smallholder growers that serve smaller more isolated market food systems. We are blessed with an abundance and diversity of natural resources, institutional capacity and cultural knowledge. These assets can be leveraged to create innovative solutions that resonate with much of the world's population. To accomplish this we need to encourage our local talent to solve some of the world's most pressing issues, how to feed a growing population amid climate impact. Hawaii and the world demand new ways to help our small farmers enhance production economics, increase food system efficiencies and prepare for the coming climate impact. And to do so in ways that care for the planet. This offers our innovators opportunities to create high-growth companies that create value for our farmers and food system in meaningful and impactful ways. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with PACE and inspire our next generation of problem solvers to take on food, agriculture, and aquaculture! Congratulations to all of the participants, a job well done by all! https://lnkd.in/eECF_Gx5 #GerminateHawaii #PACE #agrifoodtech #aquatech #foodsecurity

Buckle up Aggies: #regenerativeag is being sold and marketed in the weirdest ways. This dude is a prime example. 🗣️👇 To start just read the highlights (at the longest website name ever) of where this guy came from and what he’s done and you’ll get where I’m coming from. A few points…. One: OOOO, you came from Wayfair, AirBNB, and read 50 books about agriculture! Oh my, please walk us down the isle my king and lead us into regen heaven! Why do so many have to brag that they worked at these big cool giant tech places so much? Former Google this, former Apple that? We get it, you’re a narcissist! Two: Why does every article about someone trying to change the world in Ag have a pic of the person just longingly staring in the distance like he’s about to talk to a child that just threw a rock at cat? I’m surprised it wasn’t a picture of him reading those 50 books. Three: Ah yes, let’s do the Steve Jobs references (sorry all you Jobs fans). Like we really need a guy like that in Ag. The guy could’ve treated his cancer and lived plus he was a horrible husband and parent. He bullied people and his methods were similar to what’s not worked in AgTech the last 10 years. That is literally the last person I want in Ag. Four: You want a modern Nestle’? Really? They are one of the most nefarious examples of corporate greed and control within all companies and have done some horrible things around the cocoa chocolate production and bottled water. Pretty sure they’ve done some awful things to people directly. Ah big nope there! Five: All the points he brought up are nothing new as they came from the damn books he read and apparently the course he’s taking about it. ZERO real world experience in dealing with any of it in reality, just a regurgitation to look important. Go sit in a NYC cafe and tell people your thoughts. Overall, there are countless stories like these out there of people trying to come into Agriculture and say we are doing this wrong and that wrong while doing very little to fix it. Some that do enter Agriculture come in with this hoity toity attitude acting like we didn’t think of this and that yet. As for good ole #regenerativeagriculture? Just talk to actual farmers. It’s easier for some and tougher for others. There isn’t one method to do it. It means a lot of different things so sorry, there isn’t a unified way. It’s an evolution and can’t just “be done” in any quick and fast way like many want. Most farmers are well aware of it since if they could not rely on as many manufactured inputs while saving money and let nature help more they would. Most can’t as it doesn’t makes financial or production sense in the modern world. Yes some should try more and are lazy too. All in all, articles and people like this don’t help in getting farmers and the industry to move forward. It’s the boots on the ground and local experienced advocates that are though like my friend Paul Overby. You want regen? Support those that know it actually

Robert Heinlein said "Each generation thinks it invented sex; each generation is totally mistaken." LOL! I appreciate @Nathan Faleide mentioning me in his post as someone who "knows about" regenerative farming, though in reality each year I think I learn more about how much I don't know! I might be Mr. Heinlein's target audience. In general I appreciate any new enthusiasts to the #regenerativeagriculture discussion! Martin Reiter has done a lot of homework gaining understanding, I note in his "Agricultural Primer" post on his own page he did thank the many farmers who had contributed to his knowledge. This is quite a missive. Martin may also be in Mr. Heinlein's audience. :) But I note that he has a focus of helping Ukraine, and these people have a special place in my heart so I can only wish him well in his work. https://lnkd.in/gS6u-HhB Towards the end of his discussion he does hit on some key topics that I agree with, and that is how to integrate regenerative agriculture into our food system in such a way that it creates nutritious food for people, increased profits for farmers, and at the same time promotes healthy people AND healthy soil and clean water. This is difficult as this is NOT what our current food system is designed to do. Reimagining, reinventing, retooling our food system is process that will take capital and talent. It is something that I'm not capable of doing, nor I suspect are many of my fellow farmers. We will need people with corporate backgrounds who know how to explain regenerative ag in ways that make sense to folks with that talent and money. And, as much as I want them to understand my farming practices, I think it is important for we farmers to also understand the challenges of bringing a product to market that a consumer will actually buy! I have been humbled to be included in the Climate Systems Solutions discussions on this very topic of regionalizing food systems and creating new ways of bringing healthy foods to consumers produced on farmers with health soils. I'm optimistic that we will find ways - there are already some success stories. So, a little pushing and shoving is ok. As iron sharpens iron, so one many sharpens another, the Proverb says. But in doing so we need to stay focused on our objective - healthy food and healthy soils that creates value for everyone - a "net sum" proposition.

Our president Brett Hundley, CFA was recently on the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast to discuss why "trees are the answer" to getting both farmers and investors involved in the regenerative agriculture transition. Give the show a listen, below, to hear about the following discussion points: - Brett's personal moment with Tyson Foods that sent him towards a new career in regenerative agriculture. - Agroforestry Partners' approach to financing the regenerative agriculture transition. - Alley cropping vs. silvopasture. - Agroforestry Partners' focus on chestnut trees...and why we take great pride in constructing noisy farms. - Climate change risk to our projects...and how we're dealing with this risk. - Investor education in the regenerative agriculture space. - A microscopic change that Brett would make if he had a magic wand.

I recently joined the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast with Koen van Seijen to discuss the future "perennialization of agriculture" and our pursuit of healthier food. How do we get farmers comfortable with transitioning to more sustainable practices? And how do we get investors comfortable with funding this transition, so that farmers can focus on what they do best? Spoiler alert: Agroforestry Partners 💡 "Investing as if the planet matters" Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/ekaeDnGY

📣 In line with our ambition to deliver farmer-centric and science-based solutions, SAI Platform has established an external stakeholder Advisory Board for our Regenerating Together programme. 🤝 Consisting of farmers, academia and non-profit organisations, the Advisory Board will be instrumental in ensuring that the framework is globally applicable, yet pragmatic and flexible enough to be implemented at scale across the various production systems. 🙏 We look forward to working closely with Alfons Beldman, Senior Researcher Dairy, Sustainability and Economics at Wageningen University & Research, Antoine Brasset, R&D Manager at Earthworm Foundation, Jessie de Boer, Seed & Trials Manager at Agventure Limited, Prof. Dr. Emilio Jesús González Sánchez, Secretary General at European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF) Federation and Associate Professor at ETSIAM, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes, Silas Hedley - Lawrence, Regenerative farmer, Coach & Consultant at Grassfed Farmer, Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D. President and CEO at Soil Health Institute, Ken McCarty, Partner at McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy, LLC, Harold Perry, Co-owner of Perry Family Farm, Bernard Vanlauwe, Ph.D. Deputy Director General for Research for Development of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and leading the Excellence in Agronomy Initiative of the CGIAR and Michael Wironen, Ph.D. Director of Corporate Engagement, Food & Freshwater at The Nature Conservancy as the programme continues to progress. 🙏This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering collaboration across the wider agri-food industry and advancing the transition towards regenerative agriculture worldwide.  https://lnkd.in/exM3kDnT #PeoplePoweredAgriculture