Prove the AI agronomist
before raising the seed round.
A focused pilot with 100 specialty crop farms and 10 regional buyers across North Carolina — designed to validate recommendation acceptance, profit delta, and pre-planting contract liquidity before BAU Farm Intelligence opens to the rest of Zones 7–9.
Pilot Structure
100 farms. 10 buyers. One growing season.
Initial crop focus
Direct-seed after last frost; 50–60 day cycle enables 2–3 successions per season. Nitrogen-fixing — pairs well ahead of fall brassicas.
Transplant 2–3 weeks after tomatoes once soil is consistently 65°F+. Heat-loving; flea beetle pressure heavy in SE — plan row cover through week 4.
Short-day varieties for NC; transplant Jan–Feb for June harvest. Bulb sizing tracks early-season nitrogen and consistent moisture.
Direct-seed Feb–Apr and again Aug–Sep; 55–65 days to harvest. Cool-season; bolt risk above 80°F sustained.
Fast-turn fall crop, 40–55 days. Direct-seed Aug–Sep; greens marketable at day 25. Hakurei type strong for farmers-market premium.
12-Month Plan
Recruit. Plan. Grow. Measure.
Recruitment
- Partner with NC State Extension
- Onboard 100 specialty crop farms
- Sign 10 regional produce buyers
- Baseline soil + rotation data
Plan
- AI rotation recommendations issued
- Profitability forecasts per bed/acre
- Buyer demand posted to marketplace
- First pre-season contracts signed
Grow
- In-season monitoring + adjustments
- Soil amendment recommendations
- Weekly grower office hours
- Mid-season data collection
Measure
- Yield + profit vs. forecast
- Soil health delta
- Contract fulfillment rate
- Pilot report + Series Seed materials
Pilot Economics
Unit economics designed to convert into seed-stage signal.
The pilot is intentionally subsidized — every metric is selected to produce numbers that investors and grant reviewers can underwrite.
Success criteria
Budget
$300,000 to run the pilot.
Combinable with USDA SBIR Phase I non-dilutive funding to extend runway and de-risk the seed round.
Partner Targets
Distribution before demos.
NC State Cooperative Extension
County-level grower recruitment + agronomy validation
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Network of 1,000+ specialty crop growers
NC Department of Agriculture
Specialty Crop Block Grant alignment
Eastern Carolina Organics
Aggregation + institutional buyer channel
Lomax Incubator Farm
Beginning-farmer recruitment pipeline
USDA SBIR Phase I
Non-dilutive funding for the AI agronomist MVP
Fund the pilot that
unlocks the seed round.
Sponsors, grant programs, and angel investors: get the full pilot package with detailed economics, partner letters of support, and quarterly reporting plan.
Request the pilot package
We reply within 1 business day with economics, partner letters, and a 30-min call slot.