By Elizabeth Candelario of Mad Agriculture
How Mad Agriculture’s Regenerative Catalyst Fund and Mad Capital are Closing the Finance Gap in Regenerative Agriculture
Finance Built for the Transition – Mad Capital, a public benefit corporation (PBC) and mission-driven partner of non-profit Mad Agriculture, shares its intention of creating a regenerative revolution in agriculture. Where conventional lenders see risk in organic transition, Mad Capital sees opportunity offering operating loans, real estate loans, and transition loans specifically tailored for farms and ranches that are either certified organic or transitioning. Loans are designed with terms reflective of the realities of organic farming, including interest-only structures designed to help farmers navigate the J-curve without being crushed by debt service during their lowest-revenue years. Mad Capital also provides something conventional lenders rarely offer: connection to technical assistance, markets, and a community of values-aligned farmers who understand what it means to farm regeneratively.
The numbers reflect a growing movement. Mad Capital currently finances 175,317 acres, with 81.3% certified organic and 21.9% certified to the Regenerative Organic Certified standard, the most rigorous and comprehensive regenerative certification.
The Regenerative Catalyst Fund – Catalytic Capital for Resilience and Growth Mad Capital’s loan products start at $500,000, the scale needed for larger farm acquisitions, equipment purchases, and full-operation transitions. But the regenerative farming community includes farmers at every scale, and many of their most critical needs don’t fit that minimum. Enter Mad Ag’s Regenerative Catalyst Fund (RCF). The RCF provides grants and zero-interest loans to existing and transitioning regenerative and organic farmers and ranchers to implement specific projects that build resiliency and catalyze growth, both on the land and in the business.
Read the full article here – https://greenmoney.com/the-capital-farmers-actually-need-for-regenerative-agriculture
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