Mitch Minarick

Founder

Mitch founded FarmAfield after an agricultural development trip to Africa helped him better understand how vulnerable agricultural systems can be without adequate support, and how often critical tools and support systems in developed countries are taken for granted or neglected. The rapid proliferation of cell phones and data access in rural areas around the world opens many possibilities for farmers and ranchers to connect to new markets and tools, and FarmAfield was founded to help foster these connections.

Mitch has degrees in Mechanical Engineering (University of Nebraska) and Agricultural & Biological Engineering (University of Illinois) with certifications in Strategic Technology Management, Agribusiness for Development and Food Security, and Biomass Energy Resources (all from the University of Illinois). He grew up on a family farm in Nebraska and has first-hand knowledge of risks faced by small farmers. He and his wife Sarah recently entered the world of foster parenting, which has often left them floundering in uncertainty but also learning something new every day (similar to farming)!

Neil Hines

Chief Operating Officer

Neil brings a rich collection of experiences to the table as FarmAfield’s COO. He attended Iowa State University where he received a degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering followed by an MBA with a focus in Supply Chain Management. He worked for 6 years as a process engineer and project manager with one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world (P&G) before starting a company that designs and builds cold-storage wallets and systems for long-term crypto-asset storage.

He grew up on his family farm in eastern Nebraska with row crops and cattle, where his experience stacking hay bales, vaulting across creeks with sticks, and running from his brothers and other farm animals prepared him for his time as an All-American decathlete at ISU. He is excited to utilize his skills and experiences to make process improvement systems and methods more accessible within the ag sector.