Author: Lacey Benz

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Featherstone Farm: COVID Stories

Written by Lacey Benz on March 2, 2021. Posted in What We're Reading.

The coronavirus pandemic has put the food system in the spotlight in new ways. Our farmer partners at Featherstone Farm in Fillmore County, Minnesota share their experience navigating the pandemic as an organic vegetable operation in a video featuring three of their returning seasonal farmworkers. Iroquois Valley provided financing to Featherstone Farm. Featherstone is the only farm entirely dedicated to vegetable production within Iroquois Valleys’ portfolio.

Iroquois Valley named to the IA 50 for the ninth year in a row

Written by Lacey Benz on February 25, 2021. Posted in News & Media.

Iroquois Valley was named an Emeritus Manager by ImpactAssets in its annual IA 50. This year, ImpactAssets celebrates its tenth year curating its widely recognized list of impact investment fund managers. According to ImpactAssets, the IA 50 is an annual showcase of companies dedicated to making impact investments, offering a gateway into the world of impact investing for investors and their financial advisors. The IA 50 offers an easy way to identify experienced and emerging impact...