Soil
Soil health
Soil with more organic matter holds water longer and feeds the trees better. We set a baseline for each block, change practices where the soil needs it, and test again to see what worked.
Farm asset management · California Central Valley
Better soil and water make a more valuable farm.
We manage California orchards and vineyards for families and investors. We rebuild soil, take better care of water, and run each ranch on real data from field sensors and farm management software. That same data puts the farm in line for water and carbon credit programs as they develop.
What we improve
A farm's value is in its soil and water
Buyers and lenders price a ranch on what it can grow year after year. That depends on the soil, the water, and how well the place is run. We work on all of it and measure the results so you can see them.
Water
Water
In the Central Valley, water decides what a ranch is worth. We tighten irrigation scheduling, improve infiltration, and keep nitrate out of the groundwater. That also keeps the farm in good standing under SGMA and with the regional water board.
Data
Farm data
Field sensors and a modern farm management system record irrigation, inputs, and labor as they happen. Managers use the data to make better calls. Owners use it to see where their money goes.
New markets
Good records are worth money.
The data we collect to run the farm also documents what it's doing for soil and water. A farm that can prove it gets access to programs and buyers that other farms can't reach.
Water credits
Groundwater recharge and efficient irrigation can qualify for the water credit and trading programs taking shape under SGMA.
Carbon credits
Soil carbon programs pay for documented gains in organic matter. The verification rules are still settling, and we follow them closely.
Premium buyers
Processors and brands that pay more for sustainable production want proof. Our records give it to them.
Lenders and insurers
Banks with heavy ag exposure are more comfortable lending against a farm with clean, audited numbers.
Why now
Family farms are changing hands
Many Central Valley families are selling to institutional investors and family offices. These buyers often care about sustainability and their reputation. Few of them know how to run an almond or pistachio operation.
Many asset managers also act as the farm manager and sell the farm its inputs. Owners pay for decisions they can't see, and the soil and water often get worse in the meantime.
Our model
We work for the owner, and only the owner
Grounded Trust acts as the owner's representative. Our only income is the fee the owner pays us, so our advice has one goal: a healthier farm that's worth more.
One fee, paid by the owner
We charge a flat fee per acre. We take no commissions, rebates, or markups from vendors.
Vendors are kept separate
Service providers we work with charge published rates and run as separate businesses from our advisory firm. That separation is part of how the company is set up.
Everyone sees the same numbers
When we analyze a deal, the buyer, seller, and lender get identical reports. We don't shade the numbers for anyone.
We show the range
Every valuation comes with a most-likely value, a realistic negotiating range, and what happens to the farm in a bad stretch like 2021–22.
Who we work with
Families selling or handing over land
We help you get a fair price and plan the handover. If you want to stay on, we can train you to manage the land for its new owners.
Family offices and institutional investors
We oversee farm managers and contractors on your behalf and report on the farm in a form you can audit.
Agricultural lenders
Independent valuations, stress tests, and recovery plans for permanent-crop loans, including farms in trouble.
1031 exchange buyers
You have 45 days to identify a replacement property. We can do serious diligence inside that window.
Services
What we do
We pair financial and farm data with years of buying, selling, and farming land in the Central Valley.
Acquisition analysis
We value a farm block by block: crop, variety, rootstock, plant year, water source, and yield history. Then we show the price range where buyer, seller, and lender can all make the deal work.
Soil and water plans
We measure where each block stands on soil health and water, then write an improvement plan a farm manager can actually follow.
Farm software and sensors
We set managers up with a modern farm management system and field sensors, so owners can see decisions, inputs, and labor as they happen.
Transition planning
We plan the handover from family to new owners, and we find and train the farm managers. Sometimes the best manager is the family that sold.
Compliance
SGMA, nitrate reporting, and farm labor rules, handled through the year so nothing piles up at deadline.
Reporting
Regular reports for owners, lenders, and insurers, kept to a standard that also supports water and carbon credit applications.
Approach
We start with each block
A block is one planting: the same crop, variety, rootstock, and plant year on the same soil and water source. Every block performs differently, so we analyze each one on its own.
- 01
Diagnose
We gather the farm's records on blocks, soil, water, yields, and contracts, and find out where it makes and loses money.
- 02
Plan
We write a soil, water, and operating plan with the costs and risks spelled out, and test it against a downturn like 2021–22.
- 03
Equip and manage
We install sensors and farm management software and put a trained manager in charge of carrying out the plan.
- 04
Report
We report regularly on soil, water, and finances, with records good enough for credit programs and lenders.
“A farm's income comes from the farm, not from the price someone paid for it.”
So we can tell buyers, sellers, and lenders what a farm can support before anyone starts negotiating.
Team
Who we are
Our principals include a crop and soil scientist, Central Valley farm managers, an irrigation and farm real estate specialist, and a software and finance lead.
Founder
Dr. David Bergvinson
Crop and soil scientist who has led agricultural research and digital agriculture programs around the world. He leads data and AI design and handles partnerships.
Principal
Central Valley farm management
Years of hands-on fertigation, farm management, and farm sales across California permanent crops.
Principal
Irrigation & farmland real estate
Irrigation design, plus a long record of Central Valley farm real estate deals.
Principal
Software & finance
Builds the financial models, farm management system, and data platform we use.
Buying, selling, or handing over a farm?
We're taking on a small number of early clients in the Central Valley. Email Dr. David Bergvinson to set up a confidential conversation.
hello@groundedtrust.io