Demetrius Bledsoe
It was wrestling, not crops or cows, that led Demetrius Bledsoe to a career in agriculture.
“I went to Iowa State (University) to wrestle,” said Bledsoe, who is the keynote speaker for the 39th annual Small Farms Week, sponsored by Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T.
But all those corn fields gave Bledsoe a perspective that sent this urbanite not only into agriculture, but also into the computer lab.
As a freshman, the St. Louis native had no idea what to choose as a major. But, given that Iowa is known for agriculture and figuring that “all people need to eat for the rest of their lives,” Bledsoe chose agriculture. “At least I know I have a job for life,” he told his college advisor.
Bledsoe went on to get a bachelor’s in agriculture economics, with a concentration in marketing and a minor in computer sciences, from Iowa State, and a master’s in quality management and an MBA from Webster University.
Bledsoe, who served 13 years as a Seabee in the U.S. Naval Reserves, brings a wealth of experience to his keynote speaker role — especially for an event whose theme is Next Gen Agriculture.
The 51-year-old has worked in marketing, product development, strategic planning, and budgeting at Fortune 500 companies, including Dow Chemical, Pfizer Dupont, and Novo Nordisk.
He’s led initiatives to address food insecurity in several cities across the United States, as well as in the Philippines and Rwanda. Bledsoe credits his military service with giving him leadership and engineering skills and insight into connecting with farmers from diverse backgrounds.
He’s even had a hand in developing Grammy-winning production teams, which grew from a request from childhood friend and musician Shamar Daugherty to be his manager after Daugherty got a record deal.
Bledsoe’s heart, however, is in agriculture.
His years in Junior Achievement, a youth entrepreneurship program, and the memory of his mother, who served as a director and officer in the Salvation Army, led him to want to be of service.
“How do I give back and groom the next generation,” he asked himself. The answer? Forming Fresh Harvest 365 LLC in 2021, which seeks to move traditional farming practices toward technology-driven methods that prioritize environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and food safety, according to its website. This includes utilizing vertical, hydroponic growing systems.
“What we do is implement traditional agricultural learning experience along with a controlled (indoor growing) environment — so more smart farming, advanced farming techniques, and all that,” he said. Students learn business skills to be “agripreneurs” and how to grow crops indoors, including sites such as abandoned warehouses, stores, and shipping containers.
Bledsoe also is CEO of Fresh Hire 365 LLC, which partners with Bayer in an agricultural training and internship program, and the U.S. Department of Labor for an apprentice program for hydroponic farmer technicians.
“It gives that opportunity to those individuals who are city slickers that don’t come from an ag background, but have a passion for agriculture as a whole, ... to see the careers they can go into in agriculture without being out in the field,” he said.
A single father of three children, Bledsoe said parenthood brings him joy. He said this even after flying 28 hours with his 4-year-old daughter, who lives with him in Missouri, to visit her brother, 2, and sister, 5, and their mother in the Philippines.
“I’m just learning how cool it is to literally feel like you’re leaving a legacy,” he said. “I have a responsibility now to say, ‘what am I leaving and what kind of impact am I leaving for these seeds of mine.’ It puts a smile on my face.”
Bledsoe will speak at 9 a.m., March 25, at the N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University Farm Pavilion, 3020 McConnell Road, Greensboro. Small Farms Week is March 23-29 and features forums, tours and networking opportunities for farmers, agricultural enthusiasts, and the community. Click here to register for the event.
