Ichiland LLC

Ichiland LLC (“Ichiland”) is a California Limited Liability Company with two members; Brent Keefer (60%) and The Ichiban Companies Inc. (“Ichiban”) (40%).  Keefer is the sole owner of Ichiban.  Ichiban is a marketer of fresh produce, primarily berries to retail grocery stores and wholesalers throughout North America.  Ichiland was formed in 2023 for the sole purpose of using farm real estate to further the interests of Ichiban.  In turn, Ichiland profits from utilizing these farm real estate assets by leasing the lands to Farmers or Growers who produce crops for Ichiban to market.  Ichiland proposes to supplement the land with everything needed to bring a crop to market. The next phase of Ichiland involves leasing larger land parcels and subdividing those parcels over several Growers.  In effect, creating a franchise type model for Growers.  

 

The correct infrastructure for many berry crops is simply not financially available to most Growers, due to the lack of financing options. Therefore, Growers use a combination of personal/business funds, friends and family financing, bank financing and vendor financing to bring their crops to market. Even with this combination, Growers are woefully undercapitalized. Additionally, Growers often use short term financing for assets with a multi-year life.  When given the choice, Growers take short term credit on long term assets usually at their own peril.  

Berry crops, which Ichiban specializes in, are largely input heavy pre-harvest (rent, infrastructure, plants, fertilizer, etc.).  Labor is a lower factor pre-harvest but will be the largest expense at harvest. The types of berry crops are diverse (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry), yet all require about the same amount of capital per acre for the pre harvest stage, roughly $25,000.

Companies similar to Ichiban (“Shippers”), generally maintain a partial financing solution for Growers in order for those Shippers to secure supply.  This is vital to attracting and maintaining the best of customers.  This financing is somewhat of a cat and mouse game as the Shipper does not provide enough financing for the Grower to reach harvest.  The Grower must rely on other forms of financing, such as those mentioned above.  The lack of financing can compromise other factors beyond the crop, such as food safety, long term soil health and erosion control.  In addition, the Shipper often does not have physical control of the crop.  A financial risk.

Brent Keefer is a fresh produce expert with more than thirty years of operating experience in the industry.  Keefer has been involved in all phases of a crop from planting, harvest, transport and marketing.  He is expertly versed in both the United States and Mexico business climate, including crop production in both countries.  Keefer is well known throughout the industry for leading innovative companies and being able to move among the various cultures.  Fluent in English and Spanish, combined with his deep knowledge of crop financing and cultivation, Keefer has the skills to provide opportunities to Growers, Ichiban and generate returns to the Partnership group.

 

Utilizing closed loop systems of finance, real estate and marketing, allows for tight controls of the Grower partners.  Ichiban will avail a dependable source of berries, while allowing Ichiland to ensure those berries are brought to market on time, with good quality, proper food safety and producing expected crop yields.  Brent Keefer has the necessary oversight to ensure that each party; Grower, Ichiban, Ichiland and the Partnership group manage their roles and provide higher returns on invested capital than otherwise accomplished individually.