Our team is comprised of professionals with an extensive track record of farmland investing, portfolio development and risk management. The diverse skill sets and experiences of the SFM team, combined with our deep, long-term relationships with farmers, tenants, real estate brokers, farm managers, landowners, capital providers and other leaders in the agriculture industry gives us a true competitive advantage.

Leadership

CHRIS CHARD
GENERAL PARTNER / MANAGING DIRECTOR

Chris brings over 25 years of experience in the investment industry. His background involves working in investor relations and fund raising with Family Offices, High Net Worth Individuals, Pension Plans, Endowments and Foundations. As a General Partner at Sower Chris believes the foundation of the firm’s success is built by putting the client’s interests first.

Chris graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BS in Marketing and an MBA with a concentration in Finance.

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ERIC MUELLER
GENERAL PARTNER / FUND MANAGER

With a 20 year career in farmland brokerage and management, Eric has procured, sold and managed thousands of acres of farmland, worth several hundred million dollars in value. As an established leader in the agricultural land and management sector, his clients and partners have included individuals, families, private and public funds, institutional investors and bank and trust company clients throughout the United States. Eric is an active member of many local, state and national real estate associations as well as civic and church boards, fundraising and capital campaign committees.

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MATT PICKENS
CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

Matt has nearly 15 years of private equity and venture capital investment
experience across multiple asset classes, including commercial real estate,
energy, oil and gas, and healthcare. As our CIO and a member of the firm’s Investment Committee, Matt is responsible for developing and executing on the firm’s investment strategies and risk management policies. His operational responsibilities include analytics and due diligence oversight, transactional structuring, and financial reporting. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a specialization in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at
Omaha, and a Juris Doctor (Magna Cum Laude) from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the state of Nebraska, as well as a Certified Public Accountant certificate holder.

JARED HOLLINGER
GENERAL PARTNER

As Principal and Co-Founder of Eleven Talents, LLC, Jared has over 18 years of experience at guiding real estate investments of all types. Jared has successfully navigated the real estate economy with holdings in single-family, multi-family, agricultural, commercial, retail and tax liens. This experience and growth has been facilitated by the belief in strong systems and processes coupled with good industry insight and work ethic.

Throughout his entrepreneurial career, he has always found value in real estate related assets and fully realized that value though propert planning for the best possible outcome. Over his career, Jared has been involved with the purchase and disposition of over 3,000 properties of various asset classes. Jared attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduating in 2002 with a degree in Construction Management.

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INVESTMENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

DALE BURBACH
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Dale is serving as Director of Acquisitions & Portfolio Manager of Sower Farm Management, LLC. After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Sciences with an MBA from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he molded his career to support a passion for agriculture and real estate. After service in the agricultural community as a global business manager for a Fortune 500 company, Dale decided to tap into his entrepreneurial spirit by launching a fourteen-year career as a licensed real estate agent servicing clients in residential, commercial and agricultural markets. Prior to Sower Farm Management, LLC, Dale worked for seven years as Acquisitions Director for a privately held company that acquired and managed agricultural real estate assets valued at nearly a billion dollars. Dale has always professed a profound commitment to the land and to all those who serve it.

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LESLIE PINNIX
REGIONAL MANAGER

Having grown up in the Mississippi Delta, Leslie has spent his entire career in the agricultural industry ranging from farm management, real estate acquisitions, grain merchandising, and crop inputs. After graduating from Mississippi State University, Leslie went on to receive his AFM Designation from the American Society of Rural Farm Managers and Appraisers. Most recently as a Senior Farm Manager, Leslie oversaw the acquisitions and management of over $350 million of Mid-South Farmland assets for a large hedge fund. Leslie has a deep appreciation of the land and knows what it takes from a management perspective to ensure a profitable, sustainable relationship between the landowner and farm tenants.

AMY BOURNE
TRANSACTION AND MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

Amy is Sower Farm Management, LLC’s Transaction and Management Specialist. She has a BA in English from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has furthered her studies with paralegal coursework. Prior to Sower Farm Management, LLC, Amy worked in a similar role for a privately held company that acquired and managed agricultural real estate assets valued at nearly a billion dollars. She also has experience supporting attorneys in residential, commercial and utility-related real estate matters. Amy is also a RYT-200 certified yoga teacher.

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ADAM OLSON
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR

Adam assists in a variety of areas and is specifically tasked with
executing the mechanics of each new Preferred Partner account,
delivering timely materials to stakeholders and investors, fostering
custodial relationships, and providing support throughout the Firm. Adam holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

JACOB ZYLSTRA
LEGAL COUNSEL

Jacob administers the acquisition and operation of assets, the initial corporate governance of single-purpose entities, and advising the Team on due diligence for real property acquisitions.

BRIAN WILSON
ACQUISITION MANAGER

With 20 years combined experience in agriculture real estate sales and customer relations, Brian is dedicated to the long-term success the Fund’s clients and families.