Healing Soils Foundation (HSF), a non-profit organization, is headquartered in Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago. HSF was launched by the two co-founders of Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, Dave Miller and Dr. Stephen Rivard. HSF accepts tax deductible donations to help organic and regenerative farmers. The Foundation is managed by a four-person Board of Directors.
What we do at a glance…
HSF provides grants to organic and regenerative farmers for agricultural projects that help heal our environment, heal our communities, and that provide nutrient dense food, free of chemicals, to heal our bodies. We are keen to work with farmers who have been victims of social injustice and small and midsized farmers who have exhausted other sources of capital.
A recent applicant for an HSF grant…
Rachael and Chris Jones were hoping to fulfill their dream to expand their agritourism business on a recently purchased 29-acre farm.
For two years the Jones had struggled to arrange the financing for a 29-acre property, called Sumac Creek Farm. They were finally successful and purchased Sumac Creek with broad community support and a mortgage from Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT. They closed on their farm on February 28, 2022.
To make their dream happen, the Jones reached out to the local community to raise the initial capital. Over 20 investors kicked in $339,000 for a down payment of over 50% of the purchase price. Iroquois Valley was then enabled to fund a mortgage needed for the closing. The groundswell of community support was exciting.
The Jones knew that their work resonated with people – they run a multi-faceted business growing food and serving it at their Dine on the Land events, in addition to a CSA program, cut flower subscription, and more. They emphasize youth education through immersive summer camps, cooking classes, and gardening workshops. To continue and expand this work, they needed more land. Sumac Creek Farm includes buildings to support more programming for farm-stays and events, plus more acreage to expand their vegetable, flower, and livestock operations.
HSF is working in collaboration with Potlikker Capital
HSF is working in collaboration with Potlikker Capital, a non-profit organization supporting farmers of color. HSF and Potlikker are to raising e money for grants and low interest rate loans to help organic and regenerative farmers. Funds raised for the Jones will be used for improvements to Sumac Creek Farm and to provide start-up working capital, all in anticipation of the busy summer months. This important seed capital, along with the greater community’s collaboration and financing from Iroquois Valley, have helped make Rachael’s dream come true
BLOG
OUR NEWS
Check back soon…
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Your donation to Healing Soils Foundation helps support organic and regenerative farmers. We believe that it is socially just to enable the public to invest in their health and the healing of their communities and the environment. Our model consists in connecting the public donations to farmers; this is what we call “public capital”. We invite you to innovate with us as we shape new capital for our next generation of organic farmers. Working together we can make real change happen. Donations are tax deductible.
