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.
State Farm to School Policy Handbook 2018
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 
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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.
White Paper 2: Food Systems & Access to Capital
Research and written by CDFA, this white paper is part of a series examining the potential creation of a food systems asset class which supports the market growth of local and regional food systems which meet the economic, social, environmental, and...
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...
White Paper 1: Food Systems & Development Finance
Many food-related initiatives, projects, and businesses have lacked sufficient resources and financing for economic and community development, largely because the food system as a whole has not been formally defined as an asset class. As the first...
FINE Farm to College Report in New EnglandMembers only Login
This is a Farm to Institution New England report that highlights the data collected from college dining operators in the region. This is the second report in their new series designed to help food system stakeholders understand the impact of...
USDA Food System Audio InterviewsMembers only Login
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan looks back at the start of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative and discusses building local food systems into the USDA culture. David Deloach, owner of Freshfields, talks about operating locally grown...
MA Local Food Action PlanMembers only Login
We all eat, and therefore we are all important participants in the food system. The choices we make about the food we buy and where we buy it drive production, influence markets, support economies close to Introduction 18 || Massachusetts Local Food...
Healthy Food Financing Initiative 2016Members only Login
HFFI provides one-time grants and loans to projects like grocery stores, farmers markets, food hubs, co-ops and other food access businesses in urban or rural areas of need, many of whom face barriers in accessing traditional loans and resources....