Since 2005, Johnny has founded or co-founded 7 companies – of which 3 were exited and 4 continue to operate through his leadership. When looking at a deal, Johnny likes to focus on three things: people, opportunity, and capital. He believes in the importance of “boots-on-the-ground” and loves creating value where others are unable to see success. Johnny considers his values in both life and business as a legacy passed down through generations. He is a third-generation farmer specializing in soil conservation and soil health through sustainable farming systems. For the last 65 years, the Hunter family has been sustainably growing crops in Southeast Missouri’s Delta Region.
Our Team
Johnny Hunter
Partner at Cypress Street Group
Early Childhood
Johnny Hunter II grew up in Southeast Missouri. His father was a farmer who farmed nearly 12,000 acres of rice, soybeans, cotton, corn and milo in the Missouri Delta. Johnny’s father was a pioneer of new technologies and farm practices that would not become common place for 10 years after he first implemented them. He passed away when Johnny was just 10 years old.
Return to farms
In 2006, 24-year-old Johnny returned to the family farm and began his solo farming career. He implemented conventional methods of farming which proved successful at the time. In 2012, the Midwest was hit with a record setting historic drought and the farming practices and irrigation that had made so many good crops for no longer worked. He faced a large financial setback and was left wondering what had gone wrong. He spent the next many months researching and realizing the magnitude and significance of soil health. Years of heavy tillage and overuse of chemicals and fertilizers had left the soils degraded and unhealthy. He ultimately changed his farming methods completely and went 100% no- till and 100% cover cropped within a year.
Delta Cover Crops
To improve easy accessibility for cover crops in his area, Johnny started a company called Delta Cover Crop. Within 4 years Johnny helped build Delta Cover Crop into a premiere soil health company. At its peak, Delta Cover Crop serviced over 50,000 acres in the Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi Delta region and he consulted farmers, ranchers, landowners and government agencies on tens of thousands more. He successfully exited Delta Cover Crop in 2018 but continues to consult to this day.
Soil Health work
Johnny has also founded the Missouri Delta Soil Health Alliance. He wanted a group that brought together farmers, landowners, USDA, NRCS and SWCD, universities and other ag professionals to foster soil health initiatives in Southeast Missouri.
In 2016, Johnny was named Soil Conservationist of the Year by the Missouri Conservation Federation. That same year, Johnny was announced as the Land Steward of the Year by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous agriculture conferences and field days. In addition, he has been featured in magazines such as Farm Journal, Delta Farm Press, Feast Magazine and No-till Farmer Magazine among others for his work in sustainability and soil health.
Castor River Farms
To continue his family legacy, Johnny decided to build a rice mill and brand of national repute; a brand that represented all that was good about his family, his land, and the sustainability he could bring to the market. The idea was to have a rice mill business on a no-till farm that emphasizes soil health and its link to a high-quality product. Johnny and his family launched Castor River Farms on Jan 1, 2018. Nearly four years later the rice is available in over 1000 retail locations nationwide.
Cypress Street Group
Soon after Johnny met Jon Neely, they came up with the idea of Cypress Street Group named after the street of their first office in downtown Essex, MO. Cypress has closed on $20+ million dollars’ worth of investments in the Mid-South.
