Lending
Affordable, flexible financing for
your farm or food business.
Why fund your business with Foodshed?
Our team has decades of experience with small- and mid-scale farms and food businesses, including through direct ownership, management, volunteering, and financial advising. We understand the complexity you manage and the market systems that shape your success.
Customized for
Your Needs
If a loan is right for your business, we’ll fit it to your operation, your budget, and your timeline.
Support from
Start to Finish
Nervous about applications? Not a numbers person? We’ll walk you through every step.
Flexibility &
Responsiveness
If weather or markets aren’t on your side, we'll work with you to find a solution.
General
Eligibility
To be eligible for a loan from Foodshed Capital, all applicants must meet the following criteria:
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It’s right there in our name. Foodshed Capital’s mission is to build more regenerative foodsheds. We lend to businesses and organizations that are making meaningful contributions to the foodshed by centering food production, food sales, food access, or otherwise have a clear, direct connection to healthier regional food systems.
Examples include:
Production of nutrient-dense, culturally appropriate vegetables, meat, eggs, fruit, fish, grains, or dairy products
Creation of value-added food products using locally produced, regeneratively grown foods
Processing or distribution of locally produced, regeneratively grown foods
Supporting pollinators that make our food systems viable through hive management or pollinator habitat development
In certain cases we may consider applicants producing regeneratively grown flowers or fiber, but operations must also include a food focus of some kind. Food producers and purveyors are always prioritized.
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Applicants must demonstrate a clear commitment to using regenerative agricultural practices, or partner with or support farmers who do.
We support small- and mid-scale, soil-based, polyculture operations that prioritize local and regional sales. These farms are committed to continuous ecosystem improvement through management practices that:
Build and maintain soil health
Protect and enhance wildlife habitat
Support watershed and forest health
Improve air quality
Contribute to climate stability.
These efforts support biodiversity, flood and drought resilience, pollination, and carbon sequestration, while reducing harmful practices like chemical use, nutrient runoff, groundwater depletion, and heavy fossil fuel reliance.
Regeneration as we see it is not just ecological, it’s also social. We extend our definition to include "resilience," reflected in how food is distributed, shared, and embedded in local culture and economy.
Regenerative farms contribute to community resilience by advancing:
Equitable access to food, especially in underserved areas
Culturally relevant foods that reflect and sustain diverse traditions
Nutrient-dense foods that support public health
Farmer autonomy and leadership, especially for beginning and historically marginalized growers
Peer learning, shared tools, and resource exchange
Public spaces and events that build connection between land stewards and their communities
At Foodshed Capital, regenerative agriculture is not a checklist, but a collection of practices and principles grounded in healing: of land, of people, and of the systems that connect them.
If “regenerative” is a new term for you, you may not be a good fit for funding from Foodshed Capital. Here are some resources to build your knowledge:
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Applicants should be able to demonstrate business structure through an incorporated business entity (like an LLC, S-Corp, or 501(c)3) that is active and in good standing, or through Profit and Loss from Farming (Schedule F) attachments filed with the IRS. Please note: we do not lend to individuals who cannot demonstrate business structure and profit motive.
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For early-stage businesses, a minimum of two full seasons of practical production experience on an established working farm similar to proposed venture is required. Managerial experience will be taken into account.
Minimum of one full year of related practical and managerial experience for those seeking to launch another kind of food business
Please note: businesses without historical financials and sufficient experience are eligible for a maximum of $15,000 in financing, unless they have received a grant award and are applying for bridge financing.
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Standard loan applicants should be able to provide the last two years tax returns, or documentation of any extensions if most recent return is not yet completed. All applicants must also be able to demonstrate they are up to date, or on track to be, with sales and payroll tax, if applicable.
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As a Community Development Financial Institution, it is Foodshed Capital’s mission to ensure our loan funds are available to those who need them most and to those who face difficulty accessing capital through other lenders. We prioritize applicants who can demonstrate financial need, who have been denied financing elsewhere, or face significant barriers to working with other capital providers. We may consider income from other jobs, regional cost of living, and household composition in determining financial need.
Loan Types, Terms, & Eligibility
Standard
Loans
Loans up to $150,000, scaled to fit your business.
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Amount: Up to $150,000, or up to $15,000 for businesses without historical financial records. Loan size cannot exceed previous year of revenue.
Rates: Between 0% and 6.75%.
Term: 3 - 7 years
Grace Period: Optional grace period of 3 months before first payment is due
Collateral: We reserve the right to request collateral on any loan, but loans will only be secured with assets purchased directly with financing from Foodshed Capital. To date, we have only secured collateral on one loan.
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Equipment & Infrastructure: Including but not limited to processing, refrigeration, storage, livestock shelters, buildings, fencing, tractors, irrigation, hoop houses/high tunnels, tractors, roller crimpers, etc.
Working Capital: Purchasing seeds, livestock, inventory; covering costs related to marketing or bookkeeping; paying for vehicle or farm insurance expenses; etc.
Transition & Enhancement: Enhancing or improving the business’ ability to operate regeneratively and incorporate sustainable practices
Employees & Farmhands: Hiring staff to accommodate the operation’s labor needs or expand
Please Note: Loan funds cannot be used for land purchase at this time.
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Be prepared to provide:
2 years of profit and loss (P&L) reports
2 years of balance sheets
2 years of personal tax returns
2 years of business tax returns (if applicable)
Top line personal budget
Inability to provide historical financials does not disqualify an applicant from lending, but may limit the size of the loan for which they can be approved.
Bridge
Loans
Up-front capital for farmers or non-profit organizations who have received reimbursable grant funding.
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Amount: Up to $150,000
Rates: Between 0% and 6.75%.
Term: Repayments are structured to reimbursement. Typically payable in full upon project completion.
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Loan funds must be used for reimbursable expenses specified in grant award.
Please Note: Bridge loan funds cannot be used for land purchase at this time.
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Be prepared to provide:
Proof of grant award and associated documents, including signed contracts and grant budgets
2 years of business tax returns
2 years of personal tax returns if not a 501(c)3
2 years of 990 or 990n filings if a 501(c)3
Most recent audit for nonprofits with annual budgets over $1,000,000
Still have questions?
The Loan Process
1. Intake
This is where we learn about YOU! You’ll have an opportunity to share the history and mission of your farm or food business, talk about your plans for growth, and explain your capital needs. You’ll also be asked to upload your tax returns as well as your business’s historical financial reports - if you have them. Intake is how we determine if Foodshed Capital’s services are aligned with your needs, and also helps us identify folks who are not eligible for lending. If that’s the case, we’ll do our best to connect you with a business support organization or recommend another lender.
2. Document Development
Once Intake is completed, Foodshed staff will work with you to develop all the materials you need to apply for a loan. We’ll team up to translate your business vision into the tools and templates needed to consider your business’s ability to take on a loan, also known as the “underwriting” process. If your business is established and you have solid bookkeeping practices, organized financial reports, and a clear understanding of enterprises and sales channels, this process can move fairly quickly. If you’re just starting out, or if your business is growing in new and exciting ways, this may take longer.
3. Underwriting
Now the Foodshed Lending Team takes over. We’ll analyze all your materials to ensure a loan will be of service to you, that repayment amounts align with your financial capacity, and that debt is a smart choice in growing your business. If all the math checks out, your loan will be approved!
4. Closing
This is where things start wrapping up. The closing process means we spend time signing documents and setting you up for success during the repayment period. We’ll also get your bank account connected so we can deposit your funds and auto draft repayments. Anticipate a one hour meeting to go through the closing docs and talk about the future.
5. Disbursement
This is when the money hits your account. Congratulations!
The Lending Team
Ashley Appolon
Data & Systems Manager
Indy Brahm
Chief Operating Officer
Emily Tybur
Director Of Programs
