A new era takes root
Iroquois Valley Board approves Tera Johnson as CEO, effective September
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A letter from our co-founder, Dave Miller |
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We started operations in 2007 with one farm and one farmer in Iroquois County, Illinois. Over these 15 years we have grown our organic finance business slowly and steadily to a $75 million REIT, incorporated as a public benefit company. We are invested in over 50 farm businesses in 15 states, representing 46 unique counties. We enabled small investors to support public health by investing in small and mid-size farmers to establish and grow their operations. We built our company to maintain operations indefinitely by diversifying our capital base through a network of nearly 550 socially responsible investors in 47 states.
It is with great pride and excitement that I announce that our Board of Directors has approved Tera Johnson of the Food Finance Institute (FFI) in Madison, WI as our next CEO. Tera will start September 1. See our press release for more information. She has been working with us and our farmers for several years. FFI is a nonprofit that provides financial technical assistance to farmers and food businesses. I have been thinking about a transition for quite some time and first approached Tera about her interest in the CEO position two years ago. Her experience in garnering public, private, and institutional capital to support our ongoing mission of soil and environmental health, will be critical to our future growth. I am confident that in the next 15 years, Iroquois Valley's work will be deeper and more impactful. We will continue to support a broader range of operations led by more diverse farmers committed to land stewardship and resilience in our food system. Look for another newsletter soon where Tera will introduce herself.
I have been spending a lot of time planting trees during the pandemic. Building an agroforestry campus in the middle of a dead soil monoculture during such a tumultuous time was intentional. I find it incredibly hopeful to be on the ground converting our vast monocultures to living, breathing food ecosystems and look forward to supporting more conservation projects. My focus throughout this leadership change will be to support Tera and build out Rock Creek Farms in Peotone, IL. Please come visit sometime. There is much more work to do.
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Investor Relations department welcomes Donna Holmes |
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We are pleased to introduce our investors and advisors to Donna Holmes. She joins us our new VP, Investor Relations following Alex Mackay's departure. We wish Alex the best as he pursues other projects and continues his career.
Donna brings more than 15 years of experience in business development and investor relations. Her extensive educational background in law and taxation and her enthusiasm for organic farming make her an invaluable addition to the Company. Outside of work, Donna enjoys cooking and baking in her downtown Chicago apartment and cycling along Lake Michigan. To schedule an introductory call with Donna, please email her at invest@iroquoisvalleyfarms.com.
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Save the Date: Annual Shareholder Meeting to be held 9/17 |
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Shareholders and financial advisors will be invited to our Annual Shareholder meeting on September 17th. We plan to host an in-person meeting outdoors, as well as a field tour, and light meal at Rock Creek Farms. The event will be planned using CDC guidelines. The event will be filmed and shared with all shareholders and advisors who do not attend in-person.
Meeting information and proxy voting ballot instructions will be sent to shareholders and advisors by email.
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Our second investment in Washington: Chehalis Valley Farm - Grays Harbor County |
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Chehalis Valley Farm is a 50 acre farm founded by John Hagara in 2012. Its mission is "to contribute to and promote a vibrant regional food economy using regenerative farming and responsible land stewardship practices to raise healthy food on pasture and in the forest." The farm is located outside of Elma, WA in the Chehalis River Valley, an area formed during the Ice Age by glacial activity. The river flows through the farm property as it makes its way to the Pacific ocean.
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Geese flying over the Chehalis River |
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Heritage hens moving to new pastures |
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Forest-raised pigs & pastured poultry in the Olympic Peninusla |
John initially established Chehalis Valley Farm to provide his community with pasture-raised poultry, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, because they tend to be staple foods. He saw an opportunity to offer more ethically-raised poultry than what is widely available through factory farms. In 2016, he began raising pigs in the wooded areas of his land. Pigs begin the rotation by clearing underbrush (which also supports wildfire prevention!) so that poultry can follow and move onto cover crop seeded pastures. John has been managing his land organically but will certify for the first time in the next year.
John owns and operates an on-farm poultry processing facility certified by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. During the pandemic, he applied for and received a grant under Washington's Covid-19 Relief Grant program that allowed him to get equipment to expand his processing capacity and better meet the high demand from nearby farmers who turned to him when other facilities had long wait times. Iroquois Valley met John through The Little Farm By The Sea, another farm in Grays Harbor County, WA that processes their poultry at John's facility.
Chehalis Valley products are available direct to consumers at farmers markets, on the farm for pick up, in Seattle's whole animal butcher shop, Beast & Cleaver, and in various restaurants and grocery stores.
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The information contained in this newsletter 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 newsletter 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 in this newsletter 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. No offer to sell securities or solicitation of an offer to buy securities is being made in the following states: AL, AR, and OK.
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CONNECTING ORGANIC FARMERS AND IMPACT 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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