Conservation Innovation Fund

Our team had the pleasure of joining all of our partners at Fantasyland Farms last week as David Pool and his family hosted us for a tour of their dairy operation enrolled in our Climate Smart Commodities Program! A Maola Local Dairies board member, David Pool is setting a high standard for dairy operations across the Mid-Atlantic by aligning the interests of farmers, conservationists, wholesalers, and corporations throughout the supply chain. It was inspiring to see firsthand how collaboration can drive sustainable practices in agriculture. #climatesmart #sustainableagriculture

Conservation Innovation Fund is seeking a proactive, detail-oriented, mid-career professional to join our team as an Associate. If you're passionate about sustainable agriculture, conservation, and innovative finance, this role could be perfect for you. Join us in our work to advance market-based solutions that address pressing conservation challenges. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through January 1st. #hiring #jobopening #jobsearch #climatesmart #regenerativeagriculture

🌳 The Conservation Innovation Fund team joined Maola Local Dairies and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay for an inspiring day of tree planting in Lancaster, PA. Together, we planted 490 trees to create a riparian forest buffer on a local farm, enhancing water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This project highlights the power of collaboration to protect our environment, and we’re grateful to our partners at Maola and the Alliance for their dedication to sustainable solutions. #Conservation #TreePlanting #ChesapeakeBay #SustainableAgriculture

We’re thrilled to welcome Maria Dziembowska as a Director on our team! With a rich background in conservation and project management, Maria will support initiatives to implement innovative financing approaches for measurable water quality improvements in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Maria brings a powerful blend of research-based insights and on-the-ground experience to our team. Please join us in welcoming Maria! 🎉

Exciting day at the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Network Gathering! The USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, highlighted the importance of additional revenue streams for farmers, emphasizing the need for markets that reward environmental outcomes. This approach, which underpins Conservation Innovation Fund’s strategy, not only supports sustainable practices but also boosts farm profitability. Particularly inspiring was the focus on creating equitable opportunities that ensure small farms and underserved producers can benefit from the transition to climate-smart agriculture. #climatesmart #regenerativeagriculture

We announced today the second round of farm enrollment for our Climate-Smart Commodities Market Program is open through December 13. This Program, seeded by a $25 million investment from the USDA, helps small farms implement climate-smart practices and generate Scope 3 supply chain outcomes. Resulting greenhouse gas reductions from the first round of farm enrollment will be verified and available for purchase in early 2025. #climatesmart #regenerativeagriculture #sustainability #pressrelease

Twin Maples Farms, our partner for Maryland Department of the Environment's pay for outcomes program, is a finalist for the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award! Led by Dave Tribbett, Twin Maples Farms exemplifies sustainable agriculture through innovative practices. We partner with Dave to cultivate alternative crops, a climate-smart approach to poultry bedding that delivers water quality benefits for the Chesapeake Bay. 🌾 Congratulations, Twin Maples Farms! #Agriculture #Water #ChesapeakeBay

In today's #blog post, Managing Director Evan Branosky writes about the significance of our partnership with Kennett Township, Pennsylvania. Conservation Innovation Fund's project at Longwood Gardens is a  two-sector solution that pairs stormwater management with agricultural best practices to improve water quality—at a significantly lower cost. 🚜 💧 Such approaches generate triple bottom-line Environmental, Social, and Financial benefits. We're eager to replicate this success across Pennsylvania and neighboring states. If your municipality faces stormwater challenges and seeks innovative solutions, get in touch! #agriculturecompliance #agriculture #compliance #stormwater 

Today we announced Pennsylvania's Kennett Township achieved a ground-breaking National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The NPDES MS4 permit is a result of our successful four-year partnership to develop a municipal stormwater compliance strategy, resulting in a 4X reduction in compliance costs. Our Conservation Innovation Fund team and collaborators will be working with the Township to implement nature-based solutions that meet compliance standards under the #CleanWaterAct and Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. Learn more about this important work below. #sustainableagriculture #climatesolutions

Our colleague, Christian Roberts, had the pleasure of joining Maryland Governor Gov. Wes Moore in company with our partners at Twin Maple Farms as we kicked off our outcomes-based initiative alongside AGgrow Tech. This project, supported by Maryland’s Clean Water Commerce Account Program, marks a milestone in leveraging state funds for effective water quality improvements. CIF's pay-for-performance approach will continue to benefit agriculture, taxpayers, and regional water quality! #sustainability #agriculture #climatesolutions