Category: Case Studies

Case Study: Still Austin

1/16/2019

Still Austin Whiskey Co. is a small, craft distillery located in Austin, TX. Still Austin is Austin's first bourbon distillery and is committed to creating grain-to-glass Texas whiskeys sourced 100% from Texas farmers. They distill the highest quality whiskey, made from scratch by hand, by attending to every detail in every step in the process.

Case Study: Eden's Organic CSA Farm

1/14/2019

Eden's Organic CSA Farm and Garden Center is located just southeast of Dallas, TX, where they grow a diversity of fruits and vegetables and also sell a number of amenities for the garden. Founded in 2008, Owner Marie Tedei, has been growing this business and cultivating a strong community around the food she grows.

Case Study: Seal the Seasons

1/14/2019

AFI invests in Seal the Seasons, a frozen fruit and vegetable company in North Carolina. Their product is source identified and regionally grown and distributed. We are excited to see them grow their positive impact on sustainable farms.

Case Study: Back to the Garden

1/13/2019

John Stanley, Owner of Back to the Garden, grows a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables on his farm in Wimberly, Texas. From his signature lettuce mix, to fresh carrots, and specialty herbs, Back to the Garden supplies restaurants, farmers' markets, and distributors with high quality, truly local produce.

Case Study: Cold Spring Farm

5/2/2018

Cold Spring Farm is a small diversified fruit and vegetable operation in the Dallas area of Weatherford.

AFI's EQIP pre-funding program allowed Cold Spring to utilize the EQIP program without constraining their cashflow.

Case Study: Sweet Ritual

3/1/2018

Sweet Ritual is a maker, wholesaler and retailer of vegan ice cream here in Austin, TX. They are one of the premier non-dairy ice cream makers in the state, making their ice cream from various bases, including: peanut butter, cashew, almond, coconut and pecan.

Case Study: Cat Spring Tea

1/26/2018

Austin Foodshed Investors provided funding of $75,000 on Friday, 1/21/16, to Cat Spring Tea.

Cat Spring Tea harvests yaupon, the only native source of caffeine in North America. Led and owned by sisters Abianne Falla and Jenna Dee Detro, the company identified an opportunity to create a business from what some ranchers consider a weed.

Case Study: Farmhouse Delivery

7/1/2017

Farmhouse Delivery partners with local farmers and ranchers to deliver the highest-quality, sustainably produced food to customers' doors. AFI invested in Farmhouse Delivery in July 2017 to help with their move to a larger, more efficient facility, so they could keep up with their growth.

Case Study: Lick Ice Creams

4/1/2017

Lick Ice Creams is a small, locally owned business that makes seasonal, sustainable ice creams from the freshest local ingredients. AFI invested in Lick in 2017 to fund retail expansion.

Case Study: Good Milk Flows from Richardson Farms Dairy & Creamery

10/10/2016

"I've always wanted to have a dairy," says Jim Richardson, who grew up on a dairy farm, helped troubleshoot other farmers' dairy operations as a large animal vet, and now adds proprietor at Richardson Farms Dairy and Creamery to his long time role as sustainable farmer.

Case Study: Bola Frozen Pizza

10/1/2016

Bola Frozen Pizza makes and wholesales premium frozen pizza, specializing in local sourcing, production and quality ingredients. Distribution in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Plano, Ft. Worth, and San Antonio. Available at most HEB and Central Market Stores across the state.

Case Study: Skinourishment

7/1/2016

SKINourishment is a skin care/repair company that offers 100% plant-based, food grade nutrition to heal our bodies from the outside, just as real food heals us from the inside.

Case Study: Cat Springs Yaupon Tea

6/1/2016

Cat Spring Tea produces yaupon tea of the highest quality, returning to the true American values of sustainable farming and good stewardship of the land. Nothing touches their yaupon but sunshine and rainwater; it's free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and synthetic weed control measures.

Case Study: Cook's Nook

5/16/2016

Her "The Cook’s Nook" is in development as a turnkey member-based shared commercial kitchen, culinary incubator, event space, demo kitchen, and conference rooms for Austin-area artisans, mobile food vendors, and caterers in the early stages of their culinary business.

Case Study: Richardson Farms Dairy & Creamery LLC

4/1/2016

Richardson Farms is a small multi-generational family farm producing beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, heirloom grains and crops. They mill grains on the farm in a stone mill. AFI funded Richardson Farms in April 2016.

Case Study: Tandem Farm Co.

1/1/2016

Tandem Farm Co. hit the pasture running in June 2014 on a small acreage tract outside of Driftwood, Texas, just 30 minutes from downtown Austin. Like many young farmers, they do not own the land on which they farm; instead the property is graciously provided by a dynamic local couple who shares a passion to change the current food system.

Case Study: Hops & Grain

9/1/2015

At Hops & Grain Craft Brewery they love to make beer and they love the beer they make. They live one day at a time, live with a passion for their craft and a passion for sustainability. Basically, they are living the dream.

Case Study: Salt and Time

5/1/2015

Ben Runkle started Salt & Time in 2010 and began selling the first artisan dry cured meats produced in Texas at Austin farms' markets. A mutual friend introduced him to Bryan Butler and the two set out to open Austin's first butcher shop committed to sourcing whole animals directly from Texas ranchers.

Case Study: Bona Dea