To a Year of Resolve Ahead
Humankind has been making — and breaking — New Year’s resolutions for at least 4000 years of recorded history, starting with the Babylonians. The truth is our energy ebbs and flows along with the events of the year and the scope of our goals. The bigger the challenge and longer-term the finish line, including the Herculean effort to change a global food system, the more resolve it takes to stay the course.
Given the challenge, we look at each day as an opportunity to renew our resolutions. After all, the New Year was not always January first. For the Babylonians, the start of the year began with the vernal equinox and planting season. Julius Caesar changed the New Year to its current date at the start of the month of January. The Julian calendar named this month after Janus, the Roman god with two faces, one looking backward and one forward. Janus symbolized both endings and beginnings. Like the month’s namesake, we find our energy for positive change in reflecting on December and the events of 2024 and celebrating the successes of our portfolio and foundation. We look forward to all we will accomplish together in 2025.
2024 Women in Climate Awards
Fin-Erth recognized 101 women leaders in climate with a list that included The Nest’s Anouk Schoors and Clear Frontier’s Adele Durfey. Anouk’s recognition centered on her efforts to drive meaningful shifts in our food system and work as a Board Member at Ardo, Agricarbon, and Propagate. Adele’s recognition focused on her accomplishments deploying institutional capital for organic farmland development and her work with Agrokultura Ukraine, where she oversaw $25M in annual input purchases and managed crop sales across 135,000 acres.
RFSI Europe Farmer Scholarships
RFSI Europe will take place 26-27 February 2025. The Nest is sponsoring Farmer Scholarships for the event. Full time farmers may apply for a scholarship at this link.
Portfolio News
Buoyant Ventures
Raptor Maps $35 million Series C financing round was oversubscribed. The fund, led by Maverix Private Equity, included the participation of existing investors Buoyant Ventures, MKB, Blue Bear Capital, Congruent Ventures, and Y Combinator.
Propagate
Propagate was awarded $24.6 million USDA-NRCS grant that will advance agroforestry and reforestation on working farms along the Mississippi River Basin. A key goal for the grant is restoration of water quality. The Mississippi River Basin is one of the most compromised watersheds globally.
The grant is part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The multi-year program enables Propagate and a team of partners to plant trees on 3,500 acres of farmland in 5 key states. Partners include Virginia Tech, Rodale Institute, Living Carbon, Agroforestry Partners, Williams Forestry, and Native Forest Nursery.
Propagate also shared their latest case study, the 55-acre Bloom Farm. Third Place, an investment firm focused on the intersection of agriculture, wellness, and education, funded the work with a goal of producing food while restoring the remnant of a former old growth forest that was cleared for corn and soy production.
Walden Mutual
In their December post, the team at Walden shared success stories on balancing Impact vs. Profit. Case studies included scaling Green City Growers’ “farming as a service” model amidst new leadership. The other success story was their own. Walden Mutual crossed the $100M asset threshold in 2024 and had their first profitable month in November, proof that impact and profit are not mutually exclusive.
Agricarbon
Agricarbon established their U.S. facility and team in South Carolina in 2024.
Ardo
Ardo's latest article, "Catch the Rhythm of Global Supply: Where Innovation Meets Agility", delves into the company's strategic approach to navigating the complexities of the global supply chain. By emphasizing innovation and agility, Ardo demonstrates its commitment to delivering high-quality frozen vegetables, herbs, and fruits to meet evolving consumer demands.
Pymwymic
Pymwymic announced their investment in TRACT, the ninth addition to their Healthy Food Systems Impact Fund II. TRACT is a SaaS platform enabling traceability and sustainability in agricultural supply chains. TRACT raised over $12 million in its latest funding round. Investors also included The Working Capital Fund and Rabo Investments, and founding shareholders ADM, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), and Olam.
Synthesis Capital
Synthesis's Chief Scientific Officer, David Welch and Wendy Jenkins at Wageningen University published a paper in the journal Global Food Security, “Will the protein transition lead to sustainable food systems?” Synthesis interviewed the authors on their vision for this transition.
Biotope by VIB
Biotope by VIB held their sixth basecamp in late 2024, completing with a pitching day in front of their Investment Committee on December 13.
Foundation
Top 50 Farmers
The Top 50 Farmers program launched in November, garnering farmer applications for the program between November and December 17. After the selection process, T50F will announce the first cohort of farmers in January 2025. Founders Cindie Christiansen and Analisa Winther shared their vision for T50F on a podcast with Investing in Regenerative Agriculture.
Investing in Regenerative Agriculture
In 2024, The Nest funded a sustainable aquaculture series with the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast. Koen van Seijen noted the series in his end of year episode. The post also highlighted their most-listened episodes of the year, including an interview with Eric Smith of Edacious.
Opportunities
Zymofix is hiring for a Chief Technology Officer, as well as Project and/or Regulatory Manager, Microbiology Researcher, and Plant Scientist roles.
Buoyant Ventures posted 20 jobs across their portfolio including a VP of Business Development and Software Engineer positions.
Monarch Tractor is hiring for a Service Technician in Livermore, CA.
Omnivore posted 175 jobs across 34 companies in their portfolio.
A Message from the Farm
The team at Domaine de Graux shared the following message for the New Year:
As another year ends at Domaine de Graux, we take a moment to reflect on the journey. Like every farm, we faced our share of challenges — working in harmony with nature is never without surprises! But through teamwork, dedication, and unwavering perseverance, we turned obstacles into opportunities. 2024 was a year of progress and success:
· New products are in the pipeline, alongside promising new partnerships.
· The farm continues to thrive, staying true to our ideals of animal welfare, biodiversity, and soil health.
· Our team grew stronger together, learning from every experience.
· Through events and fieldtrips, we connected with incredible people who inspired us and enriched our journey.
· We also made meaningful strides in a pedagogical project in collaboration with Le Crié de Mouscron, more to come very soon!
· Every step forward has been fueled by the support of so many inspiring people and our shared passion for sustainable farming and community-building.
And the best part? We’re just getting started. 2025 promises to be even more exciting, with innovative projects and fresh opportunities on the horizon. Stay tuned — we can’t wait to share the next chapter of this adventure with you!