In a first-of-its-kind initiative, this project team unites major agricultural institutions—including lenders, food companies, and technical service providers–to embed financial incentives directly into standard farm loan transactions. By integrating conservation into familiar financial tools that every farmer utilizes, this project aims to unlock to powerful new lever for accelerating regenerative agriculture across the Great Lakes basin and beyond.

The project will advance two complementary efforts:

Dairy Impact Fund (U.S. Upper Midwest):

EDF is working with Rabobank, a lender with a $15B agricultural lending portfolio, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, and leading dairy companies to create a Dairy Impact Fund. The fund will help small- and mid-sized dairy farms finance nutrient-reducing manure management systems such as solid-liquid separators and composting equipment. The target area for implementation includes farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and New York. Banking partners, other funders, and investors will capitalize this fund to expand its reach.

Sustainable Finance Framework (Ontario and Quebec):

In partnership with the nonprofit FoodBridge Canada, the farmer-led Ontario Soil Network, the lender Farm Credit Canada , and corporate buyers, EDF will scale a sustainable finance framework that rewards farmers for implementing  proven environmental practices (e.g., cover crops, advanced nutrient management, and improved manure storage). They will create new loan products that will offer incentives like interest-rate reductions and flexible repayment terms tied to environmental performance.

Together, these initiatives will demonstrate how aligning financial systems with environmental outcomes can achieve  measurable improvements in water quality, build healthier soils, and create more resilient farm businesses—without ongoing reliance on public cost-share programs.