Tag: regenerative economy

Diverse Leaders in Climate and Agriculture Summit

Written by Lacey Benz on October 5, 2023. Posted in Events.

Croatan Institute’s REEFS Program is hosting its first collaborative effort for thought leaders, practitioners, advocates, and values-aligned capital partners – the Diverse Leaders in Climate and Agriculture Summit. Join Iroquois Valley at the conference as we convene on November 17th & 18th to engage in deep conversations at the critical nexus of finance, sustainability, and economic development. The Summit will be an opportunity for BIPOC leaders in agriculture and climate justice...

Financing a Land Back initiative for members of the Mohawk Nation

Written by Lacey Benz on March 29, 2023. Posted in Investment News, News & Media.

A rainbow shines over the Longhouse structure on the Berry Farm Indigenous Stewardship at the Berry Farm in Schoharie County, New York Deep in the Schoharie Valley of New York, a sixty-acre farm is the site of an ancient Mohawk village rich with cultural history. Members of the Mohawk Nation identified the land and united to form a land back effort to acquire the property and return to their ancestral homelands. Iroquois Valley is proud to participate in financing the purchase of the farm...

2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Written by Lacey Benz on November 30, 2022. Posted in Events.

Iroquois Valley is excited to share our annual gift guide featuring products grown by the farmers we partner with. 2022 has been a year of gratitude and community, and we hope that you have been able to appreciate local organic food, flourishing landscapes, and meaningful relationships with your communities throughout the year. This year’s gift guide is illustrated by Chicago-based artist, Hannah Bess Ross, who is an illustrator and writer that specializes in all things whimsy. Check...

Black Wind Farm: An investment in a veteran farmer’s journey to farmland ownership in New York

Written by Lacey Benz on August 11, 2022. Posted in Investment News.

We are so proud to welcome Justin Butts to our portfolio. Justin is a first-generation, Navy veteran farmer with extensive and varied experience – he’s a farmer, a small business owner, and a chef. Hear Justin tell his story in this Sustainable Dish podcast episode. Justin was the livestock manager at Soul Fire Farm, “an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.” Soul Fire Farm’s wide-ranging and deeply impactful work...

Eli’s Ridge: Pasture & forest-raised livestock in the heart of North Carolina

Written by Lacey Benz on August 11, 2022. Posted in Investment News.

Shawn and Jennifer Hatley are fourth-generation farmers in Stanly County who raise sheep, pigs, cows, ducks, and chickens with their sons, Blake and Eli. The Hatleys apply sustainable and regenerative farming principles and work within a perennial pasture and forest-based farming system (also known as silvopasture) in Oakboro, a suburb of Charlotte. We approved financing for the Hatleys to purchase a 108-acre property from Shawn’s father, David Hatley, by the end of August, marking what...

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...

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 dominant...

If We Want to Change Our Food System, We Need to Change Our Finance System

Written by Lacey Benz on November 8, 2019. Posted in News & Media.

Heritage breed pigs at Yker Acres Farm in Carlton County, MN While organic farming is growing, only 1% of all U.S. farmland is farmed organically. We’re looking to change that by providing secure, long-term land access for regenerative farmers. Key quotes: Our investment theory is that land security enables land stewardship — we believe that farmers will thrive when they’re backed by long-term capital that shares risk. In our experience, there’s no shortage of farmers who...

Press Release: Iroquois Valley’s Direct Public Offering

Written by Lacey Benz on July 25, 2019. Posted in News & Media.

Retail investors can now directly invest in organic farmland through Iroquois Valley’s Direct Public Offering (DPO). The DPO provides a long-term investment opportunity targeting market rate returns for the asset class while supporting healthy food production, environmental stewardship, and prosperity for independent farmers and their communities. “We want to mobilize the public to invest directly in small farmers and participate in building a healthier agricultural system,” says CEO...