Propagate supports farmers transitioning into agroforestry. Their specialized planting and harvesting equipment helps improve success from seed to market.
Funded on 03/29/2023
“On our end, we view agroforestry as the highest potential carbon, biodiversity, revenue-generating opportunity for farmers over the long term if the transition is successful,” explains COO Jeremy Kaufman. “Our mission is to make that easy and accessible to farmers all across the country.” Propagate achieves this by offering an agroforestry-specific planning and design software, as well as their Farm Services team, which provides end-to-end support throughout the transition, from planting fields, to sourcing nursery stock, harvesting crops, and finding viable markets.
The equipment needed to prepare ground for agroforestry and efficiently plant trees and perennials across many acres is highly specialized. Propagate invests in this equipment directly and then utilizes it to support numerous farmers and projects across the country. This maximizes the impact of the equipment investment while also reducing the cost of entry for producers as they transition to agroforestry.
In particular, this loan will include the purchase of equipment to facilitate site prep for getting trees and shrubs into the ground, as well as specialized harvesting—including a black currant harvester.
Propagate recently was part of a USDA partnership to advance agroforestry as a climate-smart farming solution. Agroforestry currently represents less than 1% of US agriculture, but due to its ability to sequester 2-5 tons of carbon per acre annually, it holds tremendous potential to help reach emission reduction goals, improve water quality, and increase agricultural profitability.
I want to thank everyone for contributing to helping scale up agroforestry in the U.S. with Propagate. This equipment will be integral to our ability to work on more projects with high-quality outcomes. More to come!
- Jeremy Kaufman, COO
Funds from this loan will be used to purchase equipment that will help Propagate effectively plan, plant, maintain and harvest various agroforestry projects across the Eastern U.S. This equipment is critical to managing agroforestry projects efficiently. Some of the primary pieces of equipment that will be purchased with this loan include
$57, 000 Pull-Behind Harvester
$40,920 Soil Amendment Spreader
$25,000 - GIS System
$32,500 - Tree Planter
Total Budget: $245,750.00
This loan will be made to Propagate Group PBC, a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, which provides services to increase the adoption of agroforestry across the United States
This loan will be used to purchase a variety of pieces of agroforestry equipment
The total loan amount is $245,750.00 which will assist Propagate Group PBC in growing and expanding their business.
This loan will be secured by a lien against all of the equipment purchased with the proceeds of this loan, as well as a $50,000 segregated cash account controlled by Propagate Group, PBC pledged as additional collateral.
This loan is set at a 7.25% interest rate, with a 60 month term, and fully amortized monthly payments beginning 1 month after funds are disbursed.
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