Invest in Good. Local. Food.

AFI Extended Family* News

*AFI Extended Family includes both our Portfolio companies and other cool local sustainable food and ag firms that we've worked with. We love to see the AFI Extended Family thrive and want to share all the good things these companies are doing! If you'd like some of your company news here in a future newsletter, contact Evan .

Still Austin Produces 1000th Barrel AFI Portfolio company Still Austin Whiskey just put their 1,000th barrel of whiskey up for aging, on the way to becoming fine local bourbon. In this 3 minute video we get an overview of their production process, and hear about using Heritage Texas Grains. See the video here

Veggie Vinder Launches Crowdfunding Campaign We're excited to see Veggie Vinder launch their Crowdfunding campaign. Anyone can participate in this fundraising campaign, with investments starting at as little as $100. We love to companies raising capital through crowdfunding - it democratizes investment by letting anyone invest in companies (rather than only Accredited Investors), allows anyone to become vested owners in a sustainable food business, and builds community around investment opportunities. See Veggie Vinder crowdfunding campaign here

Texas Local Food Events

Austin Foodshed Investors - Rolling Roadshow - Brenham, TX September 13th , 8:30AM - 12:30PM Home Sweet Farm 307 S Park St, Brenham, TX 77833 Brenham, TX 77833 Join us for an overview of the funding and lending landscape available to small food and agricultural companies, hosted by Austin Foodshed Investors,  Home Sweet Farm Market ,  Capital Farm Credit   and  National Center for Appropriate Technology . Sponsored by  Texas Center for Local Foods .  Free Registration Here

Capital Farm Credit - Next Generation Conference September 26th , 7:45AM - 4:30PM Emerging Technology Complex 7403 Lone Tree Road Victoria, TX 77904 Attendees will receive meaningful resources to help grow their business and strengthen their agricultural operations. With discussions on crop insurance, raising capital, government assistance, Farm Credit and more. Austin Foodshed Investors will be presenting on Alternative Financing for Sustainable Food Businesses at this conference. Come say hi!  Free Registration Here

Agripreneurship 101 w/ Alliance for Rural Impact September 25th , 9:00AM - 3:00PM Emerging Technology Complex 7403 Lone Tree Road Victoria, TX 77905 $15 Agripreneurship 101 is targeted toward small-scale growers and producers who want to learn how they can build business capacity, grow existing business, start a new business and/or provide a sustainable, living wage. Areas of focus: Business Structure Separation of Finances Your Money, Your Credit Developing Financial Documents Accessing Credit Tips for Tough Times One-on-One Technical Assistance  Registration Here

Social Impact Happy Hour hosted by SWAN September 18th , 5:00PM - 7:00PM White Horse 500 Comal St. Austin, TX 78702 Hosted by Southwest Angel Network (SWAN) Austin has a thriving social-impact community: 7,000 non-profits registered in Travis County, at least four impact accelerators, strong support in our universities, an impact angel network, a city government that cares about impact. impact co-working spaces, impact support organizations, ....  Wow! Come meet some new folks. And, side note: there are dance lessons after 7:00PM for those so inclined!  No need to register, just show up!

SAVE THE DATE: Austin Fermentation Festival 2018 Sunday, October 21 11:00AM - 4:00PM Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez st. Austin, TX 78701 The Austin Fermentation Festival is a free educational event that celebrates all things fermented in Central Texas. Proceeds from this event will benefit the  Texas Farmers’ Market Farmer Emergency Fund , which offers financial assistance to TFM farmers and ranchers in times of environmental, personal or other crisis. - 13 workshops focused on fermented foods and beverages - Fermented foods and products market - Dishes from local chefs and vendors that feature fermented ingredients - Wine, beer, cider & other tasty fermented drinks - Live music - Silent Auction featuring prizes from amazing local businesses - Culture Swap Free registration here

Farm and Food Leadership Conference Monday, October 15 - 16 McKinney Performing Arts Center 111 North Tennessee Street McKinney, TX 75069  AFI will be presenting on financial literacy, access to capital, and providing personalized business fundraising and business consulting on site at this conference. This unique conference focuses on the policies and regulations affecting our farms and our food as well as the latest developments in sustainable agriculture. Whether you are a farmer, consumer, chef, local foods business owner, or nonprofit advocate, you will find useful information and tools to help support the growth of the local and sustainable food movement. Register here

Slow Food Austin is generously providing scholarships to this year's Farm and Food Leadership Conference. Find more information on the scholarship here.

More @ Texas Local Food Events Calendar Be sure to check out AFI's Texas Local Food Events Calendar with a comprehensive list of all the local food happenings in Central Texas and beyond. There are about 1 billion other events to check out! Made in partnership with Texas Center for Local Food . Check out the Calendar here

What We're Reading @ AFI

Not All Community Gardens are Created Equally Garret Broad - academic and activist - just published what seems to be an interesting take on food justice. We haven't read it yet, but we're looking forward to it based on this interview he gave to The New Food Economy. Small excerpt below, click through for the full article here. Do community-based grassroots approaches and economically sustainable business models have to be mutually exclusive? Garret Broad answers: "I think that social justice movements in general don’t engage enough with market ideas... If we don’t engage actively and think critically about how we can make capitalism work, or new kinds of capitalism work, there are other people and institutions that are going to do a much better job of it without the kind of social and political commitments that we have." Full article here

Food + City Issue 4 Now Available One of our favorite Austin-based food publications - Food + City - released their newest issue. They follow the global food supply chain and how technology is helping to shape its future - from food safety to cultural and social relationships. Here it is

This is the Coolest Land Use Map We've Seen In Awhile Bloomberg released a series of maps highlighting the ways in which America uses land. We find the various layouts and presentation of this map to be really compelling. In particular, knowing how much of our land goes towards pasture is thought provoking. Check it out for yourself

Why Can't Urban Farming Feed Houston? The Houston Chronicle covers some great Houston farms as it discusses urban farm viability. Plant it Forward Farms , Finca Tres Robles , and Last Organic Outpost to name a few. Full article here

Cattle Kingdom - The Hidden History of the Cowboy West Really enjoying this read about the 1880's boom and bust of the cattle bubble as America flooded the west with people, money, and many, many cows. Unsettling in many ways, illuminating in others - definitely worth the read. Find the book here

Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems Clearly, this book is in our wheelhouse. It was published a few years ago, but still pertinent. It's a great overview of the many pieces of an equitable and sustainable food system, incorporating triple bottom line economics. Great for those who are new to food system stuff or to those who've been in it for awhile. Find the book here

Please Join Us...

Join the AFI Investor Network No Minimums, You Decide Which Deals to Do

Are you an accredited investor looking to transition a portion of your portfolio into socially responsible "impact" businesses? Wouldn't it be great to invest in a local food company, to meet the founders, tour the facilities, maybe even help with business mentoring or your specific expertise? If so, please consider the  AFI Investor Network .

Thanks Again... ... for all you do to support business with purpose, local food, and impact investing! All the best, Curt, Eric, Jarred, & Evan Austin Foodshed Investors

‌ ‌

DISCLAIMER: Local Impact Investors LLC, dba Austin Foodshed Investors, is not a venture fund, investment bank, broker dealer, investment clearing-house, investment club, or investment advisor, but rather a forum in which investors and companies may be educated on aspects of investment and business, as well as introduced to each other for possible investment. We are not registered with the Securities Exchange Commission, any self-regulatory organization or any state securities commission. We do not recommend or make any representation or warranty regarding any particular company or financial product for investment. All investments in entrepreneurial companies involve a high degree of risk, investors must be able to bear the risk of complete financial loss. All AFI Investors, at the time of transaction close, must be Accredited Investors within the meaning of SEC Rule 17 CFR §501(a).  Securities transactions requiring intermediaries are offered by under Rule 506(c) of the JOBS Act of 2012, per 17 CFR §230.506(c). Users of this website, as well as companies applying for potential fundraising assistance, consent to agree to our  Terms of Use  and  Privacy Policy .