Invest in Food and Farm Entrepreneurs
Fair Food Fund pairs nonprofit programming with an impact-first investment fund. This combination of flexible capital, technical assistance, and partner networks help farmers and local food businesses grow, thrive, and strengthen local food economies.
Invest in people, businesses, and strong local food economies
Fair Food Fund offers partners an opportunity to invest in food and farm businesses that strengthen community health, wealth, and resilience. Through catalytic capital, we help entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional financing access the resources they need to grow. We pair flexible financing with hands-on technical assistance and strong local networks, creating lasting impact for businesses, communities, and local food systems alike.
Investment impact priorities
Expanding Capital Access
We invest in the needs of entrepreneurs who have been overlooked by traditional financing to expand access to capital and opportunity across the food economy.
Cultivating Healthy Food Access
We invest in food retailers that promote access to affordable, healthy, and local food for under-resourced communities.
Strengthening Local Food Systems
We invest in local food systems knowing that food is a catalyst for circulating dollars through our entire economy, creating jobs and expanding opportunity.
Our Approach
From farmers and processors to food trucks and neighborhood markets, we support businesses that help communities thrive. Through two pools of impact-first capital, we offer flexible, non-traditional financing designed for entrepreneurs who are often overlooked by conventional lenders. By doing so, we unlock growth, strengthen local food economies, and create lasting community impact.
Investment Pool #1:
Credit Enhancement Pool
Designed as a revolving pool of catalytic capital, the Credit Enhancement Pool helps unlock fair, flexible financing for food entrepreneurs through loan guarantees, collateral support, interest rate buy-downs, and working capital grants.
Banks, credit unions, CDFIs, and private loan funds that are hesitant to deploy capital in our impact areas.
Investment Pool #2:
Direct Investment Pool
Designed as a revolving pool of flexible capital, the Direct Investment Pool provides impact-first financing designed for modest return and high impact through microloans, below-market loans, creative financing structures, equity, and working capital.
Partners are the good food businesses and operators themselves.
Start investing
Want to start investing or curious to learn more? We’d love to chat. Complete this inquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch.
Voices from the table
“Every available assistance that Fair Food Network has offered our business has been so helpful, I honestly cannot rank them. Each comprehensive service has been instrumental to the complex needs and success of our progress.”
Rosemary Linares
Damian’s Craft Meats, Manchester, Michigan
“Without local farmers, we don’t exist. Without our members, we don’t exist. And because of Uproot’s robust and growing membership, we’re pooling resources to create economic impacts unobtainable by any one person alone.”
Jeremy Andrews
Uproot Market & Eatery, Battle Creek, Michigan
“We’ve worked with Fair Food Network for years with Double Up and other food access initiatives. Now, we have the opportunity to work with the Fair Food Fund. We have found the process and people to be excellent to collaborate with.”
Bill Brinkerhoff
Argus Farm Stop, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Stay Fresh
Sign up for our updates to stay informed about our latest programs, read inspiring stories of impact, and how you can become an important part of the movement. See what’s possible when we start with food.
By signing up you will receive occasional emails from Fair Food Network. We never share your information. You can unsubscribe anytime.