Name: Perceived vs. Real Risk: Why Good Farm Deals Don't Get Funded
Start: 2026-09-22T15:30:00-0600
End: 2026-09-22T17:00:00-0600

Perceived vs. Real Risk: Why Good Farm Deals Don't Get Funded

Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Weavers

Risk is a four letter word in the food and farm lending ecosystem that often inhibits traditional and alternative non-food lenders from lending to more food and farm businesses. Over the years, real and perceived risk has limited access to capital for enterprises that are working to strengthen local and regional food systems. As lenders dedicated to investing in the food system, Foodshed Capital, California FarmLink, and Fair Food Network have developed risk management tools that support and guide our lending and investing strategies. In this session we will share a case study and engage participants in discussions of risk and risk mitigants for lending to food and farm businesses. We would begin by introducing the session, the presenters, and a simple farm financing case (e.g., expansion into a new market or equipment investment). As a full group, we'll present the case and allow time for clarifying questions before breaking into three facilitated small group sessions, where we'll ask participants to assess risk from different perspectives. In breakout groups, participants will be asked to map out where perceptions diverge (execution risk, market risk, financial risk, etc.) and then from there, we'd shift into solutions: what tools actually reduce risk and help get deals done? To close out, the groups would reconvene and share approaches (TA, guarantees, flexible repayment, ongoing financial support), and we'd build a collective "risk mitigation toolbox" with the diverse perspectives and experience in the room. Learning objectives: Share experience of successful ways the presenting organizations reduce risk and support their borrowers pre and post loan. Provide insight to business advisors on how lenders see risk and how they can support their clients who are seeking capital. Identify risk mitigation strategies outside of traditional credit improvement advice.

Speakers

Asia Hampton

Business Skills Advisor, California FarmLink

Asia is a Business Skills Advisor specializing in financial operations, strategy and capital access for farmers. She supports clients navigating loan readiness, standing up or standardizing their bookkeeping practices and business planning through California FarmLink. A practitioner... Read More →

Indy Brahm

Chief Operating Officer, Foodshed Capital

Indy Brahm is the COO of Foodshed Capital, where she leads lending, business support programming, and operational strategy. Since joining in 2020, she has underwritten dozens of loans to growing farm businesses and brings hands-on farm experience from three seasons at a diversified... Read More →

Joel Moyer

Director of Investments, Fair Food Network

Over the last 13 years, Joel has worked on most of the 71 mission aligned food and farm investments and loans Fair Food Network has made through the Fair Food Fund. As Director of Investments, Joel leads the team in underwriting, and structuring loans, and he leads portfolio management... Read More →

Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
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National Farm Viability Conference

Asia Hampton

Indy Brahm

Joel Moyer

Attendees (4)

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Success you have shared X tickets.

National Farm Viability Conference

Asia Hampton

Indy Brahm

Joel Moyer

Attendees (4)

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