CFS Conversations: Farmland Investment & Impact with Dirt Capital Partners
For over a decade, Dirt Capital Partners has been rethinking what it means to invest in land — not just as a financial asset, but as a living system that supports farmers, ecosystems, and communities. Since founding Dirt Capital in 2013, Jacob has helped channel private capital into farmland access, conservation, and land ownership for farmers across the country, deploying $58.4M in capital across 50 projects nationwide, spanning 23,000+ acres across 16 states; in total, $68.5M AUM.
Join us for a conversation with Jacob Israelow, Founder & Managing Partner, and Martín Lemos, Director of Impact and Agriculture, as we dig into Dirt Capital's 10-Year Impact Report — a candid look at measuring impact in farmland investing. We'll explore the four pillars of their impact framework (Ecological Stewardship, Farmer Equity, Community Benefits, and Field-Building), the realities of quantifying soil health and regenerative practices, and the stories of farmers like the Rancho Corralitos Project in Watsonville CA and their recently closed Sella Ranch project in Castroville CA.
Whether you're a funder, a farmer, or simply curious about how capital can be a tool for regeneration rather than extraction, this conversation offers a grounded, numbers-and-narrative look at a decade of work — and where the field goes next.
About Jacob: Jacob Israelow is the Founder and Managing Partner at Dirt Capital Partners. Jacob started Dirt Capital Partners in 2013 as a platform to channel private investment in support of farmland access, conservation, and land ownership for regenerative farmers. Previously, he was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in Asia, where he spent five years acquiring and developing real estate and infrastructure on behalf of the firm.
Jacob chairs Dirt Capital’s Investment Committee and serves on the Board and Investment Committee for Mulberry Hive, an impact-focused family office. He previously served on the New York Advisory Council of American Farmland Trust, as well as the Board of the National Young Farmers Coalition for 10 years from 2013-2023. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a BA from Williams College.
About Martín: Joined Dirt Capital Partners in 2023 and leads the firm's impact strategy and farm advisory services. His deep background in agriculture stems from a decade farming across the U.S., including managing a 50-acre organic farm outside of Chicago. He also coordinated field research programs in support of SME investment in Ghana as senior agronomist at AgDevCo. He later joined BSR where he advised major food and agriculture companies on sustainability strategy, ESG integration, and responsible sourcing.
Prior to joining Dirt Capital, Martín served as Co-Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition. During his tenure, the coalition grew significantly and delivered on historic funding for equitable land access, COVID relief benefiting community-scale farmers, and expanded resources for young and BIPOC producers. Martín serves on the boards of FWD Impact and Farm Generations Cooperative. He is an alumni of the Castanea Fellowship of leaders working for a racially just food system. He holds an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College and a BA in comparative literature and mathematics from Hamilton College.
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