# Small Farm Crowdfunding Platforms Steward Allows Individual Investors to Support Small Farms By Grace Mahas | Published 2019-10-08 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/steward References: [fastcompany](https://www.fastcompany.com/90413388/small-farms-are-struggling-now-theres-a-crowdfunding-platform-for-that?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feedburner+fastcompany&utm_content=feedburner) & [gosteward](https://gosteward.com/) Many small farmers are struggling financially against industrial-sized farms, however, thanks to Steward -- "a new [online crowdfunding platform](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indiegogo) where individual investors can put money into modest, regenerative farms" -- these small farms are able to flourish. The platform is especially useful for sustainable farms that otherwise would be restricted to accessing government grants and bank loans. “Almost all of the funding from agriculture comes through government policy [and] direct lending, either through the government or bank programs, and those programs aren’t flexible enough for the [smaller, sustainable farms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/land-aggregation),” says Dan Miller, founder and CEO. To solve this problem, the crowdsourcing platform is targeting both [large investors and everyday peoples](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/peertopeer-investment-marketplace) and allows anyone in the United States to invest as little as $100 to specific sustainable farms. Image Credit: Timothy Eberly/Unsplash ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.2/10 - Popularity: 84% | Activity: 92% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Small Farm Crowdfunding:** Crowdfunding platforms focused specifically on small farms are disrupting traditional funding models for sustainable agriculture. - **Regenerative Farms:** The rise of crowdfunding platforms like Steward is encouraging the growth of regenerative farms that prioritize sustainability and environmental impact. - **Alternative Investment:** Steward's crowdfunding platform caters to individual investors who are seeking alternative investment opportunities in the agriculture industry. ### Where This Applies - **Agriculture:** The agriculture industry can benefit from the disruptive innovation of small farm crowdfunding platforms, enabling small farmers to access funding and support. - **Sustainable Farming:** Steward's crowdfunding platform specifically targets sustainable farms, providing a new avenue for funding and growth in the sustainable farming industry. - **Financial Technology:** The rise of online crowdfunding platforms like Steward demonstrates the potential for disruptive innovation in the financial technology industry, specifically in the realm of agricultural investments. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Responsible Investment Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/responsible-investment-platform.md) - [Three-in-One Farming Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/farming-platform.md) - [Public Investment Opportunities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unique-investment-opportunity.md) - [Activism-Fostering Investment Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/investment-platforms.md) - [Startup Investor Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/findinvestor.md) - [Crowdfunding Feedback Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feedfund.md) - [Crowdfunded Alternative Bacon Brands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hooray-foods.md) - [Equity-Free Funding Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pilea.md) - [Modern Indoor Farm Stands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indoor-farm-stand.md)