Vertical Innovations Roadmap to Redevelopment
As part of the Brownfields Technical Assistance Program, this report from CDFA staff and technical advisors provides redevelopment recommendations for the former MFA grain silos in Springfield, MO.
Tyson Foods to Invest $320M in New Chicken Plant in KS
Tyson Foods Inc. will invest $320 million in a new chicken-processing plant in northeastern Kansas employing 1,600 people so that it can keep up with a growing consumer demand for fresh poultry, the company and state officials recently announced.
MDA Announces Good Food Access Program Awardees
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is pleased to announce that eight statewide projects have been awarded funding through the Good Food Access Program (GFAP). A total of $150,000 in grant funds has been awarded to projects to purchase equipment and make physical improvements.
State Incentives Have NY Farmers Hopping
Spurred by new laws, especially the Farm Brewery Law, and state tax incentives the number of farm breweries in New York leaped from 45 in 2014 to 168 this year. And the overall number of breweries — which includes farm brewers, micro brewers and restaurant brewers — more than doubled to 350 since 2014.
MI Department of Agriculture Announces $4.7M in Incentives
The Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development will begin to deploy $4.7 million for its Food and Agriculture Investment Program, which it operated as a pilot project in the current fiscal year. The program marks the first time the state has offered an incentive targeted specifically at agribusinesses.
Funding Available for Sustainable MN Agriculture Projects
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Sustainable Agriculture and Demonstration Grants. Approximately $250,000 is available to fund projects that explore new ways of conserving natural resources, enhancing farm profitability, increasing energy efficiency, and improving life in rural communities.
Investigating the ROI of City Funded Community Gardens
Despite the growing interest in local food and agriculture, the value of urban agriculture is rarely expressed in a way that fits into the dollar-focused language of the boardroom. The goal of this research is to provide quantifiable data that can change this.
The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities
This webcast recording, which was put on by the National Association of Counties, looks at how coal reliant communities can diversify their economy by investing in agriculture and regional food systems. The expert speakers Daniel Davis from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Debra Tropp from the USDA, Trish Thibodo from Delta County Economic Development, and Annalisa Pearson from Grand Junction Business Incubator discuss practical tools and strategies which are all outlined in the new book by the USDA and the Federal Reserve entitled "Harvesting Opportunity."
Regional Food Systems: Driving Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
Connecting Communities® will be putting on a free webinar on Thursday, September 14 at 3:00 PM ET to explore using regional food system investments to drive entrepreneurial activity and small business development. Speakers will discuss technical support that can be provided to entrepreneurs, as well as creative tools for financing regional food enterprises. The webinar will draw on research from a new book entitled, Harvesting Opportunity, which was written as a partnership by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the USDA agencies of Rural Development and the Agricultural Marketing Service.
How Regional Food System Investment Creates More Equitable Communities
The Federal Reserve System and USDA have partnered to develop a book focused on the community and economic development opportunities of regional food system investments. This is an unprecedented collaboration with a traditionally conservative section of the Executive Branch. The full report explores many positive community impacts of investing in regional food systems. This webinar, on September 21 from 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM ET, will explore examples of regional food system actors that have been proactive and thoughtful in how they incorporate equity and inclusion considerations into their efforts, including where those have been successful, and where there is opportunity to improve.
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