Area One Farms (AOF) is a Private Equity firm that creates joint venture equity partnerships with top-performing Canadian farmers looking to expand. AOF dually focuses on traditional row crop farming and associated businesses (i.e. land clearing and improvement). AOF has $295 million AUM and 22 farm partnerships in AB, MB, ON and SK. The firm is currently fundraising its fourth fund.
Founded
2012
Assets
$ 295
Strategies
Agriculture
AOF partners with farmers who are seeking expansion to achieve critical scale. The firm's ‘partnership model’ allows Farm Partners to grow without the risk of debt, and with patient capital from a professional private equity partner. Investors benefit from higher returns, additional tax advantages (available to farm operators), and diversification of the sources of return.
AOF aims to provide investors with high risk-adjusted returns in the uncorrelated farmland asset class, while enabling growth and succession of Canadian family farms. The performance of farmland is unique to other financial products due to its relatively low volatility, low and negative correlation with equities, and consistent performance throughout economic cycles.
Philosophy
AOF believes that aligning interests with its Farm Partners entices partners to purchase land responsibly, and allows investors to access an otherwise off-market asset class, and that doing well by the Farm Partner allows AOF to access a pipeline of potential Farm Partners. AOF has created a socially responsible and sustainable model – benefitting both investors and Canadian agriculture.
Approach
AOF forms meaningful partnerships that bridge the gap between agriculture and equity, offering institutional and accredited investors the opportunity to invest in equity partnerships with Canada’s farmers and farmland, and offering farmers the ability to grow their enterprises through land conversion efforts that have an eye toward sustainability.
Team
Key team:
Joelle Faulkner, CEO
Derrick Rolfe, CFO
Ed Hannah, CAO
Anand Vignarajah, Fund Controller
Kurt Cole, Farm Advisor
CEO
Joelle Faulkner
joelle@areaonefarms.ca
1670 Bayview Avenue
Toronto (ON) M4G 3C2
Telephone: 416 583 5873
Website: www.areaonefarms.ca
