The Strategy will help the U.S. meet its National Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal, to halve food loss and waste by 2030 and contribute to achieving the National Recycling Goal to achieve a 50% recycling rate by 2030, as well as contribute to the...

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regenerative agriculture and details the three types of factors that make financing regenerative agriculture difficult: outdated...

Local and Regional Foods are a small but vitally important part of agriculture sales in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Local and Regional Food Systems Resource Guide is intended to help stakeholders navigate USDA...

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...

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...

A new report from Croatan Institute highlights how the Soil Wealth Area model can facilitate more investment in regenerative agriculture, enhance conservation, and support resilient rural economies. The report provides specific recommendations for...

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...

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...

America’s rural workforce provides a vital foundation for the nation’s economy. Rural America supplies the nation’s food and energy resources, and the fiber necessary for goods and manufacturing. As USDA continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic...

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...

This table includes all the federal-to-local funding streams in the American Rescue Plan that reach cities and their residents. It does not include appropriations to Tribal Governments or Agency appropriations focused on program operations at the...

This report from Drexel University's Nowak Metro Finance Lab provides a guide to federal funding in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The authors place a special emphasis on formula funds received by local anchors, competitive grants, and funds...

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;...

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.

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...

Established in the 1980s, the ‘‘Aggie Bond’’ program provides beginning and low-equity farmers with access to capital. The bonds, which pay tax-exempt interest, may be used by qualifying famers for purchases of farm real estate and equipment. The...

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...

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...

Barry Ryan discusses what The Rural Center is doing to support rural economic development in North Carolina.

Tony Logan and Vince Paumier of the USDA discuss a range of financing programs available to rural communities.

Gary Larrowe, County Administrator with Carroll County, Virginia talks about programs that have been created at the state and local government levels to help finance the businesses and stakeholders involved in a food system. He discusses tax credit...

This guide was developed by USDA Rural Development for existing and prospective rural business owners to identify and explain the many government programs and resources available in Oregon to help plan, develop and finance a business.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union released this document highlighting four case studies of food and agriculture entrepreneurs. The report focuses on their various successes and failures accessing capital and expanding their businesses.

The 2013 USDA Rural Development Progress Report highlights how investments have helped rural communities and entrepreneurs finance homes, business expansions, and economic development over the past year.

Bruce Crain & Alan Hodges discuss the various financing mechanisms available to entrepreneurs looking to establish a commercial biomass facility. The authors outline tools including: USDA loans, tax-increment financing, bonds, tax credits, and more.

USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) published this guide for people who need financial assistance starting, expanding, or maintaining a farm or ranch. FSA provides information on loan programs, requirements, and application process as well as links to...

The Smart Rural Community by Jesse Ward focuses on the ability of rural communities to use broadband networks to enable a series of applications that the community can leverage for innovative economic development, education, healthcare, governmental...

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Farm Service Agency created this fact sheet to help beginning, niche and family farm operations understand the Microloan (ML) program. The fact sheet provides information on program overview, eligible uses, application...

Deborah DeMasi at Nixon Peabody covers sources of debt, specifically DOE and USDA loans, loan guarantees, and grants.

This article featuring four federal innovation finance programs was written by Erin Tehan for the third issue of CDFA's magazine, Development Finance Perspectives.

This document from Mark J. Riedy covers a host of biomass-related financing tools, including federal tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, and DOE and USDA loan programs.

Judy Canales of USDA Rural Development gives an overview of their economic and community development programs in this presentation, including many direct lending and loan guarantee programs.

USDA Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. USDA Rural Development's financial programs support public facilities and services such as water and sewer systems, housing, health...