Author: Lacey Benz

Iroquois Valley joins Will County, IL farm alliance to improve soil health, water quality and local economies

Written by Lacey Benz on August 20, 2021. Posted in What We're Reading.

Iroquois Valley signed on to a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune in opposition to a proposed airport project. The letter is shared below. The issue was taken up by reporter, Ted Slowik, in the Daily Southtown and Chicago Tribune. Read his response here. Northeastern Illinois boasts some of the planet’s most fertile soils. Yet the state of Illinois has spent decades dismissing farmland’s enduring value by pushing a misguided scheme to build a commercial airport near...

Iroquois Valley recognized as 2021 Best for the World B Corp

Written by Lacey Benz on August 18, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, PBC is proud to announce our recognition as a Best for the World B Corp: Governance for 2021. This award honors Iroquois Valley for our exemplary governance and commitment to long-term stakeholder-minded business practices. Through the adoption of legal practices that underscore our commitment to more than shareholders, we are ensuring that Iroquois Valley will fulfill our triple-bottom-line mission. “Best for the World is a special program for...

Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, PBC Names Tera Johnson CEO

Written by Lacey Benz on August 9, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

EVANSTON, IL – Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, PBC announced today that Tera Johnson will succeed co-founder, David Miller, as Chief Executive Officer effective September 1, 2021. David Miller, co-founder. Photo first appeared in Eating Well magazine. Johnson is the founder of the Food Finance Institute (FFI), a nonprofit organization that provides financial technical assistance to food, beverage, and value-added agriculture enterprises. Miller plans to remain on the Iroquois Valley...

Financing organic farmers: opportunity intertwined with a challenge

Written by Lacey Benz on July 20, 2021. Posted in What We're Reading.

We are pleased to announce Donna Holmes as our new VP, Investor Relations. She replaces Alex Mackay in this position as Alex has left Iroquois Valley to pursue other opportunities. Donna joins us with more than 15 years of experience in business development and investor relations. Her extensive educational background in law and taxation and her enthusiasm for organic farming make her an invaluable addition to Iroquois Valley. Outside of work, Donna enjoys gardening in her downtown Chicago apartment...

Restoring the Agricultural Richness of Pembroke

Written by Lacey Benz on June 26, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

Located one hour south of Chicago, the Pembroke Township in Illinois was once home to the largest Black farming community north of the Mason-Dixon line. Today, less than 50% of this land is owned by descendants of the farming families. Iroquois Valley, in partnership with Black Oaks Center, Savanna Institute, Conservation Fund, Food Finance Institute, and Fresh Taste, was awarded a Conservation Collaboration Grant in 2020 to support this farming community with the financial and technical resources...

5 Things We Must Do To Improve the U.S. Healthcare System

Written by Lacey Benz on June 9, 2021. Posted in What We're Reading.

“Shifting to organic practices on a large scale has enormous potential to regenerate soils, ecosystems, rural economies, our food system, and so much more.”Dr. Stephen Rivard Authority Magazine, a Medium publication, is devoted to sharing interviews to draw out stories that are both empowering and actionable. As a part of Authority Magazine’s interview series called “5 Things We Must Do To Improve the U.S. Healthcare System”, Luke Kervin, Co-Founder of PatientPop, had the pleasure...

A Conversation with Chicory Wealth

Written by Lacey Benz on June 1, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

Chicory Wealth, one of the registered investment advisors in our financial advisor network, recently hosted Alex Mackay, our VP, Investor Relations, for a conversation about investment opportunities at Iroquois Valley. We would highly recommend the webinar to anyone interested in a comprehensive overview of what we do. Alex walks through our Pitch Deck and shares stories about three of the farms in our portfolio.

“We’re part of the solution: #fornature”: Celebrating the International Day for Biodiversity

Written by Lacey Benz on May 24, 2021. Posted in Events.

“Biodiversity—the variation of life on Earth—is essential to healthy ecosystems and serves as nature’s own system of checks and balances.” Rodale Institute On May 22nd, the U.N.-sponsored International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated around the world. Events included visual art shows in the U.S., biodiversity presentations in Portugal, and gardening workshops in South Africa. The IDB reminds us that biodiversity is the solution to several sustainable development challenges,...

Worried about inflation? Invest in organic farmland

Written by Lacey Benz on April 26, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

“Now is a very good time to invest in one of human civilization’s oldest and most reliable sources of wealth… farmland.” Justin Anderson, Yahoo Finance The rising fear of inflation is causing many investors to direct their money toward bonds or alternative asset classes instead of the stock market. Despite investors’ concerns, the Federal Reserve continues to hold rates steady, calling any inflation increases “transitory” amid the government stimulus. For investors interested...