Steward

Owned by Ashu Sikri (Unlicensed)
Jun 22, 2022
2 min read

  • Steward: Our mission is to promote environmental and economic stewardship through regenerative agriculture. We do this by providing flexible loans to human-scale farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers looking to propel their operations forward.

  • Use of Proceeds: See detailed definition of sustainable and regenerative practices here. Specific commercial purposes that will help increase the revenue and profitability of the business. This often includes a combination of:

    • Equipment⏤wash & pack, feed grinder, ice-maker, automated egg washer, milk separator, tractor, refrigerated truck, boat, oyster cages...

    • Infrastructure⏤hoop house, high tunnel, pole barn, farm stand, dry & cold storage, on-site processing, fencing, irrigation, apiary, RAS aquaculture...

    • Land⏤buy the land you farm or acquire a new parcel.

    • Livestock⏤heads of cattle, bison, pigs, etc.

    • Inputs, inventory, working capital, marketing*⏤seeds, soil inputs & amendments, labor, training, restructured debt, branding, packaging design, website, eCommerce...

  • Terms

    • Loan terms range from 48 to 72 months (sometimes longer)

    • Interest rates vary from 5 to 9%

    • Loan repayments begin 1-12 months after funds are disbursed

  • Steward Biz model is 3% origination fee (nothing earned on interest rate)

  • Lender journey: Select the project you’d like to support–whether Steward Regenerative Capital or an individual lending campaign project. Enter the amount you intend to lend and complete the checkout process. Once you digitally sign your loan agreement with Steward, funds will be automatically drawn from your linked bank account via ACH transfer (typically clearing in 3-5 business days).

    • Individual lending campaign: Agriculture businesses apply for loans from Steward, seeking to borrow funds that will allow them to expand their operations. When a loan application is approved, Steward generates a lending campaign on its platform and invites qualified individuals to back a specific project. These loans typically have terms ranging from 48 to 72 months to support the long-term growth of the business. Learn more here.

    • Steward Regenerative Capital provides an opportunity for qualified lenders to support a diverse collection of sustainable farms, ranches, fisheries, and food producers. Steward uses these resources to make short-term bridge loans to regenerative agriculture businesses in need of swift access to funds. Participating lenders agree to a 9-month term on a fixed interest rate with monthly repayments. Learn more here.