Two agricultural businesses in Wisconsin are getting a combined $2.1 million in new financing aimed at expanding sustainable farming and strengthening the regional food system. The investments in Canopy Farm Management and Meadowlark Organics are the first from Proofing Station. It is a Chicago-based charitable investment fund that provides flexible financing to small- and mid-sized food and ag businesses. Officials with Proofing Station describe the businesses as the type that can have difficulty securing traditional financing because of longer production timelines or the need for specialized infrastructure.
“We are excited that Meadowlark and Canopy mark our first investments in Wisconsin. They embody the exact kind of catalytic financing Proofing Station was created to provide,” Cortney Renton, executive director of Proofing Station, said.
Proofing Station has offered more than $4.5 million in flexible capital to farm and food businesses across the Midwest since its launch in 2023.
Canopy investment supports agroforestry growth
Proofing Station is providing $1.1 million to Canopy Farm Management through a 10-year, low-interest working capital loan.
Canopy operates in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and Champaign, Illinois, and provides tree planting and management services to farmers and landowners. Its work includes perennial crops, timber plantings, conservation practices and integrated agroforestry systems.
Agroforestry combines trees with crops or livestock, creating farming systems designed to improve soil health, support biodiversity, and provide additional sources of farm income. The financing will help expand its commercial agroforestry work, develop partnerships, and build the infrastructure needed to manage more projects across the Midwest. Financing can be particularly challenging for agroforestry businesses because tree crops may take years to become productive.
“Agroforestry often requires years before tree crops can reach productive maturity,” Patrick Michael, chief financial officer of Canopy Farm Management, explained. “This financing from Proofing Station will allow Canopy to convert our capacity constraint into a growth engine, resulting in more farmers served and more acres managed.”
Meadowlark plans new grain and cold storage
The second investment provides $1 million to Meadowlark Organics, a 1,200-acre certified organic farm and stone mill near Ridgeway.
The financing is structured through three loans over eight years and will help Meadowlark build new grain handling and cold storage facilities while expanding its milling capacity. The investment also includes funds to help the farm access a $1.2 million USDA Regional Food Systems Infrastructure grant, along with bridge financing for construction and refinancing of higher-interest debt.
The additional storage capacity at Meadowlark could also benefit other organic farmers in the region. The farm will be able to buy larger volumes of grain, potentially creating additional demand and stronger markets for regional organic growers.
“This investment from Proofing Station will be transformational to our business,” said Meadowlark co-owners John and Halee Wepking. “The financing will help the farm grow, mill, and distribute more organic grains while continuing to invest in land stewardship and the regional milling operation.”
Building a stronger Driftless food system
The investments are centered in the Driftless Area, a region known for its distinctive landscape and diverse agricultural systems.
Proofing Station says the financing reflects a broader effort to support agricultural businesses that can strengthen regional food infrastructure while addressing environmental and economic challenges.
“The Driftless is one of the Midwest’s most important agricultural, ecological, and geological regions,” Renton said. “Canopy and Meadowlark show what’s possible.”
And for Wisconsin farmers, the investments point to another potential source of capital for agricultural businesses working in areas that don’t always fit traditional lending models — ranging from agroforestry and perennial crops to organic grain storage, milling and regional food infrastructure.
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