The Vermont Economic Development Authority approved 344 financings in fiscal year 2017, totaling nearly $199 million and for the second year running, surpassing its prior loans to farms. "VEDA's two biggest areas of growth in FY2017 were tax-exempt conduit bonds and agricultural loans," said VEDA chief executive officer Jo Bradley. In the year ending June 30, VEDA issued $128.4 million in tax-exempt bonds.

The Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corp. has received $100,000 in federal aid through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The funding will be used to provide technical assistance for Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corp.'s Farm & Food Funding Accelerator program, which aims to help farmers and food entrepreneurs develop the skills to scale their business through a intensive mentoring and training.

Finance Fund Capital Corporation, a statewide community development financing institution, recently provided funding for the new grocery store Campbell's Market in McArthur, OH, through its Healthy Food for Ohio (HFFO) program. 

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit established through bipartisan support in the 2014 Farm Bill, today announced a $9.4 million grant to the Soil Health Institute, the Soil Health Partnership and The Nature Conservancy to improve soil health and, ultimately, support positive economic and environmental outcomes for American farmers.

The Taney County, Missouri, Health Department was one of 65 recipients chosen from more than 300 applicants to receive the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service Farm to School grant. The program provides support and technical assistance to develop a sustainable farm to school community.

The property for the "sea" farm to table concept was purchased in 2014. Soon after opening, property owener Mike Sullivan sought the expertise of Florida First Capital to expand the operation by financing the construction of two new buildings using the SBA 504 Loan Program. The total project cost of $700k also included refinancing $200k of previous debt.

The Klein Independent School District is building the new 14,770-square-foot Northcrest Ag Facility for agriculture students and their dozens of livestock. The construction budget for the agricultural science facility is $1.5 million, and the district is paying for the barn with funds derived from its 2015 bond referendum of $498.1 million.

Grassroots Local Market says it's ready to build after it got the funding to move forward with construction. They got an approval of a $200,000 loan through the Lynchburg Economic Development Authority's Revolving Loan Fund and secured the funding necessary to build their cooperatively owned grocery store.

As the Metro Council prepares to take up Mayor Sharon Weston Broome's proposed $918 million budget for next year, Together Baton Rouge is calling on the mayor to fund an initiative she backed on the campaign trail to increase food access in the parish's many food deserts.

The Springfield, Massachusetts, City Council approved a bond order of $7.5 million for the second phase of an estimated $21 million, state-of-the-art food service building on Cadwell Drive in East Springfield.