Eddy Mejia, CEO of Earnest Agriculture, is on a mission to cultivate a sustainable world through regenerative agriculture—a step beyond sustainable agriculture. Mejia and his partner Dr. Gabe Price are determined to steer the course towards more sustainable and efficient farming practices. I had the opportunity to sit down with Mejia, who shed light on the role of biopesticide testing, as well as the importance of local growers getting involved and educated.
“Two things set us apart in our approach to research and development on sustainability initiatives. Where we get our microbes, and our technology that matches the bacteria together,” Mejia said. With a decade of microbial ecology research under their belt, Earnest Agriculture’s strategy revolves around diversifying microbial solutions to achieve consistency across different agricultural regions.
This approach addresses one of the sector’s most significant challenges: the variability of results due to geographical and environmental differences. By researching multiple microbial strains across different environments, Earnest Agriculture ensures that their solutions bring comprehensive benefits to the plants, no matter the regional challenges they face.
Meet Eddy Mejia
Chief Growth Officer
“Eddy served 6 years in the military with tours to Afghanistan and Iraq. Has worked for 5 Fortune 500 companies, and holds a BS in Computer Engineering, and an MBA. During his free time, he loves to play with his dog Oso, work out, and learn.”
– Earnest Agriculture Website
The ‘Earnest Agriculture’ Mission
“To create opportunity, growth, and impact in every community through innovative, renewable, and authentic practices, processes, and technology.”
– Earnest Agriculture
The distinction between biostimulants and biopesticides, according to Mejia, marks a crucial fork in the road for the industry’s future. While biopesticide testing is a more rigorous and capital-intensive process, it nonetheless offers substantial long-term benefits.
“Biopesticide testing requires a lot more stringent testing against fish, birds, rats, and more, and testing can take anywhere from 16 to 30 months,” Mejia said. “It can cost a lot in terms of upfront investments ($1.2 million), but once you’re biopesticide certified, you can make much stronger claims about disease prevention and more because those extra tests were conducted.”
This approach ensures the safety and effectiveness of agricultural products and also aligns with the increasing demand from consumers and corporate partners.
Q&A with Eddy Mejia
Q: What should growers be aware of in our region’s agriculture landscape?
A: It’s important to be mindful of where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is headed. There are two different paths to take; biologicals/biostimulants or biopesticides. First, you have the biologicals, or simply biostimulants, which is like a ‘Wild West.’ You can put a product on, register, and send it out, but you never know what impact that can have on the food that you’re growing and whatnot. Second, you have the biopesticide route, which is much more stringent. There are more tests and capital required to pass, but this is where the industry is going and what corporate partners are looking at. Some won’t even talk to people doing anything less than biopesticide testing.
Q: What emerging agricultural practices should growers be steering toward in the next 5-10 years across the region?
A: Growers have to recognize and learn that implementing different tools and practices collaboratively, as a joint effort, is going to be what propels us forward. The problem is that you can’t live solely with synthetics and there are cases where it won’t always work. There has to be a balance or combination of practices, old and new, moving forward to get the best product possible.
Q: Looking ahead to the next years of agriculture across the region, do you have any advice for our readers?
A: Stay tuned to what’s happening around the globe. There’s a lot of uncertainty through the end of the year at least, depending on elections and ongoing wars, but it’s important to keep going and stay mindful. There’s a huge impact on which initiatives are set forth and such based on how the election plays out this fall, as well as the conflicts taking place around the globe. Whether it be the events surrounding Ukraine, Gaza, or China, trade is impacted between these groups.
For example, the Red Sea trade route is under attack right now, which is costing the supply chain by causing people to go around the entire continent, therefore increasing transportation costs and lessening the amount of product that can be bought. Keep an eye out for those events because they affect prices for products such as corn, soybeans, and more.
Q: Are there any misconceptions out there that growers may assume about your work, but should wish to correct course?
A: Yes, all biologicals are not snake oil. A lot of farmers simply don’t believe in them, but with data and time, we believe that we can convince them that it truly works and is the future. Farmers need to be thinking about sustainable innovations like biologicals and see how synthetic solutions may be more reliable, but they aren’t the best for soil health. Instead, using a balance between both of them is key.
About Earnest Agriculture
“At Earnest, we partner with farmers to turn their waste into sustainable soil products that help you, your plants, and the environment grow healthier and stronger. Our dedicated team of researchers, engineers, and scientists are helping to automate waste recycling and creating innovative products that improve cultivating outcomes at home and on farms.”
– Earnest Agriculture Website
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