About

Raptor Ag, LLC, was founded in January 2016 to pursue hazelnut development projects in Oregon, along with other permanent crop opportunities. The company has operations offices near Corvallis, Ore., and Marietta, Okla.; accounting offices in Murray, Ky.; and its headquarters is based in Edmond, Okla.

The company and its investing partners prefer to own the ground they operate and welcome inquiries from landowners that are interested in selling. Additionally, Raptor Ag also considers long-term leases. Leases are very landowner friendly while providing security to Raptor Ag over decades to generate a strong rate of return. Through acquisitions or leases, Raptor Ag provides financially attractive solutions for family farm generational transfers and absentee landowners. Raptor Ag requires ground be high quality soils with water rights.  

Chris Eubanks, CEO, Partner
Chris has been an agriculture business development and agronomy consultant since 2011 and owns his own consulting and marketing firm. He has worked in the agriculture industry for more than 20 years. Many of Chris' clients over the past decade have been located in Oregon's Willamette Valley. As a result, he has spent a significant amount of time in the area, which furthered his knowledge of the hazelnut industry. Chris has consulted for some of the largest agriculture companies in the world, including CHS, Dow AgroSciences (now Corteva), Land O’Lakes, Agrium (now Nutrien) and others.
 
Chris also has experience in advanced agricultural techniques and developing cropping systems in challenging environments. He attended undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Arkansas studying physical science. 
 
Jason Perkins, Partner, & Dustin Faulkner, Partner
Jason and Dustin joined with Chris to found Raptor Ag, LLC, to diversify shareholders’ business ventures. Jason and Dustin are the founders and owners of Raptor Petroleum, an oil and gas exploration and drilling company, and Black Pearl Properties, a commercial and vacation rental real estate company. 
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Jason and Dustin have an impressive track record of identifying, developing and monetizing assets for its investing partners. Since 2007, not including Raptor Ag, the partners have transformed initial investments $150,000,000 into more than $667,000,000 in returns for its investing partners.

​Jason and Dustin have worked closely with Chris in various capacities since 2010.. 
 
Brent LaFollette, Vice President of Western States
Brent has more than 30 years of experience in successful farming ventures in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Prior to transitioning his family farm into more than 200 acres of hazelnuts, Brent was one of the largest berry producers in Oregon. He also has experience in crop processing and marketing. 

Along with extensive business and agronomy experience, Brent has custom-designed numerous farming implements. Brent attended Oregon State University where he received a bachelors degree in business management and a minor in crop science. 

Joe Mendes, Vice President of Central States
Joe has 30 years experience in professional farm management. He has been involved in, largely as a manager, the planting and development of more than 10,000 acres of orchards and vineyards in the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley and other areas in the Southwest U.S. Prior to joining Raptor Ag, Joe was the director of farming operations for one of the larger pecan operations in the U.S. Joe has extensive experience with a diversity of crops - including pecans, almonds, pistachios and walnuts - and has served as a director on numerous irrigation district boards.

Prior to entering the agriculture field, Joe had eight years experience in the U.S. Army, with specialties in field artillery and nuclear/biological/chemical defense. He attended college, majoring in business administration, while serving in the military. 

Rick Wolf, General Manager, North Valley Hazelnut Operation
Rick has been associated with agriculture in some form or fashion for more than 40 years. His introduction to agriculture came on his family's fruit orchard where he helped grow the farm into a thriving business. He was raised, and continues to reside, in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

In addition to experience in farming, Rick has extensive experience in the logistics industry - transportation or raw and finished agricultural products, warehousing and storage, regulatory procedures, and more. He also has personnel management experience for a Fortune 500 logistics company.    

Bill Gallagher, Special Projects Leader, former Oregon General Manager
Bill called the Willamette Valley home for more than 20 years and has been involved in the agriculture industry for more than 30 years. Bill has held positions within the industry focused on crop production, agriculture operations (crop production and harvest, product conditioning, packaging, logistics) and personnel management.

Bill and Chris have worked closely since 2012. Bill graduated from Washington State University with a B.S. in agronomy. He stepped back from his responsibilities as General Manager of Raptor Ag in July 2020 to focus on the company's expansion plans for other crops and other geographies. He now lives in Idaho.