A Message from Our CEO – Zack Farr

Welcome to the Biotech Applied Research (BAR) blog!

Hello! If you're reading this, you're likely a friend, family member, colleague, or supporter of sustainable agriculture in Florida who’s taken the time to explore our updated website for Biotech Applied Research (BAR). If that’s the case, thank you. Your support over the years has meant everything as we’ve steadily built this mission from the ground up.

If we haven’t met yet, my name is Zack Farr, and I have the great honor of serving as CEO of BAR. I’ve been with this exceptional group of agri-innovation leaders since the very beginning. While BAR officially launched in November 2023, our journey began years earlier—with a simple yet powerful question:

What can we grow to revitalize Florida’s citrus lands and save our local communities?

From Citrus Roots to a Regenerative Future

As a third-generation citrus farmer, I’ve witnessed firsthand the economic and environmental decline in Florida agriculture—including my own family’s farm and community. The citrus industry in Florida has declined by 93%, with some of the hardest-hit areas being Highlands, Polk, DeSoto, Hardee, and Okeechobee counties. For me, the smell of orange blossoms is the smell of childhood, and I couldn’t stand by and watch our legacy disappear.

That’s when we began experimenting with industrial hemp as an alternative crop. We knew we had to try something new—not just for ourselves, but for our neighbors and for the future of Florida’s farming communities.

How a Burn Pile Sparked a Movement

In 2023, we planted hemp on an old citrus burn pile—God willingly. The plants shot up to 12 feet in just 60 days. Later, soil tests revealed elevated levels of carbon ash, which led us to discover biochar: a powerful soil amendment and carbon capture. From that moment on, we’ve been all in on this nature-based solution to tackle some of Florida’s most pressing challenges: wood waste management, soil degradation, and water pollution.

We founded BAR as a nonprofit to collaborate with universities, municipalities, farmers, state and federal agencies, and most importantly, YOU. The people who take the time to imagine what else is possible beyond just accepting decline as inevitable; who believe in the power of climate-resilient farming and community-led innovation.

Our goals are simple, but not easy:

• Transform organic waste into high-impact biochar

• Create green jobs in sustainable agriculture and biotech

• Support Florida farmers in reducing inputs and restoring soil health

• Protect clean water and biodiversity for Florida's future generations

• Make the work meaningful and fun!

Join Us in Growing Something Greater

BAR Biochar is officially launched, and we are now accepting orders! Every purchase of our material not only helps revitalize your soil and water—it also directly supports innovation, sustainability, and rural economic growth.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m deeply grateful, and always here to connect.

With appreciation,

Zack Farr

CEO, Biotech Applied Research (BAR)