May/June 2025

Cultivating Capital:
Regenerative Agriculture & Food

The above film is an excerpt from the Earth Day 2025 Amazon Prime Video release of Common Ground, winner of  Tribeca Film Festival’s 2023 Human/Nature Award – a prize established to amplify solution-oriented, environmental storytelling. From the filmmakers of Kiss the Ground, directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell (Big Picture Ranch), Common Ground features celebrity actors, activists, philanthropists, farmers, ranchers, scientists, and educators. At its root, the film explores how people from different walks of life, different political backgrounds and different places share one thing in common – the very soil beneath their feet.

Welcome to our May/June issue on Cultivating Capital: Regenerative Agriculture and Food. This is one of our favorite themes, because it speaks to the health and well-being of farmers, workers, animals, our ecosystems, and of course our own longevity.

The writers for this early summer issue include: Steve Hoffman of Compass Natural Marketing on Investing in the Earth: Natural, Organic and Regenerative Food and Ag Surges in Popularity; Elysabeth Alfano of VegTech Invest tells us Why She Started a Food Innovation ETF and her Journey from Personal Conviction to Growth Investing; Katherine Miller educates us about Niman Ranch’s Outsized Impact on Local Economies; and then Molly Frey gives us an inside look at 45 Years of Sustainability at Frey Vineyards.

Also find John Howell of Climate & Capital Media writing on how Trade wars and extreme weather is creating a perfect storm for U.S. Ag economy; and finally read about the two new ETFs from Praxis Investment Management and their enlightened research on faith-based investing.

Make sure and check our featured podcast and video this month as well. Iroquois Valley Farms CEO Chris Zuehlsdorff discusses Investing in the Future of Regenerative Agriculture on the Regeneration Rising Podcast; and a new video from the March Bioneers conference with Janine Benyus on Biomimicry and the Art of Generous Design.

Let me take a moment to congratulate the Rodale Institute on being named one of the Most Innovative Companies of 2025 by Fast Company. Rodale was recognized for shaping the future of regenerative organic agriculture through bold ideas, groundbreaking research and measurable impact.

As many of you know the spring/summer conference season is well underway. Stay current on over 50 forthcoming events on GreenMoney’s Global Calendar of Green Events. Here are a couple I recommend: The Next Generation Water Summit on ‘Increasing Resilience in an Unpredictable Climate’ in early June in Santa Fe, NM. And the US SIF Forum on ‘Catalyzing a New Era in Sustainable Investing’ in late June in Washington, DC. This year’s Forum features a special panel on Sustainable Indigenous Finance: Collaboration for Innovation with Rebecca Adamson and others.

Finally, make sure to include Paul Hawken’s new book Carbon: The Book of Life on your summer reading list. Here is a recent conversation Paul had with Peter Coyote about his book at Book Passage in Corte Madera.

– Cliff Feigenbaum, founder & publisher

45 Years of Sustainability at Frey Vineyards

Molly Frey
Frey Vineyards
Frey Vineyards sits at the heart of Mendocino County in Redwood Valley, tucked into the hills of Northern California. There, my family for 45 years has grown organic grapes in organic vineyards and made organic wines. Wine Enthusiast awarded Mendocino County the AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Year award for 2024, in large part due to the sustainable winery practices in this area.
 

Niman Ranch’s Outsized Impact on Local Economies

Katherine Miller
Niman Ranch
Niman Ranch has always been a different kind of meat company – one focused on holistically boosting the family farms in its network, the animals they raise and the environment in which they produce them. Our values-driven approach has been a boon for local farming communities, producing a higher number of jobs and positively contributing to the regional economy in Iowa.
 

Why I Started a Food Innovation ETF: A Journey from Personal Conviction to Growth Investing

Elysabeth Alfano
VegTech Invest
Our ETF is the first US thematic fund to focus on sustainable food system transformation by investing in companies leading the way toward a resilient food future. We are proud that Ethos ESG has recognized our fund as carbon neutral without buying offsets. The VegTech ETF captures the growth and impactful large-scale opportunity in better food systems.
 

Investing in the Earth: Natural, Organic and Regenerative Food and Ag Surges in Popularity

Steve Hoffman
Compass Natural Marketing
The market for organic food and agriculture has grown significantly since the National Organic Program began in 2001. The $70-billion market has been growing 8% per year. Many younger consumers, including new parents and their babies, are eating it up. And investors are paying attention to the potential of organic and regenerative products and brands.
 

Chris Zuehlsdorff on Farm Friendly Financing and Investing

Regenerative Rising Podcast – On this episode host Taylor Muglia sits down with Iroquois Valley CEO Chris Zuehlsdorff to discuss supporting the future of regenerative agriculture. Chris shares his personal and professional background, highlighting his transition from a career in traditional finance to helping farmers and ranchers finance land acquisitions. The conversation delves into the importance of organic certification, the challenges of land access, and the support Iroquois Valley provides farmers for their organic transition.

Extreme weather, tariffs, DOGE, frozen funds, and inflation threaten America's beleaguered farmers-John Howell-CCM

A Perfect Storm for US Agriculture Threatens 34 Million Jobs

John Howell
Climate & Capital Media
It’s planting time in the heartland, those states in the Midwest, the Great Plains and the Mid-South Delta that are the “breadbasket” of the country’s Ag economy. But the usual optimism that fuels farmers at this time of year has been subdued by recent extreme weather and by a new world trade order of reciprocal tariffs that threatens U.S. Ag exports.
Edward & Sons’ Organic Coconut Supplier Receives PETA Award for Ethical Sourcing Practices-2

Edward & Sons’ Organic Coconut Supplier Receives PETA Award for Ethical Sourcing Practices

“Change takes all of us – brands, suppliers, retailers and consumers – working together to build a food system rooted in care, accountability and respect. We’re grateful for this recognition, and hopeful it inspires more companies to examine their supply chains. A more humane food system is possible,”  said Liz Dee, CEO of E&S.
Praxis Investment Mgmt. Launches New ETFs and Releases Research on Faith-based Investing-2

Praxis Investment Mgmt. Launches New ETFs and Releases Research on Faith-based Investing

“Many investors want to align their faith with their investments in order to create real impact. The availability of lower cost, liquid, tax-efficient faith-based ETFs can help raise awareness and prompt advisors to explore their options for serving values-driven investors,” said Mark Regier of Praxis.
Sustainable Indigenous Finance to be launched at the US SIF conference in Washington DC - June 25-27

Sustainable Indigenous Finance ‘Collaboration for Innovation’ to be launched at the US SIF Annual Forum

A new report by US SIF, First Peoples and ImpactARC, found that investors often overlook the potential adverse impacts on Indigenous Peoples that can then result in significant business risks – from supply chain disruptions to land tenure disputes – and hence, affect financial performance.
ImpactAssets 2025 Impact Investment Fund Managers List-2

ImpactAssets 2025 Impact Investment Fund Managers List

Now in its 14th year, the IA 50 remains the most comprehensive resource for identifying best-in-class impact fund managers, offering investors a rigorously curated and publicly accessible database to explore the industry’s leaders across the full range of investment types. This year’s list highlights the unabated momentum in impact investing.
HOPE Credit Union Makes Landmark Investment in Talladega College in AL

HOPE Credit Union Makes Landmark Investment in Talladega College in AL

HOPE’s investment in Talladega College comes at a pivotal time for Alabama’s first private historically black liberal arts college, known for academic excellence for over 150 years. The infusion of working capital will enhance the institution’s cash flow, support operational needs, as well as build a foundation for future growth and long-term sustainability.
X