VOA英语2010年-Angel Investors Keep Cash Close to Home

One way some Americans avoided steep losses in the stock market in recent years was by making unusual alternative investments in small farms and food businesses. These so-called angel investors² are organizing loose networks to match their money with cash-hungry local producers.

 

Farmers Crystie and Keith Kisler proudly pour samples of their hard cider and fruit liquors in the tasting room of the new cidery on their small organic farm. Just four years ago, the Kislers weren't sure they could keep their farm whole, let alone launch a new venture.

"We didn't have the income, or the assets or the confidence perhaps even to approach a bank at that time," says Crystie, who didn't even bother trying to borrow money from the bank.

Investing locally

At that same time, Steve Moore - who'd retired³ after making money in the software business - was looking for investment alternatives. "I started thinking about where else can I get some kind of reasonable rate of return where return can actually be defined more fully⁴ than just how much money did I make."

The two parties were introduced by a mutual⁵ acquaintance. They sat down at the farmhouse's kitchen table and negotiated the terms of a $205,000 private loan. Moore charged no interest, but instead received a minority share of the new cidery business.

For the Kislers, the notion of an angel investor¹ seemed miraculous⁶ but Moore sees it differently.

"This isn't charity. I'm not giving them money. It's not about a tax deduction," he says. "I am actually getting return in full of what I originally put forward, plus a participation⁷ in the cidery, plus consumables as dividends⁸."

And the Kislers are happy to write a check to people whose names they know who have actually been to the farm.

LION's club

Moore is one of the founding members of a group in western Washington state dubbed⁹ the Local Investing Opportunities Network or LION. He says the well-to-do members have various reasons for joining.

"They wanted out of Wall Street. They wanted to diversify¹⁰. They just wanted to help strengthen the community fabric¹¹."

The members of LION screen investment requests together, but it's up to each individual to decide whether or not to put up their money. Retired pediatrician Kees Kolff also invested in the Kisler's Finnriver Farm. In addition, he's loaned money to and taken an equity¹² stake in a local artisan cheese maker¹³, the Port Townsend Creamery. He gets some unusual dividends.

"Those of us who have invested get seven percent return per year in cheese," Kolff says. "We get a cheese card. I can show you my cheese card, right here."

There are risks to consider. Most of the loans are unsecured, meaning there's no collateral¹⁴. The equity investments are long term and liquid, meaning investors can't pull their money out quickly. There is also no regulatory oversight¹⁵ because these are all private transactions.

That presents more risk than a traditional bank would take on. But Mark Bowman, a senior loan officer with the commercial lender Enterprise Cascadia, says private loans and seed money can provide a lifeline to new businesses.

"Having local investors like the LION group is very complementary to the lending that we do," he says. "It even fills gaps of higher risk lending that we can't."

According to Moore, LION fields lots of calls from across the country on how to copy their local investment model. He sees it as a sign that more people want to give literal meaning to the old phrase, put your money where your mouth is.

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

6 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

9 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

11 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

12 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

13 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

14 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

15 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。