Mad Markets, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), has taken a significant step towards its mission of promoting regenerative organic agriculture by acquiring Timeless Seeds, Inc., a well-established lentil and chickpea processing company founded in 1987. This strategic move represents a bold initiative to address the challenges posed by a highly consolidated and monoculture-focused agricultural landscape, which has diminished the diversity of agroecosystems, food quality, and the resilience of the food system.
Mad Markets aims to become a vital hub for regenerative organic ingredients, serving a diverse clientele ranging from consumer packaged goods companies to wholesale buyers. Its strategy centers around building a robust ‘missing middle’ within regenerative supply chains, achieved through investments in legacy infrastructure companies that directly connect communities of growers and buyers.
The acquisition of Timeless Seeds is a crucial milestone in realizing this vision. Alex Heilman, CEO of Mad Markets, emphasized the strategic value of this acquisition, stating, “The acquisition of Timeless is a major opportunity for us to strengthen our work connecting farms, brands, processors, distributors, retailers, and institutional sourcing partners. Our goal is to grow Timeless’ sales fourfold over the coming years. We will support rural farm communities and address food system related climate change impacts by assisting a diverse range of buyers in achieving their sustainable sourcing goals.”
David Oien, Co-Founder and CEO of Timeless Seeds, expressed his confidence in Mad Markets’ ability to take the company to new heights. “We founded Timeless in 1987 to support our farmers by establishing a processing facility for these soil-building crops and developing market opportunities. Mad Markets’ strategic vision, exceptional market connections, and experienced team are the ideal partners to propel Timeless to new heights.”
The acquisition is being spearheaded by a consortium of investors including Terra Regenerative Capital, a public benefit investment vehicle dedicated to promoting climate-smart agriculture, and Builders Vision, an impact platform focused on building a more humane and healthy planet. These organizations, along with Blueberry Capital Partners and twenty-four other mission-aligned investors, are backing Mad Markets’ strategy to acquire infrastructure across the country, starting with Timeless Seeds.
Tara Smith Swibel, co-founder and Managing Partner of Terra Regenerative Capital, highlighted the crucial role of infrastructure in connecting producers to the market. “At scale, regenerative agriculture has the potential to draw down enough carbon to be a climate change solution. What we need now is the infrastructure to connect producers to the marketplace, and we believe Mad Markets has the vision and strategy to build out these supply chains, deliver strong financial returns for investors and farmers, and benefit other stakeholders.”
Kristen Moree, Senior Investment Associate at Builders Vision, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the role of Mad Markets in addressing supply chain bottlenecks. “Access to markets and infrastructure are often bottlenecks that limit the growth of regenerative agriculture supply chains. Mad Markets is helping to solve these pain points for both producers and buyers – filling critical gaps on both sides of the supply chain and spurring greater adoption rates of regenerative agricultural production systems as a result. We are excited to support the Mad Markets team and see the impact of this pioneering model.”
The acquisition of Timeless Seeds marks a significant step forward for Mad Markets and the regenerative agriculture movement. By strengthening supply chains and connecting farmers to markets, Mad Markets aims to create a more sustainable and resilient food system that benefits both consumers and the planet.
