A CALL TO FARMS: DAY ONE — November 13th
THE SLOW MONEY MOVEMENT: FIRST 15 YEARS AND NEXT
Since 2010, the slow money movement has catalyzed the flow of more than $100 million to more than 1000 small organic farms and local food businesses, via volunteer-led activities in dozens of communities. Tens of thousands have attended hundreds of events. Over the past several years, a new, local, grassroots financial model has emerged: 0% loans made by vote of members, with members annually donating capital in amounts ranging from $25 (farmers), to $250 (non-farmers) and up (angel donors have made individual contributions of as much as $50,000). To date, five such groups (four in Colorado and one in Virginia) have made some 200 loans, totaling over $4 million. A fifth group just started in Israel and another is brewing in Amsterdam. This event brings some of the slow money movement's key stakeholders together in-person for the first time since the pandemic.
8:30 WELCOME: Jesse Rye. Farm Fresh
8:35 OPENING REMARKS: Woody Tasch. Slow Money—From Venture Capital to Nurture Capital
9:05 SPECIAL ADDRESS: Mary Berry. 50 Years Promoting Agrarian Values
9:35 SPECIAL ADDRESS: Will Harris. Regenerative Agriculture at White Oak Pastures
10:05 SPECIAL ADDRESS: Amber Lampke. Maine Grains—Starting a Regional Grist Mill with Slow Money
10:30 Break
10:45 PLENARY CONVERSATION: Making 0% Loans—the SOIL Trust model. SOIL Boulder and Foodshed Capital. Tana Schultz, Brian Coppom, Michael Reilly
11:30 PLENARY CONVERSATION: Other Innovative Financial Strategies. Walden Mutual Bank and Berkshire Ag Ventures. Charley Cummings and Rebecca Busansky
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 PLENARY CONVERSATION: From Finance Down. Investment professionals reflect on the challenges of reconciling the imperatives of finance with the needs of small farms and local food systems. Eric Becker, Jeff Rosen, Kevin Egolf
1:30 PLENARY CONVERSATION: From Farming Up. Farmers reflect on the challenges of monetizing the ecological and cultural benefits of diversified organic farming and local food systems. Jack Algiere, Martin Ping, Nicole Vitello
2:00 PLENARY CONVERSATION: Regional/Local and the Question of Scale. Farmers reflect on how local is local and how small is small. Will Harris, Pat McNiff, Sienna Vietti
2:30 PLENARY CONVERSATION: Next Gen Thoughts on Beetcoin and Slow Money Europe. Daniel Boese, Roberto Meza, Robin Van Asperen
3:00 BREAK
4:00 TOWN HALL MEETING
Any and all insights, concerns to explore, stories to share, along with two over-arching framing questions: How many SOIL Trusts could there be in a generation? Can we imagine a widespread “SOIL Trust Alliance” in a generation?
5:00 A QUAKER-STYLE MOMENT
5:30 CONVIVIALITY: Oyster Bar at Industrious Spirits
A CALL TO FARMS: DAY TWO — November 14th
THE RHODE ISLAND LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM
Day 2 of the conference will explore what’s possible for innovative financing models for Rhode Island's food system. The morning will feature interactive presentations that highlight the current landscape, existing efforts around alternative financing, and systemic challenges and opportunities. After lunch, participants will collaborate in small groups to brainstorm creative solutions, drawing on insights from Day 1 and grounded in the local context. We’ll conclude with reflections from conference organizers, focusing on actionable next steps for a resilient food community in Rhode Island.
Hosts: Angel Mendez and Jesse Rye
9:00 OPENING OF THE DAY. Networking and Introductions: Impromptu sharing of 3 successive 5-minute rounds of triplets -- who the speakers are and what brings them here
9:45 PART I: The RI Food System Landscape
Ten local groups share their work and perspectives, providing a sense of what is happening on the ground in RI and the region. In successive rotations, participants choose a roundtable. Presentations will be made by stakeholders associated with the following groups:
· RI Food Policy Council
· Southside Community Land Trust
· Hope & Main
· Fearless Fish
· Local Return
· Pat’s Pasturized
· Farm Fresh RI
· Red Tomato
10:45 BREAK
11:15 PART II: What are the systemic challenges and opportunities facing the Rhode Island food system, and what are the specific opportunities for an innovative finance model?
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The big picture for the food system in RI and the systemic challenges
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Who is already doing financing
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Identify resource needs
12:30 LUNCH
1:45 PART III: What are the possibilities for developing a new financing model in RI?
Brainstorming session in small groups (speakers from both days distributed among the groups)
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Are there take-aways from Day One that can be applied here in Rhode Island?
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Is there potential for a slow money-style 0% loan group here? Would there be synergies with other new funding efforts, e.g. Local Return?
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Other ideas or possible paths forward that warrant further exploration
4:00 CLOSING. Angel Mendez, Jesse Rye and Woody Tasch
6:00 DINNER. Ticketed farm-to-table dinner at Rising Sun Mills. Proteins provided by Pat's Pastured and Fearless Fish. Purchase your dinner ticket when registering HERE.