Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesFood & Beverage

The Rise of Regenerative Agriculture and Strategies for Generating Capital with Steward CEO Dan Miller

Host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Steward CEO Dan Miller about the rise of regenerative agriculture and its potential to transform sustainable food systems. Miller discusses how Steward has financed nearly 90 regenerative farms with over $30 million, highlighting the importance of soil health, ecosystem vitality, and regional agricultural networks. The conversation explores how regenerative practices can meet growing consumer demand for nutritious, sustainably produced food.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Food & Beverage teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

Promoted content from Retail Refined on MarketScale.

By Melissa Gonzalez · Dan MillerMelissa GonzalezRegenerative AgricultureRetail Refined
Share

Key takeaways

01

Steward has funded nearly 90 regenerative farms and secured over $30 million in financing, positioning itself as a key capital provider in the regenerative agriculture space.

02

Regenerative agriculture prioritizes soil vitality, ecosystem health, and nutritional quality — factors increasingly valued by consumers, policymakers, and investors.

03

Building regional agricultural networks is central to creating resilient, sustainable supply chains that can scale regenerative farming practices.

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Food & Beverage?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Food & Beverage coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Start free

As the global conversation around sustainable food systems intensifies, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a transformative approach to farming that prioritizes ecosystem health, soil vitality, and nutritional quality. This episode of Retail Refined explores why regenerative agriculture is capturing the attention of consumers, policymakers, and investors alike. With nearly 90 regenerative farms funded and over $30 million in financing secured, Steward, led by Dan Miller, is at the forefront of this agricultural revolution.

With nearly 90 regenerative farms funded and over $30 million in financing secured, Steward is at the forefront of this agricultural revolution.

What role can regenerative agriculture play in reshaping our food systems and meeting the rising consumer demand for sustainable and nutritious products?

In the latest episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Dan Miller, the founder and CEO of Steward, about the significant impact regenerative agriculture can have on the food industry. Together, they delve into the challenges and opportunities of this innovative farming practice.

Key Discussion Points:

– The importance of ecosystem health and soil vitality in regenerative agriculture.

– The role of financing in supporting the growth of regenerative farms.

– The long-term vision for integrating regional agricultural networks to ensure sustainable supply chains.

Dan Miller, Founder and CEO of Steward, has a diverse background in finance, real estate, and technology. His passion for agriculture is deeply rooted in his family history, with his maternal ancestors farming in Maryland since the 1880s. Dan's extensive experience includes co-founding Fundrise, the largest real estate crowdfunding platform in the U.S., and leading Steward to finance nearly 90 regenerative farms. He holds a BS in Economics and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Retail Refined

Part of this channel

Retail Refined

In-store technology and consumer experience trends for retail leaders.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Food & Beverage starts with a company putting its plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Processors and grocery buyers vet suppliers hard, and your operations people are the ones who can satisfy them.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

Melissa Gonzalez
Melissa GonzalezTop Retail Voice, Influencer, and Lead Retail Contributor, Retail Refined

Industry-recognized influencer, leader, and storyteller in Retail. Lead Retail Industry Contributor at MarketScale. Principal at MG2 Design. Host of "Retail Refined" Podcast. As a global brand and retail experience disruptor, Melissa possess strong proficiency in consumer insights, experiential design, retail technology integration, and brand innovation. During her career, she have created powerful visual narratives through physical spaces, imprinting complex concepts and ideas to consumers in genuine, tactile, and persuasive manners. She have also served as a consumer engagement trendsetter, “pop-up” industry pioneer, and entrepreneur. Melissa founded and launched a consumer experiential design firm that achieved a successful exit, driving initial client wins, monetization, and exponential revenue growth. "Melissa brings both her industry knowledge and an approachable and educational point of view to her interviewing skills. With an authentic style, she facilitates an engaging dialogue, one where listeners can walk away from with tangible insights and thought provokers!" -Jeffrey Roseman, Vice Chairman of Retail at Newmark "What sets Melissa apart is her ability to cut through the noise and provide actionable insights. Whether you’re a store owner looking to revamp your space or a tech enthusiast curious about the next big thing in retail, you’ll find tangible ideas to build on. From seasoned designers to pioneering tech gurus - ensuring that listeners are always engaged with diverse and forward-thinking perspectives. Retail Refined doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives deep into topics that matter. If staying ahead of the retail curve is important to you, start here." -Nate Frazier, Chief Operating Officer of GNC

Follow Food & Beverage Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Food & Beverage: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Food & Beverage buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free plan

You just read one Food & Beverage expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams into the articles, video, and social content Food & Beverage buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale workspace, up to 10 people
One professional video edit a month for qualifying companies
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
$0, no credit card, nothing that expires

More Food & Beverage Insights

Leased modular cold storage trims upfront costs 20% to 30%, Titan Cold Storage says

Leased modular cold storage trims upfront costs 20% to 30%, Titan Cold Storage says

Titan Cold Storage's Søren Skov Mogensen, writing in Food Logistics, says leased modular cold storage units cut upfront construction costs 20% to 30% and can cut operating energy costs up to 30%. Newmark reports U.S. cold storage vacancy rising while demand grows. For food supply chain planners, the deciding variable is confidence in demand: steady, long-term load still favors a permanent build, while volatile peaks favor leased capacity.

  • 01Rising vacancy and rising demand at the same time, per Newmark's 2H 2025 report, means the U.S. cold storage market has spare space and a shortage of the right space; the useful question is now what kind of capacity, where, and for how long.
  • 02A 2023 Frontiers study of 67 cold stores found field energy use ran up to 30% above laboratory conditions, so a lease quote should be judged on the provider's measured fleet energy data, not on rated performance.
  • 03Leased modular units fit operators with a stable baseline and volatile peaks (harvest compression, plant renovations, rerouted supply); Titan's own author says permanent construction still makes sense where demand is long-term and steady.

Sep 18, 2026

Hain Celestial is selling most of its international business to AURELIUS for $323 million

Hain Celestial has signed a definitive agreement, announced Sept. 14, to sell most of its International business to private equity firm AURELIUS for an estimated $323 million in cash. Ella's Kitchen and New Covent Garden soups are included. Retailers, distributors and suppliers trading with those brands could face a new counterparty once the deal closes, though no closing date has been reported.

  • 01Hain expects $305 million to $310 million in net proceeds on an estimated $323 million headline price, and the announcement does not itemize what accounts for the difference.
  • 02The package spans Ella’s Kitchen baby and kids foods, Joya and Natumi plant-based beverages, Hartley’s jelly, Linda McCartney Foods, Cully & Sully, and the Yorkshire Provender and New Covent Garden soup brands; if the deal closes as described, multi-category buyers could be dealing with one new owner across them.
  • 03The signal to watch is a closing date and any transition arrangements; neither is in the reporting so far, so day-to-day trading terms for these brands remain as they are until that changes.

Sep 18, 2026

Drinks are the clearest format for wellness-led growth through 2026

Drinks are the clearest format for wellness-led growth through 2026

Zappi's March list of food and beverage categories expected to emerge or strengthen through 2026 covers functional foods, functional beverages and gut-health platforms, and uses hemp-derived THC drinks as its clearest example of how a new category forms. Morning Consult data reported by Food Dive backs the beverage call: eight of 25 five-year growth brands were drinks, none packaged food. Only 14% of 2,800 brands saw purchase consideration rise in 2026.

  • 01Beverages took eight of the 25 slots on Morning Consult's five-year growth list and packaged food took none, a hard benchmark for anyone weighting a 2027 launch pipeline by format.
  • 02The sharper question for any new concept: does it borrow familiarity shoppers already have, the way Coca-Cola's Mr. Pibb relaunch did, or does it have to build awareness before a benefit claim can do any work?
  • 03Hemp-derived THC beverages reached about $2.8 billion in sales in 2023, per Brightfield Group data cited by Zappi, with more growth expected as distribution widens.

Sep 17, 2026

Explore More Food & Beverage Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Food & Beverage.

Browse Food & Beverage Hub

About the Experts

Melissa Gonzalez
Melissa Gonzalez

Host, Retail Refined

Retail Refined

Melissa Gonzalez is the host of Retail Refined, a MarketScale show exploring the future of consumer and in-store experiences. She is a retail strategist and founder of The Lionesque Group, known for her expertise in pop-up retail and experiential design. Gonzalez is a frequent speaker and author on topics spanning retail innovation and brand strategy.

DM
Dan Miller

Founder and CEO

Steward

Dan Miller is the founder and CEO of Steward, a financing platform dedicated to regenerative agriculture that has funded nearly 90 farms and secured over $30 million in financing. He previously co-founded Fundrise, the largest real estate crowdfunding platform in the U.S. Miller holds a BS in Economics and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Food & Beverage and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512