Online Resource Database
Most resources in the ORD are available to CDFA members only. CDFA members should login with their CDFA Account at the top of the page to access the full set of resources. Non-members are encouraged to
join CDFA today to gain access to the entire database.
An Overview of Beginning Farms and FarmersMembers only 
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This report uses information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS, 2013 to 2017) to describe the structural and economic characteristics of beginning farms and illustrate how they differ from more...
Designing a Renewable Food SystemMembers only Login
Other systems, including our energy, water, and transportation systems, also fell in line with that ethos; but unlike the food system, these sectors are undertaking 21st-century upgrades that comport better with our modern norms and realities by...
Fair Food Fund 5 Year Impact ReportMembers only Login
The Fair Food Fund was designed to meet these entrepreneurs where they are and take them where they want to go. Since 2013, we have invested more than $3 million in 13 food businesses. Just as important is supporting these businesses on the road to...
CDFA Food Finance White Paper Series: Food Systems & Bonds
Researched and written by CDFA, this is the third white paper in a series examining the potential creation of a food systems asset class that supports the market growth of local and regional food systems. This paper focuses specifically on bond...
e-Connectivity at USDA: Broadband Resources for Rural America
This toolkit presents USDA programs and resources that support broadband e-Connectivity. It aims to help customers navigate the agencies within USDA to find the opportunity that best fulfills their connectivity needs. From grants and loans, to...
State Farm to School Policy Handbook 2018Members only Login
The State Farm to School Policy Handbook: 2002-2018 is a tool for those working to advance the farm to school movement, whose core elements include local food procurement, school gardens, and food and agriculture education. The Handbook summarizes...
Local Foods, Local Places ToolkitMembers only Login
Cities and towns across the country are undertaking new initiatives and strengthening current programs that support development and growth of local food systems while reinvesting in downtowns and existing neighborhoods. Strong interest from...
Iowa's Biomass Conversion Action Plan 2018Members only Login
Consumption of renewable energy in the United States is at the highest level in history, contributing to energy security and other economic and environmental benefits. The largest single source of renewable energy is biomass, representing nearly...
Greener Pastures for New FarmersMembers only Login
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Greater Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Planning Organization and the regional forum for planning matters, is actively working to address critical food system issues.
Supporting Healthy Food Access in NCMembers only Login
The resulting lack of access to healthy, affordable food undermines the health and well-being of children and families, and further harms communities that are already struggling economically. The report led to a series of convenings of key...
Louisiana's Healthy Food Retail ProgramMembers only Login
Louisiana’s Healthy Food Retail Program (HFRP) was established by the Louisiana Legislature to provide flexible financing for healthy food retailers operating or expanding in underserved communities in Louisiana affected by Hurricanes Gustav and...
The Power of PACE for 5 Spoke Creamery
5 Spoke Creamery, a Hudson Valley-based artisanal cheese making business, installed a 53kW solar system that will provide 108% of the farm’s electricity needs. The farm used PACE financing, offered by the Energize NYtm Finance program, to pay for...
Innovations in Local Food Enterprise ReportMembers only Login
This report focuses on market-based, consumer-driven solutions to overcoming difficult food access and food equity issues. The market based approach to food access and equity merges two powerful forces: first, the need and desire to make a financial...
The Investment Advantages of Organic FarmingMembers only Login
Environmental stewardship is becoming increasingly key to our economic vitality. As a result, investors are financing businesses that make a profit because of environmental sustainability, rather than in spite of it. The financial returns are real,...
Growing the U.S. Green Bond MarketMembers only Login
The United States’ deteriorating infrastructure is woefully underprepared to address the challenge of adapting to climate change. The funding gap has presented an opportunity for global capital markets to create investment vehicles that provide...