Peoples Company
Pacific Northwest

Alan Busacca is known to many people around the Northwest U.S., California, and beyond as ‘Dr. Dirt’. He is a soil scientist and geologist who some years ago shifted his passion for pure research on agriculture, soil formation, and Ice Age geology toward the applied science of growing grapes for fine wine and helping others do the same.

Alan was professor of soil science, agriculture, and geology from 1982 to 2006 at Washington State University. With a growing personal and professional interest in vineyard consulting, wine grapes, and wine, Alan left WSU in 2006 to pursue a new path. Alan now lives and works in the Columbia Gorge area 70 miles east of Portland, Oregon. He co-owns Volcano Ridge Vineyard near The Dalles, Oregon and sells grapes to about 15 wineries. And he owns Heart Catcher Wines, using his estate-grown fruit to craft terroir-expressive wines.

From 2013 to mid-2014, Alan served as Director of the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College, the premier 2-year winemaking degree program in the Pacific Northwest and as General Manager of the program’s bonded winery, College Cellars.

In the consulting realm, Alan owns Vinitas Vineyard Consultants, evaluating land nationally and internationally for vineyard development, pre-purchase and pre-sale assessment of farmland, and assisting in the design of vineyards. He also serves as an expert witness across the U.S. on hydric soils for wetland litigation.

Alan now also uses his 40 years of professional experience as special advisor to Peoples Company and Agribusiness Trading Group to evaluate and market important vineyard and other agricultural lands in the Pacific Northwest.

Alan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences from University of California, Santa Cruz, worked for several years as a field geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, then earned Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Soil Science from U.C. Davis. His teaching at WSU focused on processes of soil formation, soil classification and mapping, soil resources, and world agriculture.

His research areas at WSU were soil management; the formation and properties of soils of the Pacific Northwest; and how geology and soils have shaped our agriculture and our use of natural resources; the Ice-Age geology of the Pacific Northwest; study of paleosols (ancient soils now buried deep in the windblown loess deposits of the Palouse and other areas of the world) to reconstruct past climates, climate change, and ecology of the Quaternary Period (Ice Ages). While at WSU, Alan authored or co-authored about 50 refereed articles in scientific journals, 6 book chapters, 13 field trip guidebooks, 8 symposium proceedings, 12 other publications, & 80 abstracts.

Lori joined the AgriBusiness Trading Group team with a deep understanding of the valuable connections and experiences of orchard and vineyard ownership, wine production and Federal, State and County laws governing winery businesses and economic practices. Lori owned her own vineyard and winery in the “Rocks District AVA” of Milton Freewater. Her on the ground knowledge is backed by Enology and Viticulture education from UC Davis and WSU’s vineyard and winery management programs. Lori adds to AgriBusiness Trading Group's focus of unparalleled customer service, extreme integrity, unmatched professionalism and obsession to always putting client’s needs before her own. ATG continues to serve the needs of clients in the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and California.

Griffin joined the People Company in 2020 as the Pacific Northwest Land Manager. Griffin’s passion lies in the day to day challenges that the farming life inevitably brings.  He is a believer of a strong work ethic, a passion for what you do and a firm handshake.

Griffin Murphy was raised in Virginia, but born and has family roots in the Pacific Northwest. He earned his B.S. in Agriculture Business from West Virginia University. His summers growing up consisted of working on a few different wheat ranches in Oregon and Washington as well as a 6 month stint on a custom harvesting crew in the Midwest.  Upon graduation from West Virginia University, he moved west and took his first position on a mid-size family farm growing potatoes and several other rotation crops.  His next opportunity came as a farm manager on a 60,000 acre farm. This is where he had his introduction to organics, a wide variety of other vegetable crops, and advanced irrigation technologies. 

My passion for agriculture can be traced back to my pre-professional days. As a member of my high school’s FFA chapter, I competed in numerous career and leadership development events including agricultural issues. I researched the pros and cons of an agricultural issue persistent in the Walla Walla Valley and presented my findings to a panel of judges. It was during this time that I discovered my love for agribusiness and farm management and decided to acquire my bachelor’s degree in business administration. 

After graduating from Eastern Oregon University, I began my professional career at the USDA Farm Service Agency where I oversaw the administration of the conservation reserve program. I also worked with livestock producers who experienced losses due to adverse weather events, a cause that is near to my heart as I spent my college years working on numerous dairy cattle feedlots in the Yakima Valley. It was here that I witnessed firsthand the importance of integrity, in both the cattle and professional worlds, as I worked alongside cattlemen who work tirelessly day in and day out to feed the world. Working side-by-side with some of the dairy industry’s brightest minds inspired me to return to EOU to obtain my master’s degree in business administration.

In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors and fishing on the Columbia River. During the summer I love watching the equine athletes of the ProRodeo circuit as they compete throughout the Northwest. I am excited to join the ATG team and utilize my extensive agribusiness background and commitment to integrity to provide our clients with smooth asset transfers that garner the best value and least amount of stress and worry.

Adam's entire career, spanning the last 27 years, has been focused on the regional agricultural industry with many of those years spent in farm and food production management and operations. Since 2006, he has been specializing in the representation of clients involved in large agribusiness transfers totaling tens of millions of dollars. With his extensive agribusiness background and hands-on agricultural experience, he is able to understand and appreciate the unique needs of agricultural business and real estate owners throughout the process of divestment or acquisition much better than a generalist real estate broker. Adam is obsessed with placing his client’s needs above his own and always takes the ethical and moral high ground in all dealings.

Adam also considers one of his most important attributes, which can be directly related to years of involvement in the agricultural community, to be a highly ingrained work ethic and belief that hard work and attention to detail will always assist him in exceeding his client’s expectations. Adam's formal education consists of an Associate of Arts degree and extensive, additional undergraduate work in agricultural business and science with ongoing education in commercial real estate business operations, valuation and marketing.  Adam is licensed to sell real estate in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

Adam's passion is agribusiness. His ambition is to exceed expectations while assisting clients in the realization of their goals.  Adam would love to put that passion and ambition to work for you!