About
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DonateWhat We Do
Impacting Lives Through Agriculture
We Vet Opportunities. We Share Opportunities. We Create Partnerships.
Before you invest, our team has evaluated the opportunities and brought forward those most likely to succeed.
After you make the investment, our team continues to work with the local operator to help insure the expected results are achieved.
What you do
Impacting Lives Through Investment
You Invest. You Create Opportunity. You Empower.
When you invest in a project sponsored by AgGrandize, you are engaging in a partnership that enables local farmers and operators to compete and provide for their local markets.
The Why
There are approximately 500 million smallholder farmers in the developing world, operating farms under 13 acres, and serve an important role in food systems. These farmers have 3 main needs: access to capital, agronomic expertise and access to better markets.
Details
Capital: these farmers often lack the capital needed to purchase quality seed, fertilizer, and other inputs, to maximize yields and their profitability. According to the World Bank there is a $200 billion shortfall to fund the current financial needs of farmers in developing/frontier countries.
Agronomic Expertise: many times these farmers also lack expertise in the most current agronomic practices. Our team of experts works directly with the farmer to manage the crop throughout the growing season. Engagement at this level yields a higher success rate both for the farmer and the investor.
Better Markets: there is often an opportunity to take the crop to the next step in the value chain through local ag business by processing it for food or feed which can increase profits for the farmer.
Leadership
Kevin Stark
Kevin Stark began his professional career in 1991 as a sales agronomist for Terra Industries in southwest Missouri. In 1993 he became a Location Manager at one of Terra’s agronomy supply stores in that same geography. Kevin took a position as an Area Business Manager position with Land O'Lakes seed business covering the south central region of the US. He began his current role in 2009 supporting a group of Land O'Lakes largest seed, chemistry, and feed accounts where he works with their C-suite and boards of directors to help develop, align, and execute on strategy. Kevin is also an owner/partner of a 3000 acre farm producing corn, wheat, soybeans and milo along with 165 head of stock cows. Through his life experiences Kevin has been able to engage with agricultural based projects in Zambia, Iraq, and Central Asia. Kevin’s true passion in life is to help other’s succeed in agriculture based businesses.
Justin Carney
Justin’s ten plus years of agriculture business experience in the Middle East has been focused on economic development and local and global collaboration with access and opportunity in creative access markets in Northern Iraq. Mr. Carney has diverse leadership experience ranging from working alongside small share farmers in rural Kurdish villages to advising Ministers and advisory counsels on Iraq national food security and policy reform. Mr. Carney has held management positions in various sectors including non-profits, Oil and Gas, Agriculture Development and processing companies.
David Goodyear
David began his career as a field medic attached to the Marine Corps in 1976. After discharge he enrolled at Kansas University in the Pre-Hospital Mobile Intensive Care program. He and his family moved to Coffeyville Kansas where he served for a total 17 years as a field paramedic, supervisor, and finally EMS Director at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. During that time David obtained his RN license. In 2000 he took a position as manager of the ER/EMS department at Mercy hospital in Fort Scott Kansas. He was part of the early disaster response to the 2010 earth quake in Haiti. He helped establish and is still engaged with a partnership in Kenya which focuses on widows and orphans. David’s passion is to stand with those thought to be the least likely to succeed.
Brent Micke
Brent is a professional agronomist from Saint Joseph, MO, who has worked with international projects in East Asia, Central Asia, and lived in the Middle East. He has worked with Land O'Lakes in various roles, helping farmers improve productivity and managing sales territories. He has also worked with Cargill, as a Regional Agronomy Leader, in Indiana and Michigan. He holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy. Brent and his wife Katie have 4 children.