Why Topsoil?

Besides becoming the King of England, working in agriculture is one of the only industries where people evaluate you based on what your grandpa did for work.

And yet, with the increasing role that agriculture plays in addressing climate change, the industry is going to need many more people to roll up their sleeves and contribute their time, skills and energy.

The good news is that over the past few years, I’ve had hundreds of conversations with enthusiastic, talented people who want to work in agriculture and AgTech. One of the biggest challenges that I hear over and over is “I wasn’t a farm kid. Where do I begin?”

That’s where Topsoil comes in. Frameworks to help you make sense of agriculture, at just the right depth.

Who’s behind Topsoil?

Hi! 👋 I’m Ariel Patton. I’ve been working professionally in AgTech since 2017 and unofficially working in agriculture since 2001 when I sold my first pig at the county fair and was hooked on this endlessly fascinating industry.

After studying psychology and business at UC Berkeley and earning my MBA at University of Chicago, I’ve been focusing on driving digital transformation of agriculture to help farmers manage their businesses more profitably and sustainably at Monsanto, Granular, Corteva and currently, Mineral.

I’m eager to share what I’ve learned and keep learning along the way through Topsoil. Thanks for being here!

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this newsletter are my own