Fractal Agriculture

Sarah Nolet has always been someone who has pushed my thinking personally and all of us at Fractal Agriculture to sharpen our business. It was a blast to record what some of those conversations are like alongside Shane Thomas who brings his own blend of pragmatism and hard won experience in the ag space. I speak to investors (company and farmland) nearly every day. Anyone who has done fundraising can tell you about the ups and downs of those conversations. Tenacious Ventures sets the bar for rigor, helpfulness, and positive intent (and it's no surprise that Sarah and Matthew were the first VCs I shared Fractal with over two years ago). Give it a listen - https://lnkd.in/gkmE7tiD

What do you get if you cross agtech, farmland investing, and shark tank? This week's #agtechsowhat podcast of course! ?? But actually, a live pitch/business breakdown is something we've been talking about with Shane Thomas for ages. This week, it's a reality, thanks to Ben Gordon at Fractal Agriculture. We dig into: ?? The opportunity in farmland markets for traditional and impact investors ?? How access to new forms of equity capital can be valuable for farmers ? The details of the Fractal model - who pays, where the risk lies, etc. ?? How regenerative ag practices fit in - is this truly an impact play or?! I'd love your take on this format, and if you're an #agtech #startup keen to join a future episode or experiment, please shout! https://lnkd.in/gkmE7tiD

Join AgYield's Dan Dempsey as he sits down with Ben Gordon, CEO of Fractal Agriculture, and Kyle Mehmen, owner of MBS Family Farms, for an in-depth discussion on the financial pressures facing today's farmers. In their conversation, Dan, Ben, and Kyle offer solutions on how farmers can better manage their finances, prepare for opportunities, and leverage tools like AgYield and Fractal to capitalize on deals without straining their working capital. Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/gh9C9t4x #AgFinance #GrainMarkets #FarmingSolutions #AgBusiness

I’m still digesting an incredible week in Denver for the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum.?My main takeaway? The regenerative movement is about people as much as it is about soil. ???? Diverse small and mid-sized farmers across regions are calling for recognition within the regenerative movement. These farmers not only steward the land but also sustain livelihoods and enable communities—especially rural ones—to thrive. If we want a resilient food system, we must establish a definition of "regenerative" that works across bioregions and prioritizes equitable prosperity, not just soil health. ?? One insight from Emma Fuller at Fractal Agriculture has stayed with me: food crops only account for 5.4% of U.S. agricultural acreage. When I asked why focusing on food crops still matters, her response was simple yet profound: "Because of people. Everyone eats. Focus on people." ?? ?? The energy and enthusiasm around middle infrastructure at the forum was SO INSPIRING. Rex Raimond of Transformational Investing in Food Systems led a powerful discussion that highlighted the opportunities for collaboration in aggregation, distribution, and processing to unlock market access for regional farmers, building resilience and enabling positive outcomes. Alisa Knapp and David Cooper shared their “Triad of Success” framework, emphasizing that when farmers, investors, and innovators align, the middle of the value chain transforms. Supply and demand for regenerative ingredients come into balance turning a bottleneck into a catalyst for change. ?? ?? It’s clear that investments in upstream infrastructure must translate into viable, scalable opportunities for regenerative businesses in CPG, retail, and hospitality. We also need to rethink our reliance on consumer choice as the driver of change. Large institutions—K-12 schools, hospitals, universities—are critical channels for moving nutrient-dense, regenerative ingredients into communities. Organizations like Eat Real Certified (led by the incredible Nora LaTorre) and Chef Ann Foundation are doing incredible work reshaping school meal programs and driving meaningful policy changes that impact lives every day. It was thrilling to see so much conversation at the forum around creative financing vehicles to accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture. I am excited to see more attention paid to succession planning, employee ownership models, and alternatives to traditional exits. These models hold the key to creating viable regenerative businesses rooted in their communities for the long term. I left the forum feeling encouraged by the momentum—but also keenly aware of how much work lies ahead. If we can align across the value chain and rethink how we define success, we can create a food system that works for the land, for farmers, and most importantly, for people. #regenerativeagriculture #resilientfoodsystems #middleinfrastructure #equitableprosperity #RFSIforum24

In case you missed it, our very own co-founder Emma Fuller opened the RFSI Forum yesterday with her discussion on ‘Scaling Solutions for Resilient Farming, Business, and Investing Starts With Soil.’ Emma shared where we are today with regenerative agriculture: - There are 255M row crop acres in the US, 176M of which are corn & soy, so if we are serious about transitioning to regenerative agriculture we need to engage all acres to have a real impact - Capital is critical to scaling solutions: $200-$450B is needed to scale regenerative agriculture, but we are only at $20-45B annually today - We need market rate returns, not just concessionary returns, to generate the necessary capital needed for impact in regenerative agriculture Come find us at the RFSI conference! #RFSIForum24 #investing #aginvesting #impactinvesting #farming #regenerativeagriculture #foodsystems #naturalcapital #sustainability #agtech

The Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum is just 6 days away! Fractal co-founder Emma Fuller is opening the conference with her discussion on "Scaling Solutions for Resilient Farming, Business, and Investing Starts With Soil." She will explore how different finance solutions can play a critical role in enabling or inhibiting regenerative farming adoption. The RFSI Forum will bring together 500 investors, capital activators, and critical stakeholders to activate capital across the regenerative food system. Join us at 9:00 am MT on October 9th! #RFSIForum24 #investing #aginvesting #impactinvesting #farming #regenerativeagriculture #foodsystems #naturalcapital #sustainability #agtech

For farmers, managing risk comes down to knowing your cost of production, per acre, per bushel, and laying out the impact of any added acres or investments. Farmers who know their numbers and can share these plans with their lenders will be best positioned to grow in this down-cycle. Evan Shout (Maverick Ag), Tim Hammerich (Future of Agriculture), Grant Wiese (Farm640), Chris Barron (Ag View Solutions) #AgLinkedin #FarmWeird #AgTech

Buying out a landlord never comes at the right time. And when land comes for sale, on average, it won’t be sold for another 60 years. Learn from Kyle Mehmen, a fifth generation Iowa grain farmer, and Daryl Pohlman, a financial coach at UnCommon Farms, about how farmers can be financially prepared to buy-out their landlord. Kyle Mehmen MBS Family Farms Daryl Pohlman UnCommon Farms #AgLinkedin #FarmWeird #AgTech

How can farmers protect their cash positions while still competing for land in this down-cycle? It starts with farmers mapping out future land opportunities and understanding how much capital they need to run their business. Paying all cash for land to avoid high interest rates may prevent many farmers from financing the next land deal. Learn how to access more capital with Fractal.ag so that you can continue building your operation Evan Shout (Maverick Ag), Tim Hammerich (Future of Agriculture), Grant Wiese (Farm640), Chris Barron (Ag View Solutions) #AgLinkedin #FarmWeird

The FSB Companies and Frank Brumfield are proud to join forces with Fractal Agriculture as both an equity investor and fund participant. We expect Fractal to provide immense synergies as a strategic piece of the FSB Ag Portfolio. Fractal partners with institutional investors who aim to gain exposure to row crop farming through farmland equity co-investments and seek quality farm operators who strive to be leaders agronomically, financially, and operationally. The investing model that Ben Gordon and his team have developed at Fractal empowers the enterprising farmer, aligning with our core spirit of entrepreneurialism at The FSB Companies. We are excited for the future of this new relationship! #SustainableFarming #Investing #RegenerativeAgriculture #AgTech