Our family farm’s survival is a testament to resilience in the face of daunting uncertainty. When my parents bought our land in the early 1980s, the farm economy was in turmoil — sky-high interest rates and challenging input and land prices, with every indicator suggesting the odds were against them. The farm economy was in a downward spiral, and the future was anything but certain. Yet, through grit, adaptability and making tough but necessary sacrifices, they persevered. Decades later, we gather around the dinner table to discuss succession planning for our farm — a conversation that actuarial science (and betting people) said we’d never have.
Today, farmers face a new era of uncertainty. Resource scarcity and volatility in the markets, in the weather, in global competition and tariffs, and in policies that impact agricultural innovation have created a landscape just as unpredictable as the 1980s. The challenges may have changed, but the need for resilience and adaptability remains the same. Just as my parents faced the unknown with determination, our generation must find new ways to adapt and thrive by playing the long game.
My family still farms, and I now focus on making biological products more reliable for growers by driving change in how we design and develop microbials. Conventional wisdom says biologicals can’t compete with traditional chemical-based approaches for fertility and crop production. But conventional approaches have applied a chemistry playbook to living organisms, and it isn’t working.
Biologicals need a biology-based playbook — one grounded in the best science available and tailored to the complexity of living organisms. Microbes aren’t just ingredients; they’re living systems with complex genomes and diverse capabilities. They collaborate in communities and can perform multiple functions — including improving nutrient availability and suppressing pathogens throughout the growing season. Microbials aren’t just another input, they’re a paradigm shift that can actually build resiliency from the ground up.
Our approach at Jord, powered by a global microbial bank and advanced analytics, has demonstrated win-rates exceeding 80% and performance improvements of 11% to 25% over leading benchmarks. This signals a new era of reliable, field-ready biologicals for farmers seeking productivity, consistency, and sustainability.
In multi-year field testing, data show that our biology-based playbook works. Our microbial leads not only outperform current products but also provide much-needed reliability for farmers seeking high-performing crop inputs with sustainable ROI. Through partnerships with leading agribusinesses, we aim to be a trusted, science-driven partner to advance better and more consistent crop protection and fertility products.
As we look toward 2026, we must double down on innovation, resilience, and collaboration. Trust is foundational – farmers must know our products perform as promised, year after year. Let’s roll up our sleeves, leverage our collective strengths, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our farms, our communities, and our world are counting on us.
