Don't Miss the CDFA Ohio Financing Roundtable This Week!
Join CDFA on September 14, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio for a one-day conference to share best practices within the development finance industry. Experts from across the state will discuss the latest and most innovative development finance tools, authorities, resources, and approaches, and how these can affect the Ohio economy going forward. If you have a stake in Ohio's economic development finance industry, you won't want to miss this event. Space is limited, register today!
Grab Your Seat at the Table to Discuss Financing Food Systems Infrastructure
Investment in food systems infrastructure - like processing, aggregation, and distribution facilities - is essential to increase capacity in local food economies. Join us at the CDFA National Development Finance Summit, Presented by CHFA, in Denver, CO on Thursday, November 3 for a session highlighting financing opportunities for reinvesting in local food and supporting innovative infrastructure.
USDA Announces $400M Available to Create Regional Food Business Centers
The USDA announced the availability of approximately $400M to provide essential local and regional food systems coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building services through USDA's new Regional Food Business Centers.
Alaska Mariculture Industry Gets $49M Boost From Feds
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration recently named a coalition of Alaska groups as one of 21 grantees for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The cohort, collectively referred to as the Alaska Mariculture Cluster, presented a goal of growing Alaska mariculture into a $100 million industry over the next 10 years.
One Pennsylvania Farm Raised $165K Using a Lending Platform for Sustainable Agriculture
Steward, a lending platform that brings together sustainable farms in need of funding with individuals who want to support regenerative agriculture, has issued secured loans for 70 regenerative agricultural projects for a total of $12.8 million. It currently has a community of about 2,500 lenders throughout the United States funding infrastructure that is critical to the food system, such as meat processing, shared cold storage and food hubs.
USDA to Invest up to $300M in New Organic Transition Initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) $300M investment, including with American Rescue Plan funds, in a new Organic Transition Initiative will help build new and better markets and streams of income for farmers and producers. Organic production allows producers to hold a unique position in the marketplace and thus take home a greater share of the food dollar.
New Team to Unlock Financial Support for Regenerative Practices for Farmers in Iowa
Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business and subsidiary of Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's largest farmer-owned cooperatives, announced a new collaboration with FarmRaise to expand farmer access to its end-to-end funding software via ag retailers. FarmRaise identifies and helps farmers apply to grants and financial assistance programs for on-farm regenerative practices.
Inflation Reduction Act Will Deliver $19.5B in Funding for Climate-Smart Agriculture
The USDA welcomed the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which will deliver $19.5B in new conservation funding to support climate-smart agriculture. This funding will bolster the new steps that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced to improve opportunities for nutrient management.
Senate Bill Expands Local Meat Processing
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is leading an effort to reduce regulatory red tape to enable livestock auction market owners to invest in small meat packing operations with the introduction of the Expanding Local Meat Processing Act. The bill is a companion bill to the House's A-Plus Act – the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act.
U.S. Farmers Receive $1.2M in Carbon Farming Payments Through CarbonNOW Program
U.S. farmers received over $1.2 million in carbon payments through CarbonNOW, a globally recognized carbon farming program from Locus Agricultural Solutions. The payments were made upfront on a per-acre basis to over 40 growers to help cover the increasing operational expenses of the carbon farming program, such as fuel, fertilizer and product costs.
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