Summer Newsletter
This newsletter features:

Vermont Natural Beef
Iroquois

Iroquois Valley Farms recently completed its seventh financing in the Northeast by providing a purchase mortgage  for Vermont Natural Beef. The Stannard family and financial officer Rob Proctor run an entirely grass-fed beef operation in the Champlain Valley. The new adjoining 307 acre parcel will allow Vermont Natural Beef to nearly double their production. Cattle graze rotationally on pasture, which is beneficial for the ecosystem and sequesters carbon. To learn more about their operation and regenerative practices, see their farm profile here. Vermont Natural Beef focuses on direct to consumer sales throughout the Northeast via community pick-up sites. Please contact Vermont Natural Beef if interested in purchasing a side of beef. Iroquois Valley Farms is proud to support regenerative farmers raising nutritious food for their local community. 
Annual Meeting 2017


On the menu at this year's Annual Meeting: Black Bean Sliders, Smoked Gouda, Secret Sauce;  Beluga Lentil Salad with Spinach & Goat Cheese, Rooftop Herb Vinaigrette;  Smoked Bourbon BBQ Chicken;  Black Beans & Rice;  Cornbread with Black Garlic Honey Butter;  Basil Crème Brulee, Local Peaches;  Carrot Cake, Candied Pecans
Annual
Our Annual Meeting was held on July 22nd with a record number of attendees - thank you to everyone who came! We will have video recordings of the presentation available to investors soon. The highlight of this year's meeting were four presentations from Iroquois Valley farmers. We will release these videos in a four part series, so be sure to check our next newsletter to see the first.

Some highlights from the Annual Meeting include: 
  • We've grown to over 300 investors in 36 states/countries
  • They comprise mostly individuals, along with family offices, foundations, and faith-based organizations
  • We've leased or financed 7,283 acres for transitioning and organic farmers
  • In the last year, we have expanded operations to Vermont, Minnesota, Iowa, and Virginia
  • We work with 28 multi-generational farm families
The reception featured a menu (listed above) with ingredients sourced from Iroquois Valley farmers including Janie's Farm, Vilicus Farms, Ambriole Family Farms, and Main Street Project; more thanks to Mint Creek Farm and Greenhouse B&B for supplying food for extended Board and farmer events. For anyone interested in trying Mint Creek's prairie grazed meats, they partner with Greenhouse B&B to host dinners curated by Chicago chefs. Learn more about these events here. 

Thank you to Loyola University Chicago and Uncommon Ground for hosting us and creating a great menu. 

Alternative food production needs fresh bread
Press
Harvest photo courtesy of Vilicus Farms 
Above: Jill Cummings runs the mill and packages flour for the Annual Meeting menu. Below: Artisan bread at Hewn
Iroquois Valley Farms was featured in an article in The New Food Economy discussing the alternative financing needed to support specialty and organic food production. Written by Amy Halloran, author of  The New Bread Basket, the article highlights the renaissance of specialty grain production in the US and what it will take to relocalize the food system. 

Iroquois Valley Farms tenants Harold, Ross Wilken, and their team operate Janie's Farm, which is written about in the article. They are organic specialty grain growers in Iroquois County and just opened the first organic mill in the region. We were excited to provide freshly milled flour and cornmeal to Uncommon Ground to serve to guests at the Annual Meeting. We expect that  the Mill at Janie's Farm will revolutionize organic, specialty grain access in Illinois and the Chicago foodshed. Chicago-area folks can find Janie's Farm flours in the baked goods at  Hewn in Evanston.
Connecting farm families, 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, mostly young and organic, that want to grow their farm business. We move forward if we have a ready, willing and able farmer in hand. 

For more in formation please visit  our website .
 Connect with corporate staff a t info@iroquoisvalleyfarms.com
 
Iroquois Valley Farms | (847) 859-6645 |   info@iroquoisvalleyfarms.com | iroquoisvalleyfarms.com
 
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