Leveraging private capital for high impact

We help our clients make a positive difference in the world through investments in community loan funds and via private placements in mission-based companies and funds. These investments support both the economic resilience of our communities and the ecological resilience of the planet, as illustrated by Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT.
INVESTING IN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT is one of Clean Yield’s flagship private investments. We first connected with Iroquois founder David Miller at a Slow Money gathering in 2011 and were immediately impressed with his humble commitment to regenerative agriculture and the well-being of farmers. David had developed a way for investors to participate in the ownership of organic farmland that increases farmland accessi­bility and security for small and midsize commercial organic farmers. Iroquois pur­chases farmland and enters into seven-year evergreen leases with organic farmers, with a focus on next-generation farmers.
When Clean Yield first invested, Iroquois owned 15 farms and a total of 1,800 acres. Now, Iroquois owns or holds mortgages on nearly 10,000 acres of organic or transitional farmland and works with 43 farm families on 56 unique properties in 14 states. Recently, Iroquois began offering short-term mortgage financing to farmers who prefer to own their farms from day one. One of the first farm families to engage with Iroquois this way happened to be in Strafford, Vermont, just two towns from Clean Yield’s offices. Strafford Village Farm (pictured) was Iroquois’ first investment in Vermont, as the company financed the purchase of 178 acres for a diversified livestock and vegetable operation.
Iroquois’ success has hinged on its abil­ity to attract capital from patient investors who are willing to take lower financial returns in exchange for the positive nonfinancial outcomes that the company has produced. With many conventional farm lenders remaining hostile to organic production, Iroquois’ services are critical to supporting the ongoing growth of regenerative agriculture.