Grant Schultz is the Founder of VersaLand, Iowa City, Iowa, and known in some circles as the "Mad Scientist of Permaculture". As a farmer-hacker-artist, Grant develops new tools and techniques for creating and managing agroecosystems, including GPS Keyline technology, custom tree planters, and electric tractors. Leveraging a background in agricultural and commercial land management and brokerage, Grant will share innovative ways to gain land access, design a diverse farm, and create a broadacre permaculture farm that yields abundant rewards.
Grant bootstrapped his venture from nothing, just bare land, yet today he has a thriving business and makes a good living from his farm. There was no infrastructure on his land, nothing, just bare land, no buildings, electricity or water. He is leasing the land with option to buy – long-term land tenure with a predetermined strike price. Yes, he does workshops, but they are not his primary source of income – the land itself generates his main sources of revenue.
Grant went to a conventional agricultural college and took a horticultural path. However, he soon started to believe something was wrong with the conventional system and began searching for a viable alternative, eventually finding permaculture. Following graduation, he became involved with startups, and also gained some valuable experience as a real estate agent. Nonetheless, to him, food security was the most important path to pursue.
He started a successful commercial garlic growing operation on rented land and began to play an active role in the new food and farm movement, but had a problem all too common for novice farmers: land access. However, through networking with farmers at the 2013 Practical Farmers Annual Conference, he eventually found a permanent home at Versaland Farm near Iowa City, and Grant hit the ground running.
Currently, VersaLand is developing an agricultural ecosystem that seamlessly blends technology and tradition. It’s a silvopasture, an agroforestry practice that includes both trees and livestock. Grant focuses on resilient farm infrastructure, perennial field crops, superfoods and grazing management. Using a keyline water management system, Versaland showcases the early stages of an agroecological design alongside mature oaks and hickories.
It was inspiring to hear how Grant started and grew his own successful farm businesses. Some of the things I enjoyed most from this business-oriented presentation were:
Grant's recommendation for who to hire first when starting a new farm business, plus a clever way to find them.
His clear decision methodology for choosing which farm enterprise(s) to pursue over time.
His triple-bottom line standards for choosing whether to continue an operation, or change it or abandon it.
His top two website recommendations for acquiring second-hand farm machinery, as well as DIY farm creations.
Quick book, permaculture teacher, and PDC farm recommendations.
His super easy, ridiculously quick and clever method for getting plug-and-play inspiration, ingenuity, and problem solving for farm challenges.
We can walk to school together. And we can both read this tiny ad:
Click here to learn how to be an affiliate for "Grant Schultz PV3 Presentation - Making Permaculture Pay: Proven Business Blueprints",
and start earning 50% of the sales it makes!
4
