Seedstock » Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com Thu, 23 May 2013 22:57:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Great Basin Permaculture Takes on Challenge of Growing Sustainably in Arid Nevada Environment http://seedstock.com/2013/04/03/great-basin-permaculture-takes-on-challenge-of-growing-sustainably-in-nevadas-challenging-arid-environment/ http://seedstock.com/2013/04/03/great-basin-permaculture-takes-on-challenge-of-growing-sustainably-in-nevadas-challenging-arid-environment/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:18:44 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=7462 When Las Vegas-based sustainable agriculture enthusiast Jessica Penrod decided to begin learning about permaculture, she sought out local study courses in vain. Permaculture is the branch of sustainable agriculture that reaches back to pre-industrial times for inspiration as ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2013/04/03/great-basin-permaculture-takes-on-challenge-of-growing-sustainably-in-nevadas-challenging-arid-environment/feed/ 0 TEDx Manhattan Shines Light on Sustainable Ag Issues from Seed Saving to Food Waste http://seedstock.com/2013/02/21/tedx-manhattan-shines-light-on-sustainable-ag-issues-from-seed-saving-to-food-waste/ http://seedstock.com/2013/02/21/tedx-manhattan-shines-light-on-sustainable-ag-issues-from-seed-saving-to-food-waste/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:14:10 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=6653 Last weekend’s sustainable agriculture themed TEDx Manhattan was entitled “Changing the Way We Eat”.  A TEDx is an independent version of the incredibly popular TED Talks each of which is a day long series of brief presentations on ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2013/02/21/tedx-manhattan-shines-light-on-sustainable-ag-issues-from-seed-saving-to-food-waste/feed/ 1 Reno, NV Startup Sees Opportunity in High Tech, Inexpensive Irrigation Control Systems for Small Farmers http://seedstock.com/2013/01/31/reno-nv-startup-sees-opportunity-in-high-tech-inexpensive-irrigation-control-systems-for-small-farmers/ http://seedstock.com/2013/01/31/reno-nv-startup-sees-opportunity-in-high-tech-inexpensive-irrigation-control-systems-for-small-farmers/#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:40:33 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=6480 When Reno, NV based sustainable agriculture enthusiast Eric Jennings noticed one morning that, yet again, his irrigation system had watered his sidewalk more than his backyard farm, he decided that it was time to put his engineering skills ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2013/01/31/reno-nv-startup-sees-opportunity-in-high-tech-inexpensive-irrigation-control-systems-for-small-farmers/feed/ 1 Burgeoning Growth of Startup Accelerators a Boon to Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurs http://seedstock.com/2012/10/19/burgeoning-growth-of-startup-accelerators-a-boon-to-sustainable-agriculture-entrepreneurs/ http://seedstock.com/2012/10/19/burgeoning-growth-of-startup-accelerators-a-boon-to-sustainable-agriculture-entrepreneurs/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:12:37 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=5873 When the Silicon Valley startup accelerator 500 Startups spawned farm production software company Farmeron late last year, sustainable agriculture officially joined the accelerator boom.  Accelerators typically take an equity stake in your startup in return for which you ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/10/19/burgeoning-growth-of-startup-accelerators-a-boon-to-sustainable-agriculture-entrepreneurs/feed/ 0 An Examination of Fundraising Options for Early Stage Sustainable Agriculture Startups http://seedstock.com/2012/09/19/an-examination-of-fundraising-options-for-early-stage-sustainable-agriculture-startups/ http://seedstock.com/2012/09/19/an-examination-of-fundraising-options-for-early-stage-sustainable-agriculture-startups/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:57:28 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=5689 As entrepreneurs, one of our early challenges is finding funding faster than we’re burning through our savings; it’s a choke point that’s so common that it’s referred to as “the Valley of Death”. This realization often comes at ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/09/19/an-examination-of-fundraising-options-for-early-stage-sustainable-agriculture-startups/feed/ 0 Five Keys to Finding Success on Kickstarter for Sustainable Food Entrepreneurs http://seedstock.com/2012/09/17/five-keys-to-finding-success-on-kickstarter-for-sustainable-food-entrepreneurs/ http://seedstock.com/2012/09/17/five-keys-to-finding-success-on-kickstarter-for-sustainable-food-entrepreneurs/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:06:08 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=5667 Over its three year life span, Kickstarter, a crowdfunded donation site, has become quite the boon for sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs, raising $9.1 million in funding for 846 food projects[1]. Indeed, many of the startups profiled here at Seedstock, ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/09/17/five-keys-to-finding-success-on-kickstarter-for-sustainable-food-entrepreneurs/feed/ 0 Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles, Aquaculture Firm Hopes to Ride Wave of Rising Global Demand http://seedstock.com/2012/08/28/overcoming-regulatory-hurdles-sustainable-aquaculture-firm-to-ride-wave-of-rising-global-demand/ http://seedstock.com/2012/08/28/overcoming-regulatory-hurdles-sustainable-aquaculture-firm-to-ride-wave-of-rising-global-demand/#comments Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:54:48 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=5509 As an investor, there are few things more wretched than seeing a good business plan sullied by the phrase “pending regulatory approval”.  Though a handful of investors view regulatory reliant deals as a specialty, most see it as ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/08/28/overcoming-regulatory-hurdles-sustainable-aquaculture-firm-to-ride-wave-of-rising-global-demand/feed/ 0 US Farmland Investment and Why There Aren’t More Sustainable Agriculture Funds http://seedstock.com/2012/06/22/us-farmland-investment-and-why-there-arent-more-sustainable-agriculture-funds/ http://seedstock.com/2012/06/22/us-farmland-investment-and-why-there-arent-more-sustainable-agriculture-funds/#comments Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:06:10 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4983 When TIAA Cref – which describes itself as “the leading retirement provider for people who work in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields” – announced a $2 billion investment into farmland last month, it barely caused a ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/06/22/us-farmland-investment-and-why-there-arent-more-sustainable-agriculture-funds/feed/ 0 A Primer for the Sustainable Ag Entrepreneur Thinking about Applying for a Patent http://seedstock.com/2012/05/31/a-primer-for-the-sustainable-ag-entrepreneur-thinking-about-applying-for-a-patent/ http://seedstock.com/2012/05/31/a-primer-for-the-sustainable-ag-entrepreneur-thinking-about-applying-for-a-patent/#comments Thu, 31 May 2012 22:42:47 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4780 For many sustainable agriculture entrepreneurs the point at which their ideas become ‘real’ is the one at which they must confront the decision as to whether to patent their technology or process. This decision point frequently comes even ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/05/31/a-primer-for-the-sustainable-ag-entrepreneur-thinking-about-applying-for-a-patent/feed/ 0 Despite Technology Issues & Crop Costs, Investor Interest in 2nd Generation Biomass Remains http://seedstock.com/2012/05/10/despite-technology-issues-crop-costs-investor-interest-in-2nd-generation-biomass-remains/ http://seedstock.com/2012/05/10/despite-technology-issues-crop-costs-investor-interest-in-2nd-generation-biomass-remains/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 12:43:25 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4603 Biomass-based biofuels – fuels produced from renewable biological resources – are arguably the most successful of sustainable agriculture sectors when it comes to attracting investors. While other sectors were fortunate to break $100 million in investments, 33 biomass deals ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/05/10/despite-technology-issues-crop-costs-investor-interest-in-2nd-generation-biomass-remains/feed/ 1 To Exploit Market Opportunity and Advance Sustainable Agriculture, Startup Develops Innovative Robotic Weeder http://seedstock.com/2012/04/25/to-exploit-market-opportunity-and-advance-sustainable-agriculture-tech-co-develops-innovative-robotic-weeder/ http://seedstock.com/2012/04/25/to-exploit-market-opportunity-and-advance-sustainable-agriculture-tech-co-develops-innovative-robotic-weeder/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:53:49 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4410 Jorge Heraud, co-founder of Blue River Technology, a Stanford-derived startup that is leveraging concepts and technologies from the fields of robotics, machine learning, precision agriculture and more to advance sustainable agriculture, has deep roots in agriculture technology. Prior to starting ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/04/25/to-exploit-market-opportunity-and-advance-sustainable-agriculture-tech-co-develops-innovative-robotic-weeder/feed/ 2 Sustainable Agriculture Startups Chase Venture Capital While Gov’t Grants May be a Better Option http://seedstock.com/2012/04/03/sustainable-agriculture-startups-chase-venture-capital-while-govt-grants-might-be-a-better-option/ http://seedstock.com/2012/04/03/sustainable-agriculture-startups-chase-venture-capital-while-govt-grants-might-be-a-better-option/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:23:35 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4186 For a startup, the odds of obtaining venture capital funding are lower than one in 100[1], likely less for a sustainable agriculture startup as I’ve covered elsewhere. The odds of securing a federal grant on the other hand ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/04/03/sustainable-agriculture-startups-chase-venture-capital-while-govt-grants-might-be-a-better-option/feed/ 0 Sustainable Agriculture Investor Sees Opportunity in Alternative Protein Sources http://seedstock.com/2012/03/26/sustainable-agriculture-investor-sees-opportunity-in-alternative-protein-sources/ http://seedstock.com/2012/03/26/sustainable-agriculture-investor-sees-opportunity-in-alternative-protein-sources/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:17:17 +0000 Nicola Kerslake http://seedstock.com/?p=4052

Ejnar Knudsen is one of the better known hedge fund managers in the sustainable agriculture space; he was investing in the sector as far back as the late 1990s, when he led ... Read More]]> http://seedstock.com/2012/03/26/sustainable-agriculture-investor-sees-opportunity-in-alternative-protein-sources/feed/ 0