NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Join us this October in Boulder to explore the relationship between actual soil and the soil of a restorative economy. And to celebrate the launch of our new initiative on the Front Range, SOIL – Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally.

People are waking up to the importance of the soil. Soil fertility is vital for human health, resilient communities and strategies for combating climate change.

But most people don’t talk about soil and money in the same breath.

Since 2010, tens of thousands of us in dozens of communities have begun supporting local food enterprises that are building healthy soil. Through public meetings large and small, local networks, and lots of peer-to-peer learning, we’ve steered more than $57 million into 632 soil-building food enterprises.

We all know it’s important to reduce dysfunction in our national political and financial systems, but it’s just as important—maybe even more important—to invest in the future we all want to see in our communities. A healthy local food system is the place to start. Through local networks, public meetings large and small, and lots of peer-to-peer learning, we’ve steered more than $57 million into more than 632 small food enterprises near where we live.