June 21, 2022
By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media
Over the course of a brief two-year period, Oklahoma-based Raptor Ag has completed a series of deals with a range of institutional investors including family investment offices and Raptor Ag, totaling approximately $60 million for the development, or the acquisition, of hazelnut orchards in Oregon, and pecan orchards in southern Oklahoma. To continue reading, CLICK HERE. 

​Raptor Ag is now the largest hazelnut grower in North American and one of the largest pecan growers east of New Mexico
 
EDMOND, Okla., June 17, 2022 – Over the past two years, Raptor Ag, LLC, has completed a series of transactions totally approximately $60 million for the acquisition and/or development of hazelnut orchards in Oregon and pecan orchards in southern Oklahoma. The acquisitions and development have been funded by a variety of entities – institutional investors, family investment offices and Raptor Ag. 
 
In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Raptor Ag has now built the largest hazelnut orchard position in the North American industry – more than 3,000 acres. Of that acreage position, approximately 2,000 acres are in production. Raptor Ag continues to evaluate properties to grow that business.  
 
In Oklahoma, Raptor Ag targeted a specific region (for desired climate and water resources) and purchased 1,300 tillable acres in 2021. Of that acreage, Raptor Ag was able to plant 1,040 high-density acres in January and February, all under drip line fertigation. The remaining acreage will be planted in January 2023, and the company hopes to continue developing more pecan orchards in the region. Investors have since partnered with Raptor Ag on a majority of that acreage.
 
“We continue to have strong interest from our investing partners to grow our hazelnut and pecan operations,” said Chris Eubanks, Raptor Ag partner and CEO. “Our business has been fortunate to maintain a healthy growth rate during a challenging labor and supply chain environment. 
 
“With our latest 1,040-acre pecan planting, in the past five years, Raptor Ag has now executed the largest pecan planting in one season by a single grower, according to industry veterans, along with the largest single-season hazelnut planting in that industry’s history – 1,000 acres in the winter of 2017-18.

“This amazing growth is a testament to our team and the vast amount of experience, skill and hard work they’ve put into our various projects over the past several years. Raptor Ag continues to be very optimistic in the tree nut market, as the desire for plant-based protein and healthy fats gain popularity.” 
 
Raptor Ag, based in Edmond, Okla., was founded in 2016 by Eubanks, Dustin Faulkner and Jason Perkins, with the goal of becoming North America’s largest hazelnut producer. It has since diversified into pecans and is considering expansion into other permanent and annual crops. 
 
Raptor Ag subscribes to intensive management strategies and focuses on high-quality ground with substantial water rights. All its orchards are managed on a drip line fertigation program. The company employees a fulltime operations staff, with field offices near Corvallis, Ore.; Crabtree, Ore.; and Marietta, Okla. 

July 27, 2020
By Lynda Kiernan, Global AgInvesting Media
Oklahoma-based Raptor Ag announced the successful raising of $27.3 million in funding to further support the company as it reaches its goal of becoming the largest operator of hazelnut orchards in North America by the spring of 2021. 
This capital was raised through multiple channels. The company closed on a financial arrangement with an institutional investor totaling $19.8 million in November 2019,  and recently closed on an additional $7.5 million through a round of funding backed by a single investment firm.

The read the entire article CLICK HERE.

​EDMOND, Okla., July 20 - Raptor Ag, LLC, recently closed a series of financing transactions totaling $7.5 million for its Oregon hazelnut operations. This round of funding, which comes from one investment firm, is earmarked for the acquisition and development of approximately 347 tillable acres, 120 of which are in producing hazelnut orchards. The balance of the acreage will be planted this winter. 
 
Raptor Ag, based in Edmond, Okla., was founded in 2016 by Chris Eubanks, Dustin Faulkner and Jason Perkins. With today’s announcement, the company has acquired approximately 2,000 tillable acres in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and all the acres are in established, except for about 140 acres scheduled to be planted this fall. 
 
Raptor Ag focuses on high-quality ground with water rights. All its orchards are managed on a drip line fertigation program. The company has a full-time staff, with its operations office near Corvallis, Ore. More information can be found at RaptorAg.com. 

EDMOND, Okla., July 1 - ​Raptor Ag, LLC, recently completed an investment arrangement with an institutional investor totaling $19.8 million. The deal – completed November 2019 – allows Raptor Ag to further grow its Oregon hazelnut operations. 
 
Raptor Ag, based in Edmond, Okla., was founded in 2016 by Chris Eubanks, Dustin Faulkner and Jason Perkins, with the goal of becoming North America’s largest hazelnut producer. The company has acquired 1,800 tillable acres in Oregon’s Willamette Valley through purchases and long-term leases. A vast majority of all the company’s tillable acreage has been developed.
 
Raptor Ag has another 303 tillable acres under contract, with 175 of those acres in producing hazelnut orchards. Additionally, the company is actively evaluating approximately 520 tillable acres, some of which has producing orchards. 
 
Raptor Ag focuses on high-quality ground with water rights. All its orchards are managed on a drip line fertigation program. The company has a full-time staff, with its operations office near Corvallis, Ore. More information can be found at RaptorAg.com.

Consumers are increasingly discovering the health benefits of tree nuts. Tree nuts, as a whole, are high in protein, healthy fats and other macro and micro nutrients. In 2018, BBC ranked almonds as the healthiest food in the world and walnuts at number 46. Hazelnuts, which are more of a niche product, were apparently not included in the survey. When compared to all other major tree nuts, hazelnuts are comparable to almonds in total health benefits. 

Here are a few recent articles on the health benefits of hazelnuts:
- Health Journal
- Healthline
​- Medical News Today
- Livestrong
- Stylecraze
- Medical Daily
- Reader's Digest
​

A recent article published on www.usmagazine.com recently listed the most popular condiment in each state. Hazelnut-chocolate spread Nutella was the number one condiment in four states - Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. In those states, Nutella beat out ketchup, peanut butter, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and all other condiments. Read the article here. 

Oklahoma-based Raptor Ag announced late last month that it successfully raised $25 million in capital from private equity, family offices, and individual investors to fund the acquisition and development of hazelnut orchards in Oregon.

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EDMOND — If you like a popular protein spread that combines hazelnuts and chocolate, here's something sweet to know.
Raptor Ag, a firm based in Oklahoma, plans to grow its way into U.S. hazelnut production in a big way.
The company announced in late June it has raised $25 million from individuals, family offices, small private equity shops and other sources to acquire existing hazelnut orchards and to start new ones in Oregon's Willamette Valley. 

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​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2018
 
 
OKLAHOMA COMPANY STARTS HAZELNUT PROJECT IN OREGON
 
Raptor Ag has raised $25 million and planted 200,000 hazelnut trees in the past 12 months, with more on the way 
 
EDMOND, Okla. – Raptor Ag, LLC, based in Edmond, Okla., recently announced its hazelnut orchard development project in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Over the past year, the company has raised $25 million to develop the project’s initial phase, purchasing approximately 1,000 acres and acquiring an additional 600 acres through long-term leases.
 
As part of its hazelnut project, Raptor Ag planted more than 200,000 hazelnut trees last winter, with nearly 100,000 more to be planted this year, along with laying nearly 400 miles of irrigation drip lines. 
 
“As my partners and I contemplated forming Raptor Ag several years ago, we considered various agriculture projects,” said Chris Eubanks, partner and CEO of Raptor Ag. 
 
“The hazelnut market has been expanding for years, in part because the hazelnut is arguably the healthiest tree nut in the world – comparable to almonds in total nutritional content. Additionally, the Willamette Valley has high-quality soils; plenty of irrigation water; and a mild, predictable climate. All those factors convinced us to invest in hazelnuts.”
 
A majority of the worldwide hazelnut supply is produced in Turkey, with Italy a distant second place. The U.S. produces about 5 to 7 percent of the world’s supply, with virtually all of the U.S. production (approximately 80,000 acres) in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. 
 
Consumers are likely most familiar with hazelnuts through Nutella®, which sells hundreds of thousands of tons of the chocolate-hazelnut spread throughout the world each year.  
 
“We like investments in permanent crops that are capital intensive because those crops tend to have a very good return on investment, and the capital requirements limit overproduction potential,” said Jason Perkins, partner in Raptor Ag. “This investment in the booming Oregon hazelnut market makes Raptor Ag one of the largest single hazelnut orchard operators in the country. 
 
“Hazelnuts made sense because, along with strong returns and the water resources of Oregon, production risk is minimal. Oregon’s multi-generational hazelnut producers often state they don’t ever remember a year where they didn’t have positive cash flow on mature trees. So even the worst years for yield and commodity prices were still profitable. Most years are highly profitable. Over the past 20 years, hazelnut prices have increased, on average, about 5 percent per year.
 
Raptor Ag is partially funded through private equity.
 
“Our equity funding is currently sourced through individuals, family offices and small private equity shops,” Perkins said. “Although the investment horizon is longer term because we’re dealing with the establishment of a permanent crop, projected investor average annual returns over 20 years are in the low-to-mid teens. Combined with minimal risk, it’s an attractive option for investors that desire to get into the agriculture sector.”
 
The company is evaluating acreage around its core of operations for the next phase of expansion.
 
“We expect to grow to 4,000 acres over the next 36 months,” Eubanks said. “After that, expansion is less certain. There is a finite amount of suitable soil in the Willamette Valley, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Currently, no other region in the country can commercially grow hazelnuts in any scale.” 
 
Raptor Ag’s Oregon operations staff includes five full-time employees with 75 years of combined agriculture experience, along with contract labor. The staff includes an agronomist and former manager of another large hazelnut operation. Administrative and accounting functions are performed at the company’s Edmond and Murray, Ky., offices. More information on Raptor Ag can be found at www.RaptorAg.com.