GUEST BLOG: HarvestPort Ramps Up Input Buys for California Specialty Crop Farmers with a Focus on Bringing Savings to Farmers Now
Posted on July 17, 2018 10:52 AM by WGCIT
By Heidi Burns, Head of Revenue, HarvestPort
HarvestPort (a WGA CIT member) has a new goal in 2018: to lower crop input costs for all farmers. You may know HarvestPort from their groundbreaking work as a shared economy platform, some have called them the “airbnb” of farming equipment. What you may not know is that CEO Brian Dawson and co-founder Chad Hokama have since found another way to serve the agricultural community. HarvestPort has expanded into crop input eCommerce acting as a procurement advocate for farmers.
What does this mean for your business?
HarvestPort’s mission is to increase farm income in sustainable ways for both conventional and organic farmers. Co-founders Dawson and Hokama started HarvestPort as a shared economy platform, allowing agribusinesses to seamlessly share underutilized equipment, but did not stop there. HarvestPort saw an opportunity to streamline crop input procurement by reducing barriers in the inputs supply chain to obtain better prices on on commonly used inputs. Shopping for inputs is time consuming—having to compare costs, knowing the right time to buy, and watching market trends all take farmers out of the fields and into the office.
To get farmers the best value for their money, HarvestPort negotiates pricing on inputs from trusted suppliers, helping the farmer operate more efficiently by acting as a procurement advocate. Think of it as doing the work farmers often spend too much time doing or do not have the time to do well. On the supply side HarvestPort is helping the retailer save money on sales and marketing expenses, working to protect cost overruns for the retailer.
Currently, farmers can opt into the convenience of HarvestPort in two ways: by signing up for HarvestPort Deals or by joining HarvestPort Inputs.
HarvestPort Deals is a weekly offer on a unique product or service that is shared with HarvestPort’s subscription network. Deals are priced competitively and are only offered for a select period of time. Farmers looking to get a taste of what HarvestPort offers should sign-up for “HarvestPort Deals” to recognize immediate savings on crop inputs.. For example, HarvestPort has partnered with HeavyConnect, a labor management app and another WGA CIT start-up, on a Deal to offer exclusive pricing to anyone that opts in.
HarvestPort Inputs is the purchasing group farmers join to benefit from HarvestPort buys on inputs (currently only available to large acreage farmers) . Working with growers exclusively, HarvestPort identifies acres with the same input needs and then shops for the best value inputs for those acres. HarvestPort does the negotiating so farmers can get back to what they love best, farming not shopping.
Dawson is a long-time California agriculture professional. He’s launched several successful startups, utilizing his rich background to create technology that best serves agribusiness professionals.
HarvestPort is your procurement advocate to find the best value for the inputs you use most. With the goal of increasing your farm income, HarvestPort is focused on lowering the cost of input spend and helping farmers navigate the ever-changing marketplace of agriculture. So, whether you’ve been in the agriculture business for a long time or have recently taken over a farming operation, HarvestPort can help save you money along the way.
Reach out to Heidi Burns with all of your HarvestPort-related questions at 1-970-HARVEST or heidi@harvestport.com.