Fall Line Capital

The Arkansas Discovery Farm Program is a research and education initiative focused on sustainable agricultural practices that align with the state's priorities to improve water quality, soil health, and resource conservation. The program involves collaboration between landowners, farmers, and researchers to test conservation practices on active farms, gathering data over several years to assess strategies for reducing nutrient runoff, optimizing irrigation, and maintaining soil productivity. These findings help inform broader efforts to balance agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. The program is managed by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service under the leadership of Professor Mike Daniels, an extension soil and water conservation scientist. Together with Professor Mike Daniels, we were awarded a Conservation Innovation Grant with the goal of assessing the impact of biochar on mitigating nutrient runoff and water quality and promoting soil health and carbon sequestration. For the duration of this three-year project, we will enroll one of our Arkansas farms into the Discovery Farm Program and cooperate with the University of Arkansas Extension as well as with the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff on applying soil conservation practices and measuring the results. From: Giulia M. Stellari & Joaquin Oliverio

Thrilled to see WWD spotlighting our launch of ELEVATE alongside 10 visionary brands! 🌟 ELEVATE isn’t just a biomaterial—it’s the future of sustainable luxury. Designed for eco-conscious performance, endless customization, and a sophisticated touch, it’s redefining what sustainable leather can be. From exquisite jewelry to bespoke handbags, these exclusive collections are setting new benchmarks in fashion and sustainability. Stay connected to witness how ELEVATE is leading a bold movement in design. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/d8ga7pzR #Bioleather #SustainableMaterials #UncagedInnovations #SustainableLuxury #NextGenMaterials

Thrilled about this announcement from Vaulted Deep. By injecting biosolids deep underground, Vaulted ensures permanent CO₂ storage with a competitive cost structure. Their unique approach, developed from years of oil & gas experience, combines robust IP and operational excellence to lead in carbon removal. With major contracts and active sites Vaulted is prepared to improve biomass usage. We look forward to supporting Vaulted as they continue to grow!

Today, we’re excited to announce Arzeda has reached a new commercial milestone on our journey to transform essential industries for the better through protein design.   Using our Intelligent Protein Design Technology™, we’ve now produced 10 metric tons of ProSweet RebM™ stevia, a natural, zero-calorie sweetener, marking a major step forward in sustainable production for the food industry. Our ProSweet Reb M(tm) now opens new application possibilities where taste and cost were the challenges.   To put it in perspective, these 10 tons of stevia could potentially replace thousands of tons or 750 million spoonfuls of sugar. Pretty sweet! Learn more in our company announcement: [1] https://lnkd.in/gcNzUPnf

The Mississippi Delta is generally flat terrain, with more than 50% of soils having high clay content. Farmers typically cultivate these soils in the fall to expose them to rain and winter temperatures, creating a soil structure suitable for spring planting. However, there are also hundreds of thousands of acres of more erodible, lighter-textured soils that are managed in the same way. Intensive tillage on these soils just before the winter rainy season significantly increases the risk of erosion. These lighter soils present a significant opportunity to reduce production costs and improve sustainability by avoiding fall tillage, preserving topsoil, and leaving crop residue from the previous season to protect against rain erosion. Fields could remain undisturbed over winter and only be bedded where necessary in the spring, just before planting. This approach not only benefits soil and water conservation but could also lower costs by $50 to $100 per acre. From: Joaquin Oliverio

Israeli startup Chunk Foods is moving into the retail market in the US via independent retailers in Los Angeles and New York City and eyeing an e-commerce launch before the end of the year to bring its plant-based whole cuts to consumers nationwide. Despite lackluster sales in the plant-based category at US retail, says founder and CEO Amos Golan. “We’ve found that US retailers are still quite open to new players, especially when you’re offering something truly innovative that checks many of the boxes consumers are looking for." To make its whole cuts, Chunk Foods ferments soy flour with food-grade microorganisms in a proprietary solid state fermentation process. This is cheaper than using high-moisture extrusion or submerged fermentation, and is highly tunable, claims Golan, who has raised around $24.5m from backers including Cheyenne Ventures and Fall Line Capital since founding Chunk Foods in 2020. #foodtech #plantbased #alternativeproteins #plantbasedmeat #meatalternatives #fermentation AgFunder

The cotton harvest is well underway in the Mississippi Delta, with Louisiana leading the effort, having harvested 88% of its cotton according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report. The photos below were taken in September on one of our Arkansas farms. Typically, farmers defoliate the plants to improve airflow, dry them, and then open the cotton bolls before picking. Since it's often the last crop harvested, farmers are at the mercy of the rainy season, which can easily destroy the entire crop. They face a trade-off between the yield and quality benefits of having all the bolls open and the risk of losing the crop to adverse weather. After harvest, cotton stalks are usually trimmed to remove food and shelter for boll weevils (Anthonomus grandis). From: Joaquin Oliverio, Wade H. Condrey, and Baptiste Tellier

Congratulations to Arzeda’s co-founder, David Baker, on winning the Nobel Prize! Arzeda, a spinout from his lab, continues to thrive under the leadership of those mentored by him. We're excited for Alexandre Zanghellini and the entire Arzeda team as they continue pushing the boundaries of sustainable protein-based industrial applications. 

We are proud to announce the closing of our Series B funding round with an additional $11 million commitment from new investors Corteva Agriscience. through its Corteva Catalyst platform, Sparkfood SA This addition brings the total Series B round to $40 million, elevating Micropep’s overall funding to over $60 million. We’d like to thank all of our investors who support and believe in our mission of building more sustainable agriculture for future generations. Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/e7aaW-Gt #agtech #sustainableagriculture #sustainablefarming

We're thrilled to be part of Arzeda's journey and support their growth as they reshape the future of protein design and advance sustainable solutions. Congratulations to the Arzeda team!