A rainbow shines over the Longhouse structure on the Berry Farm |
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Berry Farm
Schoharie County, New York
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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 and supporting the return of Mohawk people to their homelands.
The Berry Farm represents a life-long dream of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) people to form a community guided by Kaianere'kó:wa (The Great Peace) in the Mohawk Valley. The Schoharie Valley holds particular importance for the Kanien’kehá:ka people because in the Mohawk language, Schoharie means the place of cleansing or renewal. The area is also known as the Eastern Door of Turtle Island (North America), and the Kanien’kehá:ka are the keepers of the door. The mission of the Waterfall Unity Alliance is “to protect the Schoharie Valley and all Earth, build alliances across movements & cultures, and help create solutions to the existential challenges of our time.” The Berry Farm presents a powerful opportunity to realize this work.
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In 2015, Kanien’kehá:ka leaders from the Akwesasne Reserve formed the Waterfall Unity Alliance to stand against a proposed gas pipeline for fracking that would cross their ancestral territory. Together with the local community, the Alliance successfully campaigned for New York State to deny the pipeline’s construction permit, marking the first defeat of a major federal pipeline. |
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The Berry Farm in Schoharie County, New York |
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Since then, Waterfall Unity Alliance has organized around the Mohawk concept of the Longhouse, a powerful symbol among the nations making up the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. The Longhouse is a gathering place to practice traditional ways; this dream was brought to life through the Berry Farm. There, the Alliance envisions providing housing to community members, offering educational programming including language immersion, growing food, and healing. In their own words, "the Longhouse will be a place of teaching about principles of living in harmony as they were given to our people. As the oldest living democracy in the world, our traditional ways of living in right relationship can help us heal together."
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The Berry Farm is 60 acres of land with perennial fruit and berry crops (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, and strawberries) and existing orchards. In addition to fruit production, future plans include diversified vegetable and staple crop production. A significant focus of the farm is on traditional food preservation practices and returning the land to indigenous agricultural practices. The farm will be transitioned to organic and regenerative practices by reintroducing native plants, wildlife, and growing traditional food and medicine. This is all part of a long-term vision to create a bioregional forest, water, wildlife, and food sanctuary in the Schoharie Valley under indigenous stewardship, now and for the next seven generations. |
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For more information about Waterfall Unity Alliance, visit their website here. There is also a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by the Waterfall Unity Alliance to support their capital needs as they transition the Berry Farm to a social enterprise that supports them in their land stewardship.
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The return of the Kanien’kehá:ka to the Schoharie Valley also supports the important task of environmental justice. The Akwesasne reservation in northern New York is home to the largest PCB dump in America, and the reservation is now designated as a toxic superfund site. As a result of the industrial pollution, these toxic and carcinogenic PCBs have contaminated soils and waterways.
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Local species of fish, birds, amphibians, and other mammals have PCB levels that exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s limits for human consumption. Residents typically cannot eat the local fish and game, and in some places on the reservation, residents have been encouraged to plow under their gardens. High rates of cancer and other chronic illnesses have been reported in the community. Traditional Mohawk land includes parts of Canada, Vermont, and the northeastern part of New York. The Schoharie Valley is some 200 miles south of the Akwesasne reserve and is part of the larger Mohawk Valley which today is made up of Schoharie, Oneida, Otsego, Herkimer, Montgomery, and Fulton counties.
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Schoharie Valley, New York |
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We are honored to support the return of the Kanien’kehá:ka to the Schoharie Valley in the pursuit of environmental justice. “The prophecies all say that to survive, we have to return to original ways,” says Kawenniiosta Jock, an activist and land defender from Akwesasne. "We need to form and nurture communities that will sustain us through the climate tipping point and beyond. We know that there are ways to live in balance. We have not forgotten, but we need to decolonize our minds and ways of life and return to the ways of our ancestors. This is why I want to come with my children back to the Schoharie Valley. It’s time for us to plant the seeds of return."
For further reading, check out:
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Rooted in Regeneration: A New Offering |
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Thank you for your continued support of Iroquois Valley. Your investments make it possible for us to provide individuals and organizations, such as the Waterfall Unity Alliance, with secure and sustainable land tenure. Working with the Waterfall Unity Alliance is particularly profound for our organization: although we are named for Iroquois County, IL where we purchased our first farm, our founders have always been inspired by the visionary concept of acting with the seventh generation in mind. The seventh generation concept informs our focus on organic practices that protect and regenerate our natural resources.
We have been piloting a new “Rooted in Regeneration” program designed to enable farmland ownership for socially disadvantaged farmers. The USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs) as “those belonging to groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice. SDFRs include farmers who are Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander.” Financing Waterfall Unity Alliance’s land back initiative represents the second investment we have made using a more inclusive underwriting process. Additionally, this program offers a mortgage discount to eligible farmers, which meaningfully lowers their payments and supports increased viability. Members of our farmer-facing team outlined our diligence process and highlighted the investment that inspired this program in our recent Farmer Due Diligence & Underwriting webinar. Investors will be able to partner with us in this endeavor through our Rooted in Regeneration Note offering, available this summer. We look forward to sharing much more with you about this investment offering and farmer program as we get ready to launch.
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REIT Equity Shares Offering Pause: April 15th |
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Our REIT Equity Shares Offering will be closed for approximately two weeks beginning April 15th while the shares are being repriced. In order to invest at the current share price of $730 per share, all documents and funds must be received by the 15th. Your investments enable us to grow our impact and fund our strong pipeline. If you would like to make a new investment or add to your existing investment, please reach out to invest@iroquoisvallyfarms.com.
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The information contained on this website is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, insurance product, or service. Any product or service discussed in this website is intended for and is only appropriate for accredited and institutional investors and other qualified purchasers as determined by current SEC regulations and orders. The information available on this website is for informational purposes only.
Securities involve risk, and investment may result in a partial or total loss. Some of the statements herein may constitute forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described in offering circulars prepared for the purpose of offering and selling securities by Iroquois Valley. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Any historical returns, expected returns, or probability projections may not reflect actual future performance.
Iroquois Valley and its affiliates are not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. It is strongly recommended that any purchase or sale decision be discussed with a financial advisor, tax advisor, broker-dealer, or a member of any financial regulatory body. The information contained herein has been provided as an information service only. The accuracy or completeness of the information is not warranted and is only as reliable as the sources from which it was obtained.
In particular, Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, PBC is offering its common stock for sale pursuant to Tier 2 of Regulation A+, and as such intends to be exempted from state qualification pursuant to federal law. Offerings are only made through our Offering Circular, available here. No offer to sell securities or solicitation of an offer to buy securities is being made herein or in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted under the blue sky or state securities laws thereof.
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CONNECTING FARMERS, COMMUNITIES, AND INVESTORS SINCE 2007
As a corporate guideline, we do not look for specific farmland to purchase or finance. We develop relationships with farmers who want to grow their businesses. We move forward when we have a ready, willing, and able farmer.
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Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT | Public Benefit Corporation
Certified B Corporation | Est. 2007
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