#74 - Johnny Hunter @ Castor River Habitat & Farm - Trial By Fire & Salvation By Regeneration

2024-06-07

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On this episode, we have Johnny Hunter who is a third-generation farmer and the President of Castor River Habitat & Farm. Castor River Habitat & Farm is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of rice products grown on their own farm and produced in their on-farm milling facility. In this episode, we learn about the Hunter family’s deep agricultural roots, how Johnny was forced to go regen after ‘hitting rock bottom’ in 2012, and how the brand has grown since its inception in 2018.

On this episode, we have Johnny Hunter who is a third-generation farmer and the President of Castor River Habitat & Farm.

Castor River Habitat & Farm is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of rice products grown on their own farm and produced in their on-farm milling facility.

In this episode, we learn about the Hunter family’s deep agricultural roots, how Johnny was forced to go regen after ‘hitting rock bottom’ in 2012, and how the brand has grown since its inception in 2018.

Johnny is a masterful storyteller and this episode had a little bit of everything: thoughts on why we need to keep regenerative farmer-focused and rooted in reality, stories of collaborative commercialization with some of their retail and foodservice partners, plus what is ahead for Castor River including achieving Regenified certification and expanding sourcing beyond their home farm.

Episode Highlights:

🧑‍🌾 The Hunter family’s agricultural legacy

🤯 Committing to farming at 10 years old

💥The rock bottom year that sparked a regen transition

🎰 Why farming is like gambling and the house always wins

👏 Starting a brand to capture de-commoditized value

😂 Breaking into retail selling door-to-door at Hy-Vee

🤝 Their unique partnership with Just Salad

🦆 Why are they a habitat and a farm?

🔍 Onboarding with Regenified™

🍚 Sourcing from other farms to fuel future growth

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