Mission: To build more
regenerative regional foodsheds.
Money talks,
but we’re
changing the
conversation.
A better food system – one that heals the land, nourishes people, and creates resilient communities – depends on regenerative farms staying in business. But success isn’t up to just one farm or one farm service provider. Land access, markets, infrastructure, and policy all matter. And behind it all, money moves everything.
At Foodshed Capital, we believe access to capital is essential—not as a silver bullet, but as a keystone service. Most financing options for small farmers still rely on extractive models that demand high returns and offload risk. We’re here to change that.
We treat capital as a relationship, not a transaction. That means offering fair, flexible funding, and pairing it with the support farmers need to succeed.
Regenerative farmers are entrepreneurs, land stewards, and essential workers. They manage complexity every day on thin margins. If we want a food system that truly works for all of us, finance has to work for them. That’s what we’re building.
Accessibility
Everyone should have equal access to capital. We prioritize serving low-income business owners who are often turned away by mainstream lenders.
Patience
Mother Nature is on her own timeline. Flexibility and responsiveness to borrowers is vital when things don't go as planned.
Risk Tolerance
Food production comes with conditions outside a farmer's control. It is only fair that lenders shoulder some of the risk of producing food in a changing climate.
Agility
The process of applying for a loan should be straightforward and transparent, and debt-ready borrowers should be able to access capital in a timely fashion.
Relationship
Borrowers deserve a lender who is focused on their long-term viability and stays in touch during good times and bad.
Stewardship
Farming does not have to be extractive. Food production should protect and regenerate ecosystems, increase biodiversity, and prioritize the wellbeing all.
What we do
Capital
Foodshed Capital provides flexible, affordable loans to farms and food businesses committed to regenerative practices and healthy communities. We prioritize low-income borrowers who struggle to access capital elsewhere.
Instead of turning away applicants with low credit or charging high interest to offset risk, we work closely to assess realistic debt capacity and create sustainable repayment plans. Charitable support funds this high-touch approach, and our mission-driven investment program allows us to keep interest rates as low as possible. When collateral is required, it’s limited to business assets purchased with our loan. If repayment challenges arise, we stay responsive and flexible, because life happens.
Our model challenges convention, but it works: 99.31% of loans have been successfully repaid.
Business Advising
Getting a loan takes preparation. We guide applicants through every step – at no cost – to help them understand how much their business can realistically borrow, identify a sustainable repayment plan, and plan for the future.
Our sliding scale, All-Purpose Bookkeeping services (launching in 2026) help farmers keep financial records up to date and make informed choices about business growth – at a price they can actually afford.
Steptoe Farm
Brandywine, MD
Our Story
Originally called Slow Money Central Virginia, Foodshed Capital began as a place-based loan fund serving small-scale regenerative farms near Charlottesville and Richmond. We closed our first loan in January 2019 and became a 501(c)(3) that spring.
In 2020, we were certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), enabling us to grow our team and meet increasing demand beyond Virginia. Through intentional partnerships with values-aligned service providers, we’ve since expanded throughout the East Coast and into a growing number of other states. Our geographic expansion continues as we strive to fill capital gaps that remain unfilled by policy or the private sector.
Over the last seven years, we’ve refined our approach based on farmers’ evolving needs and direct feedback. Our expertise and national network have positioned us as one of the most innovative food and farming nonprofits in the country. To our knowledge, we remain one of fewer than five agricultural lenders offering 0% interest financing, even as farmers face unprecedented barriers.
We’re deeply grateful to our growing network of funders, investors, and collaborators, whose support helps us keep capital accessible and affordable, as we collectively work to build more regenerative foodsheds.
Our staff
Ashley Appolon
Data & Systems Manager
Indy Brahm
Chief Operating Officer
Rachel Lockhart Folkerts
Farm Business Bookkeeper
Jonathan Goldberg
Director Of Visual Storytelling
Erica Hellen
Chief Development Officer
Michael Reilly
Chief Executive Officer
Emily Tybur
Director Of Programs
Andrea Wright
Controller
Board of Directors
Leesa Christian
Chief Financial Officer, Bankers Insurance
Darrow Isaacman-Vanwertz
Director of Commercial Lending, Self-Help Credit Union
Kavita Koppa
Co-Executive Director, RAFI-USA
Claudine Nayan
Director of Development, Amber Waves Farm
Michael Reilly
Co-Founder and CEO, Foodshed Capital
Johnette Richardson
Senior VP, Maryland Programs, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
Harrison Roday
Founder, Bridging Virginia, & Co-Founder and Partner, Third South Capital
Adrian Rodrigues
Deputy Development Director of Impact & Catalytic Capital, Coalition for Green Capital
Kristen Suokko
Nonprofit Consultant and Former ED, Local Food Hub