Meet Vertical Farm Trailblazer and Willo Farm Co-Founder, Sam Bertram

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a professional tennis player for 13 years. In this time, I’ve learned from the best in the business about how to train, recover, and fuel my body. Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional Frappuccino and pancake breakfast, but I also recognize that food is fuel and an important component of my training regimen and overall wellbeing.

The pro tennis tour is quite the cast of characters, and there are always interesting people around to meet and learn from. Last year, I was introduced to Sam Bertram, the CEO and co-founder of OnePointOne and Willo Farm. Sam and I immediately hit it off, bonding over tennis and our shared Fresno ties. More than that, we spoke at length about the work we do at the Sloane Stephens Foundation and how the advanced farming technology his team is creating at OnePointOne will ultimately help bring accessible quality nutrition to people around the world.

If you’ve learned anything about me by now, it’s that I love to ask questions and dive in on things that excite me. I’m pretty sure I asked Sam to give his pitch presentation three or four different times to different people on my team just so I could hear the information again and think through it from different angles. Sam is not one to brag, but he’s a smart cookie and a member of the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 class for Social Impact. I thought I’d let him explain to you all what he’s building in his own words. Class is in session!

SS: Sam! Thanks for sitting down with me to talk about all things vertical farming. But to take it back to the beginning, can you share with my readers who you are and what your background is? It’s definitely not the traditional farming background.

SB: Thanks for having me! Looking forward to watching you play at the US Open in September. I’m Sam, Co-founder of OnePointOne and Willo Farm, with my brother John. Backed by OnePointOne’s proprietary technology, Willo aims to transform the world’s oldest and most essential industry – agriculture – through its consumer-facing produce delivery service. A bit about me, I’m originally from Victoria, Australia and, actually, have a bit of a history playing tennis as well. Both my brother and I came to the States in 2011 to play collegiate tennis and I captained the Division 1 team at Santa Clara University. When you’re ready to play, let me know.

That’s where it all started. I studied Mechanical Engineering, and later completed my master’s in Robotics and Mechatronics. My Capstone Project was the origin of OnePointOne’s technology.

Sam Bertram, OPO CEO and Co-Founder

John and I always knew we wanted to pursue careers that would not just have purpose, but could help others in meaningful ways and, truly, change the world. We were taken aback by the fact that 1.1 billion people in the world began this millennium hungry and wanted to do something about it. Using OnePointOne technology, the company has built the most advanced vertical farming technology on the market.

SS: I’ll certainly take you up on that match. So, for those not familiar with vertical farming, what can you tell them about it? What makes it unique and how is it different from traditional agriculture?

SB: Simply put, OnePointOne uses robots and AI to create the most productive and environmentally efficient cultivation technology.

Specifically, we utilize Vertical-Plane Aeroponics, which has a number of benefits compared to traditional agriculture. All of this is done while minimizing environmental impact. Willo grows 250 times more food per acre than a traditional farm and uses 99% less water and no precious topsoil. Throughout their lifecycle, crops are never exposed to chemicals or pollutants. This is as pure as produce gets and beyond organics. No pesticides or chemicals ever touch our plants.

Additionally, we recently began selling strawberry farms direct to businesses and have already sold over a dozen farms, which will bring fresh, delicious berries to market year-round.

SS: What can you grow? Is the produce comparable to what someone would find at the grocery store?

SB: We are disrupting a 1,000-year-old agriculture practice by growing up (literally with our vertical farming). At present, our focus is on perfecting the art of growing the best leafy greens and tastiest strawberries on the planet while creating products that are micronutrient dense one unique cultivar at a time. Currently, Willo Farm offers: Leafies, microgreens, herbs. Soon to come are strawberries, tomatoes and eventually cannabis.

Store-bought produce often travels over 1,500 miles from source to store. This means, by the time it arrives, it’s already lost some of its freshness. Willo produce, on the other hand, is harvested and shipped within 24 hours straight to your door, which also results in about 3x the shelf life. Refrigeration occurs in minutes, as opposed to hours which results in 80% less shrinkage. Taste is our superpower and Willo grows the best tasting produce on the planet.

SS: So, this system produces more produce, faster and helps keep it fresh? Seems like the complete package. Where are OnePointOne and Willo Farm moving towards in the future?

SB: The most exciting news is that our Avondale, Arizona farm is near completion and will begin supplying Willo Farm exclusive members with delicious leafy greens in late August with custom Harvest Boxes. This has been some time coming and we’re excited that we’ve reached this milestone.

Willo will empower customers to curate their own personal farm share from seed to harvest, controlling what is grown right from their fingertips. If you’ve wanted to grow your own farm, but don’t have a green thumb or the space, this gives you the same satisfaction of growing your own crops.

Also, looking forward, we’re looking to get our produce to those who need it most, in underserved communities and geographies, which I know was a major factor in your deciding to join our team both with your voice and your dollars. That’s what is at the heart of our mission and that is what we’re striving to do. Proper nutrition, as you know, is the foundation for health and we want to make sure that access to nutrient-rich foods continues to be the top driving force.

SS: Thanks so much, Sam. I’m looking forward to watching the progress and am proud to be an investor and ambassador. What you’re doing is deeply aligned with my passion for encouraging healthy lifestyles in youth, especially in historically underserved communities. As part of my role as ambassador, I’ll be supporting you all the way and giving back to my Foundation through Willo profits.

SB: Thanks for having me. It’s been a pleasure. Looking forward to that tennis match.

For my Bulletin followers, you can use code SLOANE10 for 10% off your first member order at willo.farm!