Agriculture Platform
What tools? The land, infrastructure, and technology stack.
Purchasing Farmland
Approach farmland purchases carefully, do extensive research, and seek expert guidance given the complexities and long-term nature of the investment.
Due Diligence Checklist
-
Land Quality Assessment
- Soil quality and nutrients
- Water access and rights
- Topography and suitability for intended crops/uses
- Existing infrastructure and amenities
- Environmental issues or restrictions
- Access to markets and transportation
-
Legal and Regulatory
- Intended use aligns with zoning, deed restrictions, or regulations
- Title verification, especially for older properties with complex ownership histories
- Agricultural exemptions or other tax benefits
-
Financial Considerations
- Full costs including bringing utilities to the property
- Factors affecting future value (development potential, proximity to urban areas)
- External influences: interest rates, commodity prices, regulations
- Fractional ownership options (AcreTrader) for exposure without full purchase
-
Operational Factors
- Succession planning issues when buying from older farmers
- Working with experienced farm management professionals
Contiguous Land Premium
Contiguous land is often more valuable than scattered parcels:
- Premium value: Farmers pay significant premiums for adjacent property
- Operational efficiency: Easier equipment movement across uninterrupted areas
- Rarity of opportunity: Adjacent land opportunities may come once in a lifetime
- Competitive bidding: Neighbouring farmers vs institutional investors
- Long-term investment: Operational benefits plus appreciation potential
Agriculture Tech Stack
DePIN Infrastructure
| Network | Device | Agricultural Use |
|---|---|---|
| WeatherXM | Weather stations | Hyper-local forecasting, parametric insurance, frost alerts |
| GEODNET | RTK base stations | Precision planting, autonomous tractors, drone spraying |
| Helium | LoRaWAN hotspots | Soil sensors, livestock tracking, water monitoring |
| DIMO | OBD2 dongles | Fleet management, farm vehicle tracking |
See DePIN Devices for Real Estate for hardware recommendations (many apply to farm buildings).
Software and Services
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Precision Ag | GEODNET, Farm-ng |
| Farm Management | FarmBackup |
| Fencing/Security | Gallagher |
| Drone Services | Hylio |
| Market Intel | Van Trump Report |
| Fractional Invest | AcreTrader |
Industry Projects
- AgSwag — Agricultural merchandise
- Bid on Beef — Livestock marketplace
- FarmCon — Agricultural events
- Zoetis — Animal health
NZ DePIN Opportunity
New Zealand has zero meaningful DePIN coverage. For agriculture:
| Network | Device | Agricultural Use | NZ Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeatherXM | Weather stations | Hyper-local forecasting, parametric insurance, frost alerts | High — NIWA alternative, farmer-owned data |
| GEODNET | RTK base stations | Precision planting, autonomous tractors, drone spraying | High — Survey-grade positioning at fraction of cost |
| Helium | LoRaWAN hotspots | Soil sensors, livestock tracking, water monitoring | Medium — IoT backbone for remote farms |
| DIMO | OBD2 dongles | Fleet management, farm vehicle tracking | Medium — Tractors, trucks, UTVs |
The opportunity: Become the importer/distributor of DePIN devices for NZ agriculture. Partner with rural electricians and farm consultants to install. Farmers earn tokens from data while getting precision ag infrastructure at lower cost than centralized alternatives.
Context
- Agriculture Protocols — Standards and implementation patterns
- DePIN — Physical infrastructure for data
- Real Estate Platform — Related asset infrastructure