Itty Bitty Farms

Itty Bitty Farms is a farm, greenhouse and storefront operation in Carey that specializes in microgreens, salad greens, herbs and other vegetables.

Their local, naturally-grown produce is sold at the Wood River Farmers Markets and delivered to Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue. They also operate an on-farm store that serves the Carey community, a former “food desert.”

IMPACTS

Close to 2,500 pounds of nutrient-dense food were locally grown and sold in 2021

7,200 square feet of land under sustainable cultivation

Itty Bitty provides critical access to food in a historically food scarce community.

Innovative weed mitigation tools uphold regenerative production practices and reduce soil disturbance, protecting water quality.

Avoided approximately 703 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent by selling produce locally

Itty Bitty Farms received a $10,000 no interest loan to expand existing growing capacity. Capital went to infrastructure and tools that allowed the borrower to see almost immediate revenue generation. As of December 2022, Itty Bitty Farms has completed their repayment of their loan. The $10,000 repaid capital will be recirculated into the fund for future deployment.

During the full loan term, Itty Bitty Farms produced close to 12,000 pounds of produce and sold just over $151,000 in their on-farm storefront. The storefront sources goods from nine other local farmers and ranchers and offers over 30 products from regional producers, including a variety of fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs, and value-added products. Produce and value-added products produced at Itty Bitty Farms have also been sold at the Wood River Farmers’ Market and the Carey Farmers Market, through Kraay’s Market & Garden, and to various restaurant and retail stores.  

TESTIMONIALs

“The high tunnels and other farm equipment have allowed us to increase our production of tomatoes and other less cold tolerant plants, making more food available to our local community despite the difficulties that we had with the growing temperatures this past season. This is very encouraging because we know that we will be able to steadily increase our efficiency and improve our production over the next few years. The addition of the freezer unit has been a game-changer for the storefront. We are now able to carry local beef, pork, fish, butter, and fruit in the freezer. ”  

Emily KNowles, Itty Bitty Farms

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Guiding Principles

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 investors provide capital for resilience businesses

Funding Objectives

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.

Funding Model

Funding Model for Impact Idaho Fund model