Harvest Capital Group was born out of a personal interest in locating profitable farming ventures in South America that surpassed investment opportunities available in the United States. Scott Oakes, Managing Member, forecasted grain prices & developed a commercial hedge consulting relationship with a Brazilian cooperative starting in 1993. The relationships and knowledge from this venture resulted in the formation of an investment group of friends and family in 1996 that purchased 12,000 acres of virgin “Cerrado” land in northeastern Brazil. The strong return on capital and the enthusiasm generated from this investment is why Harvest Capital Group is seeking investors to share in the return that will come with greater economies of scale.

Harvest Capital Asset Management ("HCAM") serves as the development and management arm of Harvest Capital Group and is currently managing assets valued at US$85M in Fazenda Dois Rios Ltda and Paraiso Agroflorestal Ltda. Fazenda Dois Rios (Two Rivers Farm) is a 37,000 acre rice and soybean development project located in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Paraiso is a 4,000 acre teak plantation development project located in the state of Matto Grosso, Brazil. HCAM conceptualized and managed all of the due diligence, structuring, and financing for these unique projects. HCAM’s management team provides a broad range of global experience with considerable depth in the Brazilian marketplace.

Scott Oakes, Managing Member serves as the Executive in charge of operations, commodity marketing, and research & development. Mr. Oakes holds a Masters Degree in Agriculture Economics from Texas A&M University. Mr. Oakes is a third generation Iowa farmer and land owner, and has spent 16 years analyzing and trading grain markets. Mr. Oakes began a grain hedging consulting relationship with the Batavo (Dutch) Cooperative in Parana, Brazil in 1993, and formed Iowa Farm Limitada in 1996, and with his partners, purchased 12,000 acres of land in Maranhão, Brazil.

Scott Thornburgh, Managing Member serves as the Executive in charge of finance, legal, marketing and corporate functions. Mr. Thornburgh holds a B.S. Degree in Engineering Technology from Purdue University, and has spent 18 years in the technology marketplace. Mr. Thornburgh has held multiple engineering, sales, and marketing positions with small start up technology firms to large global organizations. Mr. Thornburgh managed a global sales and marketing team for Cisco Systems, Inc. in the late 1990’s, and started and sold a technology outsourcing company in 2003.

The key to the success of any foreign venture is the integrity and quality of the in-country operations. Our Brazilian partners are third generation Brazil farmers who currently own and manage more than 22,000 acres of row crops and teak.

Harvest Capital Group’s experience provides these key benefits to our clients:
The Best Land for the Best Price – drawing on three generations of experience, we identify land that meets our projected appreciation and agronomic standards, and negotiate directly with native land owners
Maximum Return – we are fully operational in Brazil, eliminating costly research and development, and we utilize storage and market forecasting to ensure the best commodity prices from both international and local markets