While I was searching for images of life in the soil, I came upon the following on Sweet Bay Farm’s website (see above). They’re working to restore soils depleted by decades of monoculture—the continual cultivation of a single crop, in this case tobacco—so this picture of several earthworm tunnels in a clod does not yet suggest anything teeming.
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0% FOR SOIL
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN
We're making 0% loans, by majority vote of our members, to local, organic farms and small food enterprises.
Learn moreSOIL: Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally
We've currently got three groups—Carbondale, Boulder and Durango—in Colorado with a fourth in formation in Salida/Alamosa. To date over 250 members have contributed over $1 million to the three groups which have made over $700,000 in loans to 42 farms and food enterprises.
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Ollin Farms (Longmont, CO) has received a 0% loan from SOIL.
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In Fort Collins, CO, Nic Koontz and Katie Slota of Native Hill Farm received a $30,000 loan.
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In Carbondale, CO, Harper and Christian received a $7,500 loan to help them purchase materials for a mobile walk-in cooler and drip-irrigation system.
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Aspen Moon Farm (Longmont, CO) received a $30,000 0% loan from SOIL.
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Eric and Jill Skokan, owners of Black Cat Farm and Black Cat Farm Table Bistro in Boulder, received the first 0% loan made by SOIL.
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Amanda and Brian Scott of 63rd Street Farm in Boulder received a $10,000 loan from SOIL.
Here’s how it works
Become a member of SOIL with a tax deductible donation of $250 or more. Then, members make 0% loans to local farmers and food entrepreneurs, by majority vote—one member, one vote, no matter what the size of your donation. When loans are repaid, funds are recycled into new loans. Over the years, SOIL will slowly grow into a substantial funding resource for the community.
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This is a call to farms”
Poetry, essays, photos and more
Since 2009, Slow Money founder Woody Tasch has been at the forefront of a new economic story—a story about bringing our money back down to earth. His first book sparked a movement. His second book carries his thought leadership forward.
"A must read—fun, provocative, inspiring—for all who care about food, finance, culture and soil."Learn more—Leslie Christian, Northstar Asset Management
About the Slow Money Movement
Building local food systems is one of the most direct, powerful ways to begin addressing critical challenges of our time—climate change, health, community resilience. Since 2010, over $79 million has been invested in 806 organic farms and food enterprises, via dozens of local Slow Money groups around the country (and a few abroad).
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From our blog
Check out stories from the movement

A Conversation With Jeff Moyer
Jeff, before we begin, I want to thank you for the images of the jars of water, one with soil rich in organic matter and one with the dissolved murkiness of soil that is deficient in carbon. Ever since you showed those images during a public talk a decade or so ago, the comparison has stuck with me.

Colorado Soil Systems Receives 0% Loan
In 2016, Colorado Soil Systems received a $15,000 zero-percent loan from the 2Forks Club. This loan allowed us to establish a fruit-tree rootstock nursery to preserve indigenous trees that grow in the valley; purchase irrigation supplies, fencing, and soil amendments; and embark on a vegetable- and flower- production operation.
Give to Slow Money today
For every $1 donated to Slow Money, $11 flows to local food systems through our network.
Slow Money Institute
If you’re from Colorado and want to become a member of SOIL: Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally, click here!