Episode #63: Cannon Michael

Cannon Michael is a 6th generation family farmer in California’s Central Valley. When Cannon first started working at the Bowles Farming Company, it was a broad-acre row crop operation, focused on cotton, barley, and alfalfa. After 15 years of overhauling the farm’s management practices, Bowles now incorporates both organic and conventional methods as he raises a vast array of vegetable crops: tomatoes; watermelons; garlic; onions; herbs; and many more.

Throughout their conversation John and Cannon discuss:

• The major changes over the 160-year history of Cannon’s family farm, as well as the current scope and scale of his growing operation.
• What it means to be a grower in California: The culture of innovation, interacting with a rigorous business climate, strict regulations, and interest in promoting fair practices for people and the environment.
• A prediction around agriculture’s decentralized, technology-driven future and how it will impact growers.
• The power of branding partners, communication, and the advantages of telling your story to end consumers.
• How bandwidth and a fluctuating environment can lead to significant limitations on operational efficiencies.