Direct Income Sources
AERC meets its baseline operating expenses through rental of two residential houses on the Research Station grounds, a lease on some of the station's fields to a local organic farmer, and through an incremental rent system paid by our anchor tenants who participate in cooperative agribusiness enterprises.
Anchor Tenants
AERC is pleased to serve as an incubator site for cooperative agribusiness. Working through a cooperative agreement, three individual agricultural businesses make complementary use of certain "common areas" of the Research Station land and facilities. By coordinating the use of resources, each business operates independently in a manner that provides mutual benefit. By using rotational grazing systems, innovative waste composting systems, and sound land use planning, all three operations can grow harmoniously in a nearly closed-loop system.