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program for the purpose of undertaking research and thereafter
developing a jojoba plantation." The partners in Hilltop
Ventures--Peterson, Meinke, Damer, and Almand--were also the sole
shareholders of HTP. Under the terms of this lease, Mesa was to
pay a rental fee of $450 per acre, per year, for a period of 20
years, starting on October 1, 1982. Mesa, as lessee, in addition
to conducting a broadly described "R&D Program", was required to
furnish all material, labor and equipment, seed, fertilizer, and
supplies for the farm, maintain all wells and irrigation and
improvements to the property in working order, pay all utility
charges and insurance costs, and pay for all subcontractors. The
lessor was required to pay tax and assessments on the premises.
Concurrently with the execution of the research and
development agreement between Yuma Mesa and HTP, on December 31,
1982, Yuma Mesa executed an exclusive license agreement with
Mesa. This exclusive license agreement granted Mesa "the
exclusive right to utilize the technology developed for the
account of the Licensor * * * [Yuma Mesa]," in exchange for
"royalties * * * payable to Licensor * * * [Yuma Mesa] based upon
cumulative annual gross revenue from sales," of the seeds or
beans of the jojoba plant.
d. Agricultural Investments, Inc.
On December 31, 1982, Mesa entered into a management
contract with AI, a California corporation, to develop the 130
acres leased from Hilltop Ventures as a jojoba plantation
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