From The Land co-founders standing beside a Littlest Big Farm

ABOUT FROM THE LAND

We’re rebuilding the farm from the ground up.

From The Land combines science, engineering, farming and education to build compact food-production infrastructure for a more distributed future.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Food production should be closer, smaller and more adaptable.

We started From The Land around a simple idea: modern agriculture does not have to look like agriculture has always looked.

We combine ancient building materials with controlled environments, vertical growing, sensors, automation and renewable energy. The goal is not technology for technology’s sake. It is to make productive agriculture possible in more places, for more people, with less dependence on the conditions outside the farm.

That thinking became the Littlest Big Farm: a farm small enough to fit where people live, learn and work, but capable of doing serious agricultural work.

Ancient + modern

Thermal mass and earthen construction meet environmental control, hydroponics, sensors and automation.

Distributed by design

We want farms closer to homes, businesses, schools and communities—not only far from the people they feed.

Build. Grow. Measure.

We work in the field, test with real crops, learn from what happens and improve the system from there.

Useful over flashy

Every technology has to earn its place by helping the farm become more practical, resilient or productive.

THE FOUNDERS

Built by people who build.

From The Land grew out of years spent moving between laboratories, engineering projects, classrooms, farms and hands-on product development.

CO-FOUNDER · SCIENTIST · EDUCATOR · GROWER

Dr. Gina Oliver

Gina brings research science into the farm—and the farm back into research.

An NSF Graduate Research Fellow with a background spanning geology and microbiology, Gina has presented research internationally and worked across disciplines before turning her focus toward agriculture, food systems and climate resilience. You can explore more of Gina’s work or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Soon after completing her doctorate, she led From The Land to a USDA SBIR Phase I award and selection for California’s Dream Fund. Today her work spans controlled-environment agriculture, crop production, research, education and the day-to-day reality of making new agricultural systems work.

CO-FOUNDER · ENGINEER · INVENTOR · BUILDER

Richard Hutchison

Richard turns ideas into systems you can build, test, break and improve.

A materials science engineer and inventor, Richard’s work has ranged from optical and thermal efficiency research for LEDs and patented protective technology to biotechnology systems, innovation labs and engineering design education. You can explore more of Richard’s work or connect with him on LinkedIn.

At From The Land, he leads product development and systems engineering across the structures, growing systems, power, environmental control, automation and the countless practical details required to turn a concept into a working farm.

NOT DESIGNED FROM A DESK

We grow with the systems we build.

Mushrooms, greens, strawberries, herbs, saffron, feed grasses and specialty crops are not just website categories for us. They are how we learn what the farm needs to become.

That hands-on approach shapes everything from airflow and thermal management to crop layout, labor, maintenance and the economics of operating a very small farm.

See what we’re growing →

Inside a Littlest Big Farm with mushroom production racks

Lion's Mane mushrooms grown by From The Land

PARTNERS + SUPPORT

Built with help from people who believe new agriculture is worth testing.

Our work has been supported and strengthened through programs and organizations including USDA, the California Dream Fund, SoCal OASIS at UC Riverside, EPIC SBDC, Larta Institute, and Caravanserai Project.

Each link below goes directly to From The Land on the partner’s own site whenever a partner-specific page is available.

USDA / NIFAOur SBIR Phase I project↗ California Dream FundOur CalOSBA success story↗ UCR OASISOur 2023 Pitch Challenge↗ EPIC SBDCOur Littlest Big Farm feature↗ Larta2025 Venture Fellows cohort↗ Caravanserai ProjectOur current AgTech partnership↗

ADVISORS, MENTORS + ALUMNI

The people around the work matter, too.

From The Land is founder-led, but it has never been built in isolation. Experienced engineers, entrepreneurs and strategists have helped us solve hard problems, challenge assumptions and build better systems.

TECHNICAL ADVISOR · HARDWARE + MANUFACTURING

Jim Hutchison

A lifelong Silicon Valley startup veteran in electrical and hardware engineering, Jim also brings experience in manufacturing and FDA regulatory compliance. He has helped From The Land build a new generation of electrical and control systems while advising us on engineering, manufacturability and product development. Jim is Richard’s father—and when he is not engineering hardware, he applies the same persistence to Sunday brownies and the pursuit of the perfect cookie.

LinkedIn ↗

MENTOR · VENTURE + INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Isabelle Bart

Isabelle is the founder of Impact Innovator, an international business advisor, and a longtime mentor to From The Land. She has helped us sharpen customer discovery, commercialization strategy, positioning and the impact case for what we are building.

LinkedIn ↗Impact Innovator ↗

MENTOR · ENTREPRENEURSHIP + COMMUNITY

Mihai Pătru

Mihai is a longtime mentor to From The Land and currently serves as Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Palm Springs. His work spans entrepreneurship, community building, cross-sector collaboration and inclusive economic development, and his guidance has helped us connect company-building with the communities we hope to serve.

LinkedIn ↗Blue Zones Palm Springs ↗

ALUMNUS · MARKETING + BRAND

Mathis Delestre

Mathis contributed to From The Land’s brand, marketing and communications work while completing his studies. Now a graduate, he continues to build his career in marketing and is pursuing new opportunities where he can apply his strengths in communications, market insight and brand strategy.

LinkedIn ↗

EXPLORE MORE

See the work, the story and the people behind From The Land.

If you want to go deeper, these talks, interviews and articles follow From The Land from early pitches through the development of the Littlest Big Farm.