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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.

Search Results: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA)
Displaying 1 - 50 of 278 Previous | Next | New Search
Bridging the Regenerative Agriculture Financing Gap
This issue brief produced by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment examines the varying definitions of regenerative agriculture and details the three types of factors that make financing regenerative agriculture difficult: outdated...
USDA Equity Action Plan - 2023 Update
A groundbreaking report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Equity Commission features more than 60 recommendations designed to make policies affecting farming and rural America more fair. A few key recommendations include...
2024 RI Food System Factbook
The Rhode Island Food Policy Council has released a first-of-its-kind resource providing a data-driven assessment of the status of Rhode Island's food system, incorporating the best available research and data, and presenting information on the...
Finance for Resilience: An Overview of Risk Mitigation in Agricultural Systems for Farms, Lenders, and GovernmentsMembers only Login
This report, developed by the Croatan Institute in collaboration with the Meridian Institute, explores major on-farm, off-farm, and systemic risks that the agricultural industry faces and how finance can increase the resilience of those systems...
CDFA-NASDA Foundation Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Access to Capital Toolkit
The CDFA-NASDA Foundation Socially Disadvantaged Farmers & Ranchers Access to Capital Toolkit is a set of best practice resources designed to provide practical assistance to communities looking to invest in socially disadvantaged farmers and...
Credit Worth and Soil Wealth: An Environmental, Social, and Governance Analysis of the Farm Credit SystemMembers only Login
Croatan Institute and Self-Help announce the release of a major new collaborative report that explores leading challenges faced by the Farm Credit System – the largest lender in the agricultural sector. This new report documents leading...
USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program Initial Impact ReportMembers only Login
This report, published by The Wallace Center, outlines the initial impact of the USDA's Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA). Through partnerships with state agencies, and territory and tribal governments, this innovative new program is...
Funding Sources for Food-Related Businesses, Eighth EditionMembers only Login
Funding Sources for Food-Related Businesses includes sources of local, regional, and national finance opportunities that may be available to producers, distributors, food hubs, and food-related businesses. Initially informed by a list of funding...
Small–Scale Or Diversified Farmers And RanchersMembers only Login
Highlighted Farm Service Agency Programs for Small–Scale or diversified Farmers and Ranchers.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural PlaybookMembers only Login
A roadmap for delivering opportunity and investments in rural America. This playbook is intended to help rural communities understand the available funding for infrastructure provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources –...
More and Better Choices for Farmers: Promoting Fair Competition and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural InputsMembers only Login
In the seed market, promoting fair and vibrant competition involves considerations of intellectual property (IP) law, antitrust and other fair business practices law, and public investment in our food system. These are complex and often confusing...
Local Policy to Promote Healthy Food Access: A Food Systems FrameworkMembers only Login
To help local policymakers, leaders, advocates, researchers, and others understand policy options for communities seeking to increase access to healthy food, the Healthy Food Policy Project (HFPP) developed a framework to show how local...
CDFA Community Facilities Technical Assistance for Tribal Communities Press Release
The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) is pleased to announce the CDFA Community Facilities Technical Assistance Program for Tribal Communities, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This program aims to to increase...
Investing in Regenerative Agriculture Infrastructure Across Value ChainsMembers only Login
Regenerative farms rely on small-to-mid scale, aligned infrastructure to process, transport, and market their products. These middle infrastructure businesses help to improve farm income and bolster regional food economies while providing...
Food Innovation: Investing to Feed Our FutureMembers only Login
The Franklin Templeton Institute, a global investment management organization, released its latest insights paper, “Food innovation: Investing to feed our future,” focusing on the innovation and investments needed to feed a growing global population...
Stronger Together - Federal Funding and Planning Strategies for Rural AmericaMembers only Login
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) launched a joint resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic...
Growing Opportunity: A Guide to USDA Sustainable Farming ProgramsMembers only Login
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with farmer-serving organizations, such as the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and its members to better reach and serve an increasingly diverse farmer and rancher constituency for...
USDA Resources for Rural EntrepreneursMembers only Login
This is a USDA resource guide to help people in rural America start and grow businesses, create good-paying jobs in their communities and strengthen America’s economy. The guide features information on how rural entrepreneurs can use USDA and other...
A Regional Imperative: The Case for Regional Food SystemsMembers only Login
This report explores the concepts, practices, challenges, and promise of regional food systems, focusing on the Northeast U.S. as a laboratory for regional food systems thinking and action, but it also describes and gives examples of regional food...
USDA Advancing Equity in Distressed Rural CommunitiesMembers only Login
U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the Department is increasing the maximum loan amount to $400,000 under the Intermediary Relending Program. This change is in accordance with provisions in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018...
USDA Drought Toolkit for Elected Officials, Public Officials, & Community LeadersMembers only Login
The USDA Drought Tool Kit is specifically designed to assist officials and community leaders mitigate the impact of an ongoing drought. The Drought Tool Kit will help in accessing valuable resources to share with constituents in areas recovering...
USDA Resource Guide for Rural Workforce DevelopmentMembers only Login
This guide was created by the USDA in 2021 for community leaders and other local entities. The guide highlights four key assistance types necessary to building a stronger rural workforce: 1) Workforce development planning; 2) Infrastructure and...
USDA Expands Access to Capital for Very Small Rural BusinessesMembers only Login
The USDA Rural Development published a final rule outlining changes to the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) on June 7, 2021. The program provides loans and grants to microenterprise development organizations to help them establish...
CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series: Assembling Capital for Rural Development
During this installment of the CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series, learn about essential financing sources employed by rural communities to complete projects in today’s economy.
CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series: Financing Disaster Resiliency in Rural Communities
During the first installment of the CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series, hear about a new technical assistance program from CDFA designed to support rural communities that have recently experienced a natural disaster. Experts discussed the...
Local Food Systems Response to COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health and social distancing mandates caused unprecedented shifts and disruptions for Local and Regional Food Systems (LRFS). USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) along with the cooperating research...
A Vision for Native Food and Agriculture Infrastructure Rebuilding and Recovery Members only Login
An investment in food infrastructure will ensure that Native producers have access to reliable markets and the wraparound support services that are so critical to robust food systems. By approaching infrastructure from a new model and linking...
Interim Report on the Economic and Trade Agreement between the U.S. and China
This Interim Report issued by United States Trade Representative and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture identifies key achievements from February to October 2020 in the area of agricultural trade between the United States and China.
Local and Urban Food Systems: Selected Farm Bill and Other Federal ProgramsMembers only Login
More than 30 USDA grant and loan programs provide support and assistance for local and urban food producers and producer groups. These grant and loan programs may be grouped into several broad program categories, including marketing and promotion;...
USDA Programs in the Local Food Supply Chain
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to supporting robust regional food economies across the food chain. This graphic is designed to be a guide for which programs are best suited for different parts of the supply chain.
Financing Resilient AgricultureMembers only Login
There are several existing agricultural lender initiatives that can inform the development of lending programs or products for resilient agriculture. This report derives five key lessons from these initiatives, including the need to understand the...
Recreation Economy at USDA: Economic Development Resources for Rural CommunitiesMembers only Login
USDA’s Forest Service (FS), Rural Development (RD), and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) have developed this resource guide for rural communities to identify resources that develop the recreation economy.
American Broadband Initiative - Progress Report June 2020Members only Login
On February 13, 2019, the American Broadband Initiative was launched with the release of the Milestones Report, detailing the Administration’s strategy to drive changes across Federal Agencies to identify and remove barriers to broadband access and...
CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series: Financing Rural Healthcare
During this installment of the CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series, we explored financing programs that support healthcare development and showcase successful projects that have increased access to healthcare for rural communities.
CDFA - ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series: Tools, Programs, and Opportunities Within Rural America
During the second installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we continued to explore what responses and resources are available to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on rural America.
CDFA - ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series: COVID-19 Response Resources for Local Leaders
During the first installment of the CDFA-ARI Rural Finance Webinar Series, we explored the immediate response and resources at the state, local, and national levels that local leaders can use to reduce the impact of this crisis.
COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide
USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This resource matrix organizes funding opportunities identified in the CARES Act and...
Displaying 1 - 50 of 278 Previous | Next | New Search

CDFA National Sponsors

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  • Ice Miller LLP
  • KeyBanc Capital Markets
  • Kutak Rock LLP
  • McGuireWoods
  • MuniCap, Inc.
  • NW Financial Group, LLC
  • PGAV Planners, LLC
  • Raza Development Fund
  • SB Friedman Development Advisors
  • Stifel Nicolaus
  • U.S. Bank
  • Wells Fargo Securities
  • Z. The Bond Buyer
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