FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nDate: September 21, 2022
\nContact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Officer, aschwartzberg@adirondack.org,
\n518.891.6200 or Ashley Appolon, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, ashley@foodcap.org<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Della Terra\u2019s Julian Mangano will develop composting venture<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. \u2014 The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and Foodshed Capital have
\nannounced the first loan provided through their new revolving loan fund for small-scale food producers.
\nJulian Mangano of Della Terra will use his SOIL Loan to develop a commercial composting operation that
\nwill divert organic waste from landfills, build soil health on his Castorland, N.Y. farm, and provide
\nhigh-quality compost for local farmers and gardeners.<\/p>\n
With a goal of supporting farms and food businesses who have difficulty accessing loans through
\nconventional programs, ANCA, a regional economic development nonprofit serving businesses and
\ncommunities in northern New York, partnered with Foodshed Capital, a certified Community
\nDevelopment Financial Institution that centers mission-driven lending and customized business support
\nfor underserved farmers, to develop the SOIL Loan Fund. The first phase of the program launched in May
\n2022 with $100,000 from donations and a Generous Acts Fund grant from Adirondack Foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian\u2019s business plan for a composting operation is very well thought out and comprehensive, and his
\nproject will fill a critical food system gap in Lewis County\u201d said ANCA Local Food System Director Adam
\nDewbury. \u201cHis goals are very much in line with those of the SOIL Loan Program as we aim to support
\nprojects that will help businesses grow and improve their financial stability. ANCA and Foodshed Capital
\nare honored to provide Julian the financing support he needs to move his project forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFoodshed is thrilled to help connect Julian with the funds he needs to develop his composting
\nenterprise,\u201d said Michael Reilly, Foodshed Capital\u2019s executive director. \u201cJulian is actively developing
\nregenerative farming practices and business plans that consider the farm\u2019s bottom line as well as
\nenvironmental and community benefits. This loan will help him diversify Della Terra\u2019s offerings, while
\nimproving its soils for long-term sustainability. We look forward to working with ANCA on the next round
\nof SOIL loans for food entrepreneurs in northern New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mangano, who also works at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, N.Y. as a technical specialist
\nwith a focus on workforce development, started Della Terra in 2017 on five acres of land in Castorland \u2014
\na 40-minute drive from his home. He grows a variety of organic vegetables in the farm\u2019s hoop house and
\nmarket garden. Della Terra, which means \u201cof the earth\u201d in Italian, strives to produce \u201cfood with integrity\u201d
\nby using organic and bio-intensive farming practices and engaging the public with environmentally
\nsustainable agriculture.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrganic waste makes up a significant segment of our nation\u2019s solid waste \u2014 about 30%. Much of this
\nmaterial can be composted and used to improve our soils rather than doing nothing, sitting in a landfill,\u201d
\nsaid Mangano. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful to ANCA and Foodshed Capital for supporting this effort and helping Della
\nTerra serve as a model for sustainable and resilient small-scale farming. There is a real need in our region
\nfor this type of service and an even greater need to advance agricultural practices that nourish our land
\nand support local economies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Della Terra\u2019s composting operation will align with New York State\u2019s new Food Donation and Food Scraps
\nRecycling Law which became effective on January 1, 2022. The law requires businesses and institutions
\nthat generate an annual average of two tons of food waste per week to donate excess edible food or
\nrecycle food scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycling facility. The project will utilize an
\naerated composting system that accelerates the composting process to produce a finished product in
\njust 30 to 40 days.<\/p>\n
Mangano is one of several community leaders to present at ANCA\u2019s upcoming annual meeting, \u201cGrowing
\nthe New Economy of Tomorrow,\u201d set for Friday, September 23, 2022, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at The Wild Center
\nin Tupper Lake, N.Y. In a recorded video presentation, he will share insights from his farming journey and
\nhis vision for the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hard work and vision of entrepreneurs like Julian continually inspire us. ANCA is dedicated to
\nsupporting this kind of effort through our multiple programs and through partnerships with
\norganizations like Foodshed Capital,\u201d said ANCA Executive Director Elizabeth Cooper. \u201cWe wish Julian all
\nthe best as he develops this new venture that will not only benefit his farm, but also serve the broader
\ncommunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
ANCA and Foodshed Capital are currently reviewing applications for the second round of loan funds.
\nThey expect to announce the next recipients by December 2022. Applications for the third round will be
\ndue in early January 2023. Producers interested in applying for a loan are invited to learn more about the
\nSOIL Loan Fund at www.adirondack.org\/SOIL and contact Adam Dewbury at
\nlocalfoodsystems@adirondack.org or 518.891.6200.<\/p>\n
ANCA is an independent, nonprofit corporation with a transformational approach to building prosperity
\nacross northern New York. Using innovative strategies for food systems, clean energy, small businesses,
\nand equity and inclusion, ANCA delivers targeted interventions that create and sustain wealth and value
\nin local communities.<\/p>\n
Foodshed Capital is a certified Community Development Financial Institution dedicated to building more
\nequitable, regenerative foodsheds through mission-driven lending and customized business support.
\nFoodCap serves regenerative farmers and food entrepreneurs up and down the East Coast with a focus
\non BIPOC- and female-led operations.<\/p>\n
Attached: one (1) PDF and one (1) photo.
\nPhoto: Julian Mangano of Della Terra in Castorland, N.Y.
\n###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: September 21, 2022 Contact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Officer, aschwartzberg@adirondack.org, 518.891.6200 or Ashley Appolon, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, ashley@foodcap.org ANCA and Foodshed Capital Announce First Small Farm SOIL Loan Della Terra\u2019s Julian Mangano will develop composting venture SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. \u2014 The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and Foodshed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n