RedLeaf, an agricultural technology company that focuses on botanical extracts from red sorghum, announced it has planted over 300 acres of its patented RedNatural sorghum across central Kentucky.
 
RedLeaf has spent more than a decade developing a novel, non-GMO red sorghum varietal that provides local Kentucky farmers the opportunity to diversify their crop portfolios. By its action on three fundamental and interconnected physiologies—oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity—RedLeaf’s proprietary ingredients stand to show promise in a range of health, beauty, and nutrition applications, according to the company.
 
Over 250 acres of sorghum were planted for leaf harvest in early October, with additional acreage for producing next year’s seeds.
 
“We couldn’t have done this without the knowledge, support, and trust of our local farmers,” said Jordan Wood, RedLeaf CEO. “We’re keenly aware of the importance of our farmers and are excited to continue working with our existing partners while also expanding our grower network and making this special crop available to any farmer’s portfolio.”
 
Since 2015, local Kentucky farmers have acted as partners with RedLeaf to establish a new agricultural value chain in the state. The scale of this year’s planted acreage represents a significant step forward for RedLeaf and its growers, the company said, and combined with its first commercial-scale facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, 2022’s acreage marks an inflection point in the company’s growth, it reports.
 
“Developing and maintaining relationships with our local farmers is essential,” said Parker Camp, RedLeaf agricultural operations manager. “By owning our value chain end-to-end, we can deliver an outstanding product to our customers that not only defines a new standard of performance, but also for sustainability, scalability, and supply chain security.”
 
In each of the next five years, RedLeaf expects to expand this planted acreage by a factor of three and into geographies beyond Kentucky to satisfy increasing customer demand for its botanical extract.