Ted at the Oakwood Retreat center forwarded me this email announcement from Iroquois Valley Farms today. It follows an email from him yesterday in response to both last weekend’s visit there, and to my recent post —
IMAGINE: Young Farmers Unite!
Ted tells me that Oakwood had been closing in on a deal with a young farmer and Iroquois Valley Farms which would have put some of the land that borders their property into local, sustainable crops when the deal was snatched out from under them by the former owners and put in the hands of GMO Big Ag.
Concerning Iroquois Valley Farms, Ted says:
I feel that they are one of the very best mainstream organizations that are offering genuine assistance to a movement that is essential in providing an intercessory role in the larger transition that is taking place.
One of the biggest challenges is that the art of producing food is an endangered species. Like a lost language. You and I, and like others we know, live in a tiny tiny sliver of the demographic mix. Even though it is common sense wisdom to what seems like a lot of kindred souls, it is totally beyond the comprehension of the vast majority.
My own imagination tends to jump from A to Z — the status quo (Big Ag) right through to the ideal of resurrecting local, sustainable farms. But how to do this? Iroquois Valley Farms has recognized and is responding to the need for bridging organizations that serve to make possible this crucial transformation. YES!
Iroquois Valley Farms Announces $20,000,000 Private Offering
Acquires farmland for two 5th generation farmers
April 24, 2015
Millennial generation farmers (born between 1980 – 2000) represent the fastest growing and largest age demographic of our tenants.
As a corporate guideline, we do not look for specific farmland to purchase. We develop relationships with farmers, mostly young and organic, that want to start or grow their sustainable farm business. We only move to purchase if we have a ready, willing and able farm tenant in hand.
Note that our 2015 private placement debt and equity offering has now been filed with the SEC and is available for view. Contact us if you wish a copy.
With all the negative news today about climate change and the toxic consequences of rampant pesticide use, we couldn’t be more excited about offering a solution that can also generate an economic return on your investment. Never has it seemed more important to take action and help along the next generation to improve our foods, soils and waters. Already this year we have purchased three farms, most recently this week in the Saginaw peninsula of eastern Michigan. All these new acres will be transitioning to organic farming practices. If you don’t think that organic farming is a primary solution to feeding the world and dealing with climate change, then watch the Fair Earth Project video on small-scale farmers and regenerative organic agriculture.
Last year the company purchased over 1,000 acres of farmland and we plan to significantly exceed that this year. Our farmers are leading the transformation to a more diverse and healthy agricultural system. Interesting, our largest demographic investor segment is health care professionals, representing near 20 per cent of our investor base. Another significant investor segment is farmers. In fact, our first investor in the 2015 Offering is an apple orchard farmer and cider processor from the Ann Arbor area of Michigan. Generally our investors are baby boomers that understand the need to support young farm businesses. Iroquois Valley Farms is enabling the transition to a new generation of responsible investors and farmers. Click here for our most recent Fact Sheet.
Endow a more healthy planet by supporting the next generation of family farmers. One of our goals this year is to convince more institutions, including college endowments, to do exactly that.
Connecting farm families, communities and investors since 2007.
For more information, please contact David Miller or Kevin Egolf at the emails below or visit (www.iroquoisvalleyfarms.com).
David Miller, Co-Founder and CEO
dmiller@iroquoisvalleyfarms.com
Kevin Egolf, Managing Director of Business Operations
kegolf@iroquoisvalleyfarms.com
| Iroquois Valley Farms LLC PO Box 267 Wilmette, Illinois 60091 847 736-0076 www.iroquoisvalleyfarms.com |
