Social media influencers might seem like a modern phenomenon, but the concept is as old as time. Long before Instagram reels and TikTok trends, the most powerful influencer was a neighbor leaning over the fence to share the new thing they’ve discovered. That timeless, human connection still holds strong in agriculture, and it’s how our product, a Beauveria bassiana-based solution, went from one wheat field to nearly a million acres in use today.
Our product was initially designed for controlling pests in poultry barns. Its active ingredient, B. bassiana, is a naturally occurring fungus that targets specific pests. One farmer, however, decided to think outside the barn and try it on his wheat field to see if it could fend off Hessian flies. What he saw changed our business. His wheat tolerated seasonal stress and outyielded neighbors around him. It turns out B. bassiana is more than just a pest control agent. It has an endophytic relationship with plants, strengthening its host from the inside out.
Farmers are natural problem-solvers and storytellers and when something works, they share it. Word of this breakthrough spread quickly, with one of the first big jumps in adoption coming from potato growers. Potatoes are notoriously vulnerable to environmental stressors, yet fields treated with our product thrived where others struggled. Producers started asking each other, “What’s different about your crop this year?” And just like that, word spread: one farmer told two, and they each told two more, and so on.
The momentum didn’t stop there. We offer organic and conventional formulations for seedbox, foliar, drip irrigation, in furrow, and commercial seed treatment applications. Most producers grow more than one crop, and they began experimenting. Soon, our product was being used on chili peppers, grapes, tomatoes, and more—with similarly impressive results. Each crop seemed to unlock a new level of resilience.
Today, as social media influencers dominate the advertising world, their effectiveness comes down to the same principle: trust. Whether it’s a YouTuber reviewing a gadget or a farmer sharing results across the fence, people believe those they relate to and trust.
This word-of-mouth growth was both thrilling and humbling. We had data and research to back up our claims, but hearing firsthand success stories amplified the message, and we hadn’t even considered an ad campaign.
But word of mouth hasn’t just been about growth for us, it’s been an adventure. As our product gained traction, I started getting calls from farmers asking, “Can I use this on cherry trees?” or “What happens if I try it on my vegetables?” I’d dive into the research, learning everything I could. Those unexpected challenges have been some of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
Now, 10 years in, we’ve reached a milestone of nearly one million acres using our product, reducing the reliance on traditional pesticides and chemical treatments, and bolstering the bottom line of producers. That kind of growth doesn’t just happen overnight. It started slow, building momentum through trial, trust, and farmer-to-farmer connections.
As exciting as it’s been, this growth comes with the realization that word of mouth can only take us so far. We’ve reached a point where it’s time to amplify the message through other channels so we can get our product to those who could benefit from it. But no matter how big we get, we’ll never lose sight of what got us here – the power of connection and the trust built one conversation at a time.We have immense gratitude to the farmers who believed in us, shared their stories and helped us grow. I can’t wait to see where we go next.
Find out more here: https://jabbofthecarolinas.com/
