Area One Farms brings farmers and institutional investors together
Wealth managers looking to introduce clients to leading-edge, sustainable investments might want to consider farmland, according to Joelle Faulkner, CEO and founder of the unique asset management company, Area One Farms.
While farmland may not be the first thing to spring to mind when considering investment opportunities, Faulkner said that it has become an increasingly popular choice for institutional investors over the past five years as public understanding of agriculture has risen.
“Consumer behaviour around food and consumption patterns has really developed so I think as a result of that, investors are realising that sustainable businesses make for sustainable investments,” she said. “There’s a new culture of really understanding what you’re eating.”
Faulkner founded Area One Farms in partnership with her brother, Benji Faulkner, six years ago, to provide institutional investors with access to Canadian farm land, whilst giving farmers the financial means to expand. Having grown up on a fourth-generation Canadian farm, the business initiative is close to her heart. Faulkner holds degrees in engineering, business and law, all of which have served her well in running Area One Farms. The business currently has farm partnerships in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Despite working in such a male-dominated field, Faulkner has never been held back by her gender because she feels her rare knowledge and experience makes her valuable both to farmers and investors alike.
“I know a lot about tax law which endears me to the farmers and a lot about farming which endears me to investors,” she said. “I'm holding the capital so it wouldn't serve the farmers well to be unhelpful.”
Area One Farms has grown to a team of ten experts in different fields. Faulkner feels strongly about giving opportunities to other women with the right background.
“We don’t start interviews until we have qualified women in the candidate list,” she said.
Faulkner’s enterprise earned her a place in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women’s Class of 2018.
