Agriculture Finance Resource Center
Agriculture finance is one of the most important components of state and local development finance efforts. Agriculture remains one of the country’s most important and productive industries and is the primary economic engine for most rural communities. From beginning and established farmers to agriculture production and processing, the needs of the agriculture industry are vast. Resources are also very limited and the barriers to capital for agriculture are daunting. Dozens of states offer financing resources such as loan funds, grants and aggie bonds to assist with the agriculture industry. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides vast resources to rural communities to support agricultural development.
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-Understanding Agriculture Finance
Maximizing Rural Opportunities for Businesses and Communities in WisconsinMembers only 
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Urban communities like Milwaukee and Madison are not the only places looking for help to fund economic development. Wisconsin is filled with rural communities and small towns who are also in need of financing strategies. These areas face unique development financing challenges and needs such as downtown revitalization and talent and business development. Barb LaMue with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation explores the cutting-edge strategies driving development in the state, and how to access them.
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-Aggie Bonds
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 financing, which CDFA considers a ‘bedrock tool’ for the historic and foundational role bonds have played in public financing.
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-USDA Resources
Agricultural Lending: Credit to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Is Limited
Can women and minorities get the loans they need to buy and operate farms? According to USDA survey data, these "socially disadvantaged" farmers and ranchers get a disproportionately small share of farm loans. More detailed information isn’t available on farm lending to these groups because lenders generally aren't allowed to record an applicant's race or sex.
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 partnerships and in-person consultations, USDA can support a wide variety of project types for a diversity of customers.
USDA Report on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity 2019Members only Login
On April 25, 2017, the President of the United States established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity through Executive Order 13790. The purpose and function of the Task Force was to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to promote agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life in rural America.
ReConnecting Rural Broadband - Strategies for Funding SuccessMembers only Login
During this webinar, Lindsay Miller, Attorney with Ice Miller LLP, Heather Morgan, Executive Director of Project 17, Ryeon Corsi, Management and Program Analyst at USDA-RD, and Jeff Reiman, Vice President of The Broadband Group discussed creative solutions for financing rural broadband infrastructure and the USDA's ReConnect Grant and Loan Program.
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-Case Studies
Agricultural financing tools are essential to American rural development and sustainability. CDFA has collected dozens of case study examples.
Maximizing Rural Opportunities for Businesses and Communities in WisconsinMembers only Login
Urban communities like Milwaukee and Madison are not the only places looking for help to fund economic development. Wisconsin is filled with rural communities and small towns who are also in need of financing strategies. These areas face unique development financing challenges and needs such as downtown revitalization and talent and business development. Barb LaMue with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation explores the cutting-edge strategies driving development in the state, and how to access them.
View More Case Studies
-Headlines
Communities throughout the country finance agriculture every day and CDFA collects headlines on projects and news daily.
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-Training Courses
The
Intro Rural Finance Training Course focuses on how the development finance toolbox can be structured to support rural communities and help them with strategies to invest in infrastructure, redevelopment, and job creation. This course differs from other curriculums in that it focuses on designing programs targeted to serve rural communities.
Leaders in rural and agricultural development finance will discuss how to develop and establish long-term financing within rural communities. In addition, the course will highlight successful programs that are working throughout the country in communities with varying levels of capacity and size. Topics discussed during the course include targeted financing programs available at the federal, state, and local levels for rural communities, along with best practices for employing these financing programs.
-Webcasts
ReConnecting Rural Broadband - Strategies for Funding SuccessMembers only Login
During this webinar, Lindsay Miller, Attorney with Ice Miller LLP, Heather Morgan, Executive Director of Project 17, Ryeon Corsi, Management and Program Analyst at USDA-RD, and Jeff Reiman, Vice President of The Broadband Group discussed creative solutions for financing rural broadband infrastructure and the USDA's ReConnect Grant and Loan Program.
CDFA // BNY Mellon Webcast Series: Opportunities and Advancements in Water FinanceMembers only Login
During this installment of the CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series, learn from expert speakers Jordan Dorfman from the EPA, Tyler Old from PFM, John DeLuca from CoBank, and Jong Sook Nee from McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC as they discuss developments in the water finance space and how different financing mechanisms like bonds, RLFs, P3s, and other tools are being used to address today’s water infrastructure projects.
Community Facilities Infrastructure Toolkit Webinar - Rural Development Staff
The Community Facilities Infrastructure Toolkit can be used as a guide to help organizations and community leaders better understand the complex process that is required to successfully develop and construct a new facility. This webinar is designed to train Rural Development staff how to effectively use the toolkit by discussing the major capacity, credit, and logistical challenges that particularly confront America’s small towns and rural areas. The webinar will focus on sections within the Community Facilities Infrastructure Toolkit, which include concept development, planning, designing, environmental compliance, finance, and construction.