Virginia Foodshed Capital
Why We Exist
The mission of Virginia Foodshed Capital is to provide financial stewardship for small-scale organically run farms and food enterprises in the local foodshed, including both urban and rural areas. We do this through a 0% revolving loan fund called SOIL. It’s for farmers and food enterprises that need capital and are dedicated to using resilient, eco-friendly practices that produce healthy, nutritious food for our local communities. In conjunction with our loan fund, we also provide financial and business consultation to our borrowers and ongoing training for farms and food enterprises throughout Virginia. We launched our organization in 2018 focusing on the region around Charlottesville and Richmond but expanded statewide in 2019 and are now active in the Staunton and Waynesboro region, as well as Nelson County.
What We Do
Our primary program is a 0% loan fund called SOIL to support the financial needs of small organic farms and food enterprises in the local foodshed. It is in harmony with the concept of Nurture Capital, which is equitable, patient, and risk-tolerant, very much unlike traditional lending.
The fund aggregates charitable donations from private individuals and grants from community foundations, and issues loans to farmers. Loans can be as little as a few hundred dollars, or as high as $10,000. The application process is very user friendly with the intent to eliminate the barriers farmers typically face in our traditional financial system. As part of the loan fund, we support our borrowers, and potential borrowers, with ongoing financial, business, and marketing training and education.
Our longer term goal is to build upon the revolving loan fund and develop a broader system of financial support for the local foodshed. This includes land acquisition strategies to address the immense challenge young farmers face in finding land.
Who We Serve
We exist to serve small-scale, local, sustainable farms. They average less than $50,000 in household income, have on average about 5 farm employees, and are farming on average 20 acres. By “sustainable” we mean farms that are practicing, or intend to practice, some form of eco-friendly agriculture.
Where We Serve
Why Community Members Support Our Work
Why we do what we do is all about strengthening our local communities. Right now our communities are not resilient at all when it comes to food. In fact, they’re quite vulnerable. Our changing climate is threatening our global food supply, and we believe those communities that can feed themselves will be better able to absorb the shocks. A robust regenerative local food system can heal the wounds we’ve created through our modern industrial food supply. Regenerative agriculture can build healthy soil, foster biodiversity, and encourage natural photosynthetic cycles that capture and sequester carbon. It can also heal injustice. The truth is, we need a strong local food system, yet most if not all our small and mid-scale local farms are disenfranchised and shut out from the traditional financial system. As a result, they don’t have access to the capital they need to grow and improve their businesses. Our organization is dedicated to changing that narrative in Virginia and building resiliency and equity into our local communities for the benefit of future generations.
How Volunteers Contribute to our Work:
Why we do what we do is all about strengthening our local communities. Right now our communities are not resilient at all when it comes to food. In fact, they’re quite vulnerable. Our changing climate is threatening our global food supply, and we believe those communities that can feed themselves will be better able to absorb the shocks. A robust regenerative local food system can heal the wounds we’ve created through our modern industrial food supply. Regenerative agriculture can build healthy soil, foster biodiversity, and encourage natural photosynthetic cycles that capture and sequester carbon. It can also heal injustice. The truth is, we need a strong local food system, yet most if not all our small and mid-scale local farms are disenfranchised and shut out from the traditional financial system. As a result, they don’t have access to the capital they need to grow and improve their businesses. Our organization is dedicated to changing that narrative in Virginia and building resiliency and equity into our local communities for the benefit of future generations.
How You Can Offer Your Charitable Donations:
How Volunteers Contribute to our Work:
Why we do what we do is all about strengthening our local communities. Right now our communities are not resilient at all when it comes to food. In fact, they’re quite vulnerable. Our changing climate is threatening our global food supply, and we believe those communities that can feed themselves will be better able to absorb the shocks. A robust regenerative local food system can heal the wounds we’ve created through our modern industrial food supply. Regenerative agriculture can build healthy soil, foster biodiversity, and encourage natural photosynthetic cycles that capture and sequester carbon. It can also heal injustice. The truth is, we need a strong local food system, yet most if not all our small and mid-scale local farms are disenfranchised and shut out from the traditional financial system. As a result, they don’t have access to the capital they need to grow and improve their businesses. Our organization is dedicated to changing that narrative in Virginia and building resiliency and equity into our local communities for the benefit of future generations.
Contact Information:
Michael Reilly
101 Devon Road
Charlottesville,
Virginia
22903