Dirt Capital Partners

Dirt Capital Partners recently joined Gratitude Railroad’s 2024 Gratitude Investor Gathering amidst the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains and redwoods in Scotts Valley.  The theme was Community, Capital, and Change considering the growth trajectory of impact investing and exploring the components critical to achieving scale.  We were honored to share with the community our Rancho Corralitos project in Watsonville and to host attendees from the gathering along with our partners at Kitchen Table Advisors and David Mancera, MS of La Cultiva. We heard from two farmers, Isabel Rosas from Dream Farm & Adelio Coronel from Coronel Produce Organic Farm, who shared their stories and vision for their newfound access to some of the most productive land in the country.  We are grateful for these conversations, connections, and the innovative and transformative impact that results when we bring together mission-aligned investors, farmers, and partners to create sustainable and regenerative agricultural opportunities. These collaborations strengthen our commitment to expanding land access and supporting the next generation of farmers in building resilient food systems. #regenerativeagriculture #foodsystems #investment 

Thanks to Lisa Held and Civil Eats for shining a light on Gail Taylor and D’Real Graham of Spice Creek Farm and Three Part Harmony Farm, who nourish their community with regenerative and organic produce and poultry, while also supporting other farmers to revitalize a Black agrarian corridor in rural Maryland. Land security is essential for regenerative farming, and Dirt Capital offers a customized and hands-on approach: "Taylor heard about Dirt Capital as a means to make the transition to land ownership and was immediately struck by how different the conversation was with them compared to other funders." Read the full article below to learn more: https://lnkd.in/er9HWnaG Foodshed Capital, Dodo Farms

Dirt Capital Partners joined SAFSF in 2023, and since then their staff have been active members and leaders in our community. Founding and Managing Partner, Jacob Israelow and Director of Investment, Amanda Zakharov, share what they value about our incredible community below. "I appreciate that [SAFSF] tries to learn from and represent the voices of community partners. Work happens at the speed of relationships, and SAFSF has done an excellent job of supporting work between aligned actors in the space." -Jacob "SAFSF has expanded its focus to diverse capital partners who bring high-impact funds to food and agriculture in a wide variety of capacities. Bringing together philanthropic organizations and impact investors to create blended capital and share lessons learned is critical, catalytic work necessary for truly sustainable change." -Amanda Interested in joining our community? We hope to welcome you, your voice, and your expertise to our network as we usher in a new year. The last chance to join this year closes TODAY, December 2. To schedule a call and learn more about membership benefits, eligibility, and annual dues visit our website below. https://lnkd.in/erxvUw5s

Is a regenerative food system possible? 🤔💭 The "Flourish Farmer" Report explores five regenerative business models. This report is the product of three University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business MBA students' curiosity to imagine a better food system. More than 30 diverse stakeholders to learn about the current state of regenerative agriculture, aiming to add to the existing wealth of resources. ⬇️ Five Regenerative Business Models 👩🏼🌾 Emma Jagoz exploring farming locally & organically as an entrepreneur 🌾 Lundberg Family Farms defining regenerative organic for California rice 🐮 Organic Valley providing stability to organic farmers and incentivizing climate-smart agriculture as a marketing co-op 💰 Dirt Capital Partners driving transition with an injection of tailored capital 🍽️ FEED Cooperative unlocking new distribution for small farmers & feeding communities healthy food Access the whole report below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g6tUgCPA We hope consumers, farmers, investors, food companies, and policymakers benefit. Thank you to Will Rosenzweig, the Center for Responsible Business at Berkeley Haas and the Ideagarden Institute. And thank you to the authors of the report, Anastasia Nevzgoda, Jacqueline Gottuso, & Cooper FitzGerald. We appreciate your dedication, effort, and collaboration in putting together this resource for all to benefit from. #regenerativeagriculture #climate #food #business #entrepreneurship #farming #agriculture #organic #cpg #vc

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the RFSI Forum! We are happy to be part of this important discussion, catalyzing connection and capital for resilient food systems.  Hear from Amanda Zakharov, CFA, our Director of Investments, during the Bootcamp on October 8th at 1:30 PM, for the Reverse Pitch Session. Hear from our Founder and Managing Director, Jacob Israelow, on October 9th at noon for the panel: How Can We Put Capital to Work for Transition? Also, Dominick Grant, Partner and Managing Director, will be there.  If you haven’t already, reach out to us via the SwapCard app. See you soon!

Dirt Capital Partners is thrilled to announce our collaboration with Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT and The Conservation Fund in financing long-term land security for National Audubon Society-certified rancher, Cindy Tolle, while simultaneously bringing under permanent conservation a native grassland ecosystem adjacent to two wildlife refuges in Arizona. Read more about how this project contributes to regenerative agriculture and ecosystem conservation below. 🌱

Our Director of Investments, Amanda Zakharov, CFA, will be speaking part of a Reverse Pitch Session during the Bootcamp on October 8th at 1:30 PM MT, at the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum.  Along with Alissa Welker from Steward and Antony Yousefian from The First Thirty, we’ll discuss the types of projects we invest in, what we are looking for from a farming operation, and what we bring to the table through investment. Dirt Capital Partners works with regenerative farmers who have successful, existing operations, established markets, and the opportunity to grow and expand their business through long-term, secure land access. To learn more, check out our website: https://lnkd.in/gg8PFV-U  If you haven’t already, reach out to us via the SwapCard app if you’d like to meet up! 

We’re proud to have worked with Farias Farm and Viva Farms to help secure a pathway to land ownership for Francisco and his family. Farias Farm is an organic farm within Skagit Valley, Washington.  As described in the article, access to land is a significant barrier for many farmers, especially in traditionally underserved communities, along with broad consolidation trends. Land ownership is also an important factor in enabling long-term investment in soil health.  Read more in Modern Farmer about our collaboration with Viva and Farias Farms.  

Dirt Capital Partners is a proud sponsor of this year's Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum. The event is an incredible opportunity to connect with innovators, investors, and thought leaders focused on building resilient food systems. 🌱    You can use DIRTCAPITAL10 for 10% off your ticket. Tickets are available until 11:59 pm MT on September 25! ⏳    Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gPQhn2xd Looking forward to seeing you there! #RFSIForum24 #2Weeks2Forum #foodsystems #farming #investment #impactinvesting #regenerativeagriculture #foodfinance 

Regenerative has Arrived! 👀 How we know: policies, regulation, legislation, corporate commitments, and investment funds are all turning their attention to the power of regenerative agriculture.   🎯 Why: Regenerative can help build resilience, reduce risk and help enable beneficial systemic outcomes for climate, the environment, farmer well-being, healthy food, and much more.   😯  BUT! There’s an enormous financing gap preventing us from realizing this potential - an estimated $250-430 BILLION GAP that if closed could offer 13x that in new investment opportunities.   💸  CAPITAL is a critical lever to move REGENERATION Forward!   🌎  Be part of the community using CAPITAL to UNLOCK IMPACT & FINANCIAL RETURNS.    👉  Join investors and solution-builders at the 2024 Regenerative Food Systems Investment (RFSI) Forum:  https://lnkd.in/gPQhn2xd   #RFSIForum24 #3Weeks2Forum #foodsystems #farming #investment #impactinvesting #regenerativeagriculture #foodfinance