Agtech has long had an interest in shortening the supply chain between farms and consumers. And yet after years of effort, relatively little progress has been made beyond a proliferation of farmers markets and some new “local” tags at supermarkets. There are a lot of challenges in this space that go beyond a simple technical fix, and overcoming them often requires rethinking the entire business model. 

Enter Michael Bosworth, farmer and founder of Next Generation Foods, a California-based food brand and distribution company that's reinventing how food moves from the fields to chefs and home kitchens alike, with a special interest in sustainability, science, and transparency. Michael’s not only growing rice in a highly water-vulnerable region, he’s also growing a valuable food business to market his products and those from nearby farms to ensure that his model is both environmentally and economically sustainable. 

In this episode, Michael guest speaks about:

• What his customers, and consumers more broadly, are really most interested in, including what drives the most sales when it comes to food purchases
• His strategy for moving from being a price-taker to being a price-maker, and the ongoing investments required to maintain that position
• Why having a “farm brand” can be an asset but also a limitation in terms of offerings and agility in the fast-moving food space 

Useful Links:

• Learn more about Next Generation Foods’ brand, True Origin Foods
• Hear another farmer perspective about Getting off the Commodity Treadmill with Loran Steinlage
• Unpack the nuance around the regen ag debate by tuning into our 5-part series 
• Thinking afresh about the intersection of farm and food business models? Don’t forget to Show Me The Incentive 
• Dig into our analysis of the Agtech Adoption Dilemma of Irrigation and get the full report here
• Also, don’t miss Irrigation technology on the rise, but where’s the adoption? 
• We’re fundraising for Tenacious Ventures Fund II, out loud To learn more about investing in Fund II, click here

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The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should read the information memorandum and seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe Information is correct, no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness is given, except for liability under statue which cannot be excluded.

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