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The Impact Idaho Fund was formed to balance the urgency of action with the discipline of systems-learning; implementing a new investment model that disrupts and redirects traditional flows of capital toward building community resilience.
26,000 pounds of locally consumed produce grown in 2021 season
650,000 square feet of land cultivated using regenerative practices
Promoted job creation & economic prosperity through $120,000 of committed investment dollars
Protected water quality through expanded farming practices that reduce nutrient run-off into the nearby watersheds
Avoided approximately 7,786 lbs. of carbon dioxide equivalents by selling produce locally through reduced transportation alone
Lookout Farm is a farm operation in Bellevue that specializes in seasonal vegetables and leafy greens.
Read MoreWild Spaces Farm is a grass-fed, organic, micro-dairy in Glenns Ferry that produces raw and minimally pasteurized products for southern Idaho Communities.
Farms of the Future
June 27, 2022
by Mike Gordon Taste of Sun Valley
'Milk guy down the road': Farmer starts micro dairy in Glenns Ferry
February 2, 2022
by Hannah Ashton Magicvalley.com
Sun Valley Institute Helps Dairy Farmer Fill the Gap
January 27, 2022
by Karen Bossick Eye on Sun Valley
Farmer plans small-scale 'micro dairy'
January 17, 2022
by Brad Carlson Capital Press
Impact Idaho Fund to support local and regional farmers
December 30, 2020
by Tony Evans Idaho Mountain Express
We have strong relationships with local farmers and deep knowledge in the local and regional food system built through our Food & Farm program, the Local Food Alliance. We are deeply familiar with local investing and able to provide the technical assistance required to prepare borrowers for financing.
Impact Idaho Fund objectives are primarily aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 – Zero Hunger – and 11 – Sustainable Communities. In pursuit of more resilient, regionalized food and agriculture systems, the Impact Idaho Fund Pilot will also consider critical impacts on land, water and energy resources.
SVIR envisions a resilient community with a nourishing regional food system, a healthy environment and a vibrant and equitable economy. Through the Impact Idaho Fund, SVIR catalyzes capital for regional resilience projects that advance local food security.
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Itty Bitty Farms is a farm and greenhouse operation with an on-farm retail store in Carey. Through dollars from the Impact Idaho Fund, Itty Bitty were able to increase their growing space by 800 square feet and extend their growing season by 2-4 months, resulting in approximately 10,000 additional pounds of produce grown per season. The investment also funded innovative weed management tools, which will limit chemical use and enable more efficient growing operations, and a cold storage unit for the on-farm retail store, which will expand access to affordable produce, meat, and dairy in a food-scarce community.
Lookout Farm is a vegetable farm and CSA in Bellevue. Lookout used the investment from the Impact Idaho Fund to design and execute an improved hay-to-vegetable transition process for 2 acres. This transition will not only scale up local food production but also reduce water consumption by 90%. The project will also be used as a model for future land-use transitions by other local farmers in the region.
Wild Spaces Farm is a new micro-dairy based in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. The small dairy operation run by Wilder Jones focuses on supplying raw milk and dairy products to southern and central Idaho. Jones, a generational organic farmer, has launched this dairy operation to fill a gap in the local food economy. The investment by the Impact Idaho Fund will assist Wild Spaces Farm in building necessary infrastructure including a milking barn and processing parlor, as well as acquiring the animals, equipment and certification necessary for a small-scale dairy operation.
This project has been supported by the taxpayers of Blaine County through the Land, Water & Wildlife Program.
