Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced that Boulder-based Mad Agriculture will receive a $817,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support farmers who are transitioning to regenerative and organic farming.
“Transitioning acreage from conventional farming can be difficult and costly,” said Bennet. “This funding will help lower barriers to entry, so that farmers and ranchers across Colorado pursue organic and regenerative agriculture systems that also grow their business.”
“The Perennial Fund is born out of the need to create a new food system that puts farmers first by embodying reciprocity across the value chain. It is a radical reimagination of how finance coupled with conservation planning can revitalize rural communities, ensure equitable farmer livelihoods, and regenerate the richness of America’s natural resources. We are grateful to be an awardee of the USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant and look forward to partnering with the NRCS to create a replicable place-based system of change,” said Brandon Welch, Director of Radical Capital at Mad Agriculture.
This grant will enable Mad Agriculture to develop and implement the Perennial Fund, a farm finance program to assist farmers during their transition from conventional to regenerative and organic farming. Because the transitional phase can cause farmers to go into debt, the source of capital provided by Mad Agriculture will enable farmers to transition with confidence.
More information about the Conservation Innovation Grants awarded is available HERE.