Earnest Agriculture, an agricultural biotech company developing natural microbial farm input products, today announced plans for its next stage of growth to expand production and distribution of its Prairie Power Soybean product, which has demonstrated consistent 6% yield increases across various states during 2023 and 2024 field trials.
The Illinois-based company, which discovers beneficial bacteria from native prairie lands to improve crop yields and soil health, plans to close the funding round by Q1 2026. The capital will support scaled production, regulatory work, and expanded market reach as the company targets treating 50,000+ acres with Prairie Power Soybean in 2026.
Prairie Power Soybean delivers measurable economic benefits to farmers, with multi-state field trials in 2023 and 2024 showing an average 6% yield increase — about 4.5 additional bushels per acre ($45 at $10/bushel). Internal lab tests suggest potential nitrogen savings of up to 20 lbs per acre ($8 at $0.40/lb). Actual results may vary depending on field conditions. The natural microbial solution helps farmers reduce chemical inputs while building long-term soil health. The natural microbial solution helps farmers reduce chemical inputs while building long-term soil health.
“Farmers don’t care about flashy tech—they care about whether it works in their soil, with their crop,” says co-founder Eddy Mejia. “That’s what we built Earnest to deliver: performance backed by proof.”
The company’s proprietary platform uses phenotyping, sequencing, and algorithms to identify optimal combinations of native bacteria that work together in real-world field conditions. Unlike conventional biologicals that rely on single strains or genetically modified organisms, Earnest’s approach leverages microbial communities that have evolved naturally in prairie ecosystems.
“Nature already solved the problem—we’re just decoding it,” adds Dr. Gabe Price. “Our job is to match the right microbes together so they help each other—and the plant—thrive.”
Earnest Agriculture is actively seeking partnerships with large seed developers, ag retailers, and research institutions to integrate its microbial platform into their pipelines. The company is also inviting Midwest farmers with 1,000+ soybean acres to trial Prairie Power Soybean on 40 acres during the 2026 growing season.
The company plans to launch Prairie Power Corn in 2026, expanding its portfolio of microbial farm inputs designed to address declining soil health, rising input costs, and chemical fatigue in modern agriculture.
