“Ethical Markets welcomes this issue of Green Money Journal on Sustainable Agriculture and we are happy to learn that the March issue on Water is well-received, including with my article “Global Shift to Saltwater Agriculture May Be Inevitable“. We reference this in our new TV show “Investing in Saltwater Agriculture: The Next Big Thing” with NASA Chief Scientist Dennis Bushnell, as well as in our Green Transition Scoreboard® 2018 “Capturing CO2 While Improving Human Nutrition and Health“.
~Hazel Henderson, Editor“
Joseph Jaramillo is an Isleta Pueblo farmer participating in the New Mexico Landrace (Heirloom) Corn Project. In 2017, NMLCP distributed 1200 lbs. of the pueblo’s blue corn seed to regional farmers following organic protocols. Read the full story
Welcome to our annual Sustainable Agriculture Issue. Given the importance of this globally vital topic, we’ve made this a double issue. I am always learning from our writers and in this issue I learned that 70 percent of water use in many parts of the U.S. is by the Agriculture sector. We would like to hear from you — thoughts, knowledge and questions — as you dig into this issue’s topics of Food, Farming and Finance.
Speaking of water, our March issue on The Future of Water is getting a lot of traction with articles about climate risk investments and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Bill of Rights for Clean Water. As GreenMoney wraps up its 25th Anniversary Year, here is a wide-ranging interview I did on The Wealth Confidant Podcast with host John Christianson, of HPWM.
– Cliff Feigenbaum, founder/publisher
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by Teresa Opheim, Senior VP, Iroquois Valley FarmsIroquois Valley Farms has reached a milestone: This spring we added the 50th farm to our portfolio. Our farmland REIT provides secure land tenure for 35 farm families working 9,000 acres of farmland. More families will be joining us soon. We have seen strong and steady growth in the value of our investment portfolio since 2007. We recently launched a new offering to raise $20 million to help fund more farmers. We also offer Soil Restoration Notes to investors, with a portion of the returns going to help our farmers transitioning to organic. READ FULL ARTICLE
by Harn Soper, CEO, Sustainable Farm Partners (SFP)Farming, like investments, carries some degree of risk. How SFP mitigates these risks is unique and key to the opportunity. Market demand for organic food is the fastest growing segment in grocery stores. Geographically, our established operating network of farms is spread out to minimize the impact of local weather. Our distributed farm network is focused on areas with the best available soil and linking that network allows us to negotiate better offtake agreements and discounts on inputs. In the event of any crop damage due to weather, which diminishes yields, we have crop insurance. READ FULL ARTICLE
Frey Vineyards – Out of the Ashes
by Katrina Frey, CEO, Frey Vineyards, Ltd.This true story begins with a strange orange glow in the sky that awakened me at 1:00am on October 9th, 2017. Stepping outside into a howling wind, I watched in horror as a huge wildfire burned on the distant ridge. The wind was blowing away from us, so I was very concerned about our neighbors below the ridge in Potter Valley, never dreaming that at the same time the Redwood Complex Fire was racing around the bottom of the ridge and heading straight to Frey Vineyards and engulfing the only paved road out. READ FULL ARTICLE
Developing the New Mexico Landrace (Heirloom) Corn Project
by Tim Vos, Field Coordinator & Agroecologist, NMLCPIn February 2016, The New York Times ran a story, “Oaxaca’s Native Maize Embraced by Top Chefs in US and Europe,” highlighting the work of a new company called Masienda that was sourcing landrace (heirloom) corn from small farms in Mexico. Masienda’s business model emphasizes conservation of agrobiodiversity, while supporting smallholders using sustainable/organic farming methods. When some of us here in Santa Fe saw this article we asked the question, “Why can’t this be happening in New Mexico as well?” And so the New Mexico Landrace Corn Project was born. READ FULL ARTICLE