Why We Invested in High Degree Ag Machinery
For decades, high-value crops have depended on chemical fumigation to survive. That system is increasingly constrained by regulation, buffer zones, and rising costs. When soil fails, the season fails.
Today, we’re excited to invest in High Degree Ag Machinery as they scale steam-based soil disinfestation for open-field agriculture. The team brings together Dr. Steve Fennimore (a world-leading steam researcher), Eric Brown (a chief engineer who has ruggedized complex agricultural machines at scale), and Austin Bowie (a CEO trained in aerospace systems where failure is not an option). Together, they are turning a proven scientific approach into real-world infrastructure for growers.
The Opportunity
Material crop losses: Plant pathogens and pests are documented to cause up to 40% yield losses in major crops, driving significant agricultural losses worldwide.
Regulatory pressure: Chemical fumigants remain common but face tightening restrictions, buffer zones, and compliance costs, especially in California.
Capital-efficient scale: A per-acre service model turns each machine into a high-throughput asset with payback measured in months, not years.
What High Degree Actually Builds
Think of High Degree as soil disinfestation delivered as a service:
Steam-based soil treatment: Mobile machines inject steam directly into the root zone before planting, neutralizing weeds and soilborne pathogens without chemicals.
Drop-in replacement for fumigation: Comparable efficacy without chemical residue, buffer zones, or permitting complexity, compatible with organic production.
Owned and operated fleet: High Degree owns and runs the machines, removing upfront capital risk for growers and simplifying adoption.
Steam has worked for over a century in controlled environments. High Degree is the first team to make it viable at field scale. This starts with strawberries and expands across crops where soil health is non-negotiable. We believe in more crops in the ground, and less chemicals in the soil.
If you’re building at the intersection of agriculture, infrastructure, and real-world economics, our inbox is always open. For now, we’d love to welcome High Degree Ag Machinery to the Redbud ecosystem as they rebuild soil health from the ground up.
