Larry Nixon

A California native who feels most comfortable in a Hawaiian shirt and spent his entire career developing an understanding of the role technology plays in the preservation of plant health, Larry Nixon joins the Sensei Ag team with over two decades of agricultural expertise.

Larry began his career working for two of the largest and most successful growers in California. He was Operations Manager at The Wonderful Company, formerly Roll Global, which grows, harvests, bottles, packages, and markets a diverse range of fruits, nuts, flowers, and drinks. Larry also led operations for the Cuties unit of Sun Pacific, the first large-scale California-grown clementine and mandarin production in North America.

After much success in California, Larry moved even closer to the beach to the Big Island of Hawaii as Business Unit Manager for MacFarms, one of the largest macadamia orchards in the world spanning over 4,000 acres. At MacFarms Larry spent four years reinvigorating the company's Fresh from Hawaii brand, which supplies the state’s lead confectioners, along with a branded group of products available to Hawaiian locals and tourists. Growing on the southern end of the Big Island was challenging but a very rewarding experience for Larry. Following his time at MacFarms, Larry returned to the West Coast, serving as the General Manager of Malin Potato in Oregon, a 55-year old agricultural co-op.

Hawaii would always be where Larry felt most as home, so he said goodbye to the snow of Oregon and returned to Hawaii as a general manager for a large-scale farming project on Maui. In less than a month, Larry developed an ambitious crop plan and assembled the crew and equipment needed to put his vision into action. Larry was ultimately offered the opportunity to expand his agricultural expertise and promote food safety and security for Hawaii as General Manager of Sensei’s sustainable greenhouses on the island of Lāna’i. Having visited Lāna’i earlier in his career, Larry told himself that he would one day return to the picturesque island, and he did.

When Larry is not carefully tending the fruits, vegetables and herbs of Sensei Farms, you can find him on the Jimmy Buffett concert circuit, playing with his aptly named dog Buffett, or mentoring the next generation of farmers. Larry earned his Bachelors in Engineering with a minor in Post-Harvest Science from Arizona State University.