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
Farm Service Agency Microloan Program
This guide will introduce you to the new Microloan program offered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 1 Under this new program, FSA will make loans of up to $35,000 to farmers for farm operating...
Your Guide to FSA Farm LoansMembers only Login
This guide was written for people who need assistance starting, expanding, or owning a farm or ranch. This guide will help you identify concerns and questions you may have before you start the loan process.
Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Building a successful farm is a significant financial investment and can be especially challenging for beginning farmers who are not financially ready to access credit from commercial lenders. While FSA is fully committed to all farmers and...
Black Farmer Fund Annual Report 2021Members only Login
Challenged by the historically discriminatory lending practices that inform the lack of diversity and equity in our current agricultural landscape, the mission of Black Farmer Fund is to nurture Black community wealth & health by investing capital...
CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series: Bonds & Food Systems
During this installment of the CDFA Food Systems Finance Webinar Series, we take a deeper look at a method of financing that has been building infrastructure, industry, and agriculture for over a century and explore its applications within the food...
Building a Clean Energy Economy Members only Login
The Inflation Reduction Act makes a historic commitment to build a new clean energy economy, powered by American innovators, American workers, and American manufacturers, that will create good-paying union jobs and cut the pollution that is fueling...
CDFA Food Systems Finance Best Practices Guidebook
Linking development finance and food systems can be a daunting undertaking for any community. Research on the current ecosystem of food systems finance has positioned CDFA to identify key strategies for the path ahead in this work. The Food Systems...
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...
Debunking Risk in Food System Lending
Food and agriculture-related businesses are often perceived as too risky for traditional lending approaches, yet CDFA research tells a different story. This report, with loan-level data from over a thousand funds nationwide, demonstrates that food...
Investing in Rural ProsperityMembers only Login
The Federal Reserve has created this book to bring together community and economic development researchers, practitioners, philanthropists, and others to showcase the great work happening across this country and to outline a framework for conducting...
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...
How Innovative CDFIs Fund Equitable Food Oriented Development
This report describes how three CDFIs drive economic growth in low-income and historically marginalized communities through a model defined by the EFOD Collaborative as Equitable Food Oriented Development (EFOD). EFOD is a development approach that...
San Diego County Food Vision 2030Members only Login
San Diego County Food Vision 2030 holds a unique opportunity to build a better and stronger food system for all San Diegans, one that prioritizes health, sustainability, and justice. This ten-year plan provides our region with a clear pathway to...
Food Forward NYC: A 10-Year Food Policy PlanMembers only Login
Food Forward NYC is the City’s first ever 10-year food policy plan, laying out an ambitious interagency policy framework to reach a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy food system by 2031. The success of this plan depends on the partnership of...
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...