Dirt Capital Partners
Dirt Capital Partners 2023

Deal Summary

Ceniarth has committed $1m to Dirt Capital Partners 2023 (“DCP23”), Dirt Capital Partners’ (“DCP”) third U.S. farmland investment fund focused on farmer equity and ecological stewardship. DCP structures farmland acquisitions through lease-purchase agreements, flexible mortgages, joint ventures, and other tailored arrangements, providing regenerative farmers with land security and a clear pathway to ownership. Since 2014, DCP has executed 50 farmland investments impacting more than 23k acres across 16 states and has successfully transferred ownership of 14 of these projects to regenerative farmers.

Beneficiary Impact

DCP’s beneficiaries are regenerative farmers and ranchers across the U.S. who face systemic barriers to land ownership, particularly first-generation, young, and BIPOC producers. By combining patient capital with innovative, farmer-focused transaction arrangements, DCP enables farmers to expand production, invest in soil health, build intergenerational wealth, and strengthen local food economies. DCP works exclusively with farmers who are excellent ecological stewards, positively impacting areas such as soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare. DCP also partners with local and national conservation organizations, permanently conserving farmland through easement sales while enhancing farmer affordability.

Intermediary Impact

As a specialist farmland intermediary, DCP catalyzes investment into regenerative agriculture, aligning farmer incentives with conservation goals while absorbing lower returns to enable wealth-building for farmers. DCP has developed a rigorous impact measurement framework that tracks 21 outcomes across four themes (Ecological Stewardship, Farmer Equity, Community Benefits, and Field-Building), with impact evaluation fully integrated into its investment process. Over more than 11 years, DCP has built credibility and a growing and diversified investor base, positioning DCP as a leader in farmland impact investing.

Capital Additionality

Our long-term capital will help to further the reach of DCP23, which is DCP’s first national fund and is more than three times larger than its prior fund, representing a big step forward for DCP to create farmer equity and enhance ecological stewardship across more farms in the U.S. The investment directly supports equitable land access, regenerative agricultural practices, and healthier rural ecosystems. The concessionary nature of the investment is a key part of the model that enables DCP to offer affordable, flexible ownership pathways for regenerative farmers.