Year: 2020

Animal welfare at Iroquois Valley partner farms

Written by Lacey Benz on December 8, 2020. Posted in What We're Reading.

Heritage pigs grazing at Singing Pastures, one of our partner farms in Maine We’re often asked why Iroquois Valley invests in operations that include livestock. Animal agriculture is an incredibly complex topic and it looks different across farms and across the food system. We support farmers who raise animals in ways that regenerate our soils and our ecosystems by only partnering with farmers who raise animals on pastures managed organically. There is an alternative to the...

2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Written by Lacey Benz on December 1, 2020. Posted in Events.

Iroquois Valley is proud to share its annual gift guide featuring products grown by the farmers we partner with – 2020 has been unlike any other year and we hope it has deepened your connection to what nourishes you. This year’s gift guide is illustrated by Evanston-based artist, Hannah Bess Ross who sells prints, cards, and ceramics here. Scroll through for products available across the country as well as products available in certain locales (WA, MI, MN). Warm wishes for a...

Innovative financing to help restore soil health

Written by Lacey Benz on November 10, 2020. Posted in News & Media.

Iroquois Valley’s Soil Restoration Notes are an innovative conservation financing tool that provides investors a return and enables farmers to invest in the land. These notes specifically target support for soil health and the organic transition. This work was partially funded by a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant. Conservation Innovation Grants are three-year grants – ours was funded in 2016 and was completed in September 2019. Our...

From the field: Farming regeneratively at Singing Pastures Farm

Written by Lacey Benz on October 20, 2020. Posted in What We're Reading.

This piece originally appeared in a newsletter and is shared with permission from the Arbuckles at Singing Pastures. Iroquois Valley provided mortgage financing to the Arbuckles to establish their operation in Maine. Singing Pastures has deep roots in farming. It’s not just a job, it’s a commitment to food and the global community we serve. We want to do the most good possible. We’ve decided that “sustainable” isn’t good enough. We want to be...

Walton Family Foundation & USDA-NRCS support agroforestry and wetlands restoration in Mississippi River Valley

Written by Lacey Benz on August 7, 2020. Posted in What We're Reading.

We’re excited to read about the partnership between the Walton Family Foundation and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore forests and wetlands in the Mississippi watershed. Over the last decade, this partnership has resulted in the restoration of more than 104,000 acres and the planting of more than 30 million trees in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Read more about this partnership here. We are embarking on an agroforestry and wetlands restoration...

Our Public Benefit Report

Written by Lacey Benz on July 6, 2020. Posted in News & Media.

Iroquois Valley is proud to release its first public benefit report. We incorporated our company as a public benefit corporation in 2016 to build into our structure our intent to create public benefit. We intend to create public benefit by enabling healthy food production, restoring soil, and improving water quality through the establishment of secure and sustainable farmland tenure. Read our public benefit report here. This report builds on our history of impact reports, which...

Calling all transitioning & organic farmers: Share your experience in two surveys

Written by Lacey Benz on May 6, 2020. Posted in Events.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) are collaborating with the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) to identify the research priorities of certified organic producers, as well as producers transitioning land to certified organic production. We are conducting two national surveys—one for certified organic producers and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification. If you are a certified organic farmer or...

Iroquois Valley partners with the Organic Farming Research Foundation

Written by Lacey Benz on April 30, 2020. Posted in News & Media.

Iroquois Valley is proud to partner with the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) by supporting their research to learn more about the challenges and research priorities of organic farmers and ranchers, as well as farmers and ranchers transitioning land to certified organic production. The project includes two national surveys—one for certified organic producers, and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification. The project includes two national surveys—one for...

Flour Shortage? Amber Waves of Regional Grains to the Rescue

Written by Lacey Benz on April 23, 2020. Posted in What We're Reading.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been highly visible in the food system. Amy Halloran writes on the grain economy in her latest for Civil Eats, highlighting the role of small and regional mills in supplying flour during this crisis. The article includes a mention of Iroquois Valley-financed farmers, John & Halee Wepking, who farm at Meadowlark Organics. Key quote: “Outside of this industrial baking complex, there exists a world of farmer-cultivated grain systems that...

Support Our Farmers by Shopping Online

Written by Lacey Benz on March 24, 2020. Posted in Events.

Coronavirus is growing in the United States and across the world, creating a collective experience of uncertainty and apprehension as well as increased appreciation for our local farmers. As we move through this together, we want to highlight our farmers that offer direct sales through online stores. We hope that during these difficult times you find comfort in good food. ORGANIC FLOURS, SPECIALTY GRAINS & BEANS Janie’s Mill – organic flours, grains, and beans grown and...