Center for Regional Food Systems Financing Farming in the U.S.

Resources

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  Funding Sources for Food-Related Businesses, Ninth Edition

  Published on February 28, 2024
  The ninth edition of this directory provides an overview of various financing sources available to food-related businesses in Michigan and across the United States.

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  Beginning Farmers: Finding the Money You Need

  Published on November 3, 2017
  This guide is meant to provide a road map to loan readiness and conventional and alternative credit access for beginning farmers. Access to financial capital is one of the largest obstacles for beginning farmers.

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  Beginning Farmers: 10 Steps to Loan Readiness

  Published on October 30, 2017
  At some point, most farmers need to make some changes and grow to sustain their business. Based on his lending work with hundreds of Michigan farmers, Mike Jordon developed the 10 steps contained in this guide to aid the growth of farming operations.

• Regulatory Routes to Purchasing Michigan Meat

  Published on July 13, 2017
  This infographic is designed the help both buyers and sellers of meat understand meat processing regulation in Michigan.

• The CDFI-Farmer of Color Capital Access National Project Report

  Published on December 17, 2015
  Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) tested outreach strategies, partnership enhancement, and lending strategies with the goal of improving both organizational capacity and farmer of color relationships.

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  Financing Farming in the U.S.: Bolstering Community Lending Capacity for Small to Midsized Farms

  Published on April 7, 2015
  This document reviews learnings from several years of research and dialogue on financing food production for regional food systems.

• Strengthening Relationships between Lenders and Farmers of Color

  Published on November 2, 2014
  This document shares the proceedings of a first-of-its-kind roundtable event attended by farm and financing advocates pursuing fair access to farm financing.

• Strengthening Relationships Between Lenders & Farmers of Color Summary

  Published on May 1, 2014
  This document summarizes the inaugural roundtable of farmer of color networks and community development financial institutions to strengthen the relationships between both borrowers and lenders.

• Financing Farming in the U.S.: Financial Institution Lending in the Farm Production Sector

  Published on September 30, 2013
  This report details interviews with lenders from community development financial institutions and other organizations with experience in the small and midscale farm sector.

• Financing Farming in the U.S.: Strengthening Metrics and Expanding Capital Access

  Published on May 14, 2012
  This report illustrates successful lending practices among community development financial institutions and their strategic partners, and summarizes steps to expand capital in the sector.

• Financing Farming in the U.S.: Improving Small and Midsized Farms through Strategic Financing

  Published on August 16, 2010
  This report explores the gap between an emerging sector of smaller-scale agriculture producers and access to capital, and devises workable strategies to create successful farmer-lender relationships.

• Financing Farming in the U.S.: A Report on Six Working Sessions

  Published on July 30, 2010
  This report chronicles the convening of people across the country over a six-month period to explore workable strategies to create successful farmer-lender relationships.

• Financing Michigan's Sustainable Agriculture

  Published on December 18, 2009
  The survey results available in this report show that although there is financial capital available in Michigan, farmers face challenges accessing it.

• Emerging Farmers Initiative and Agriculture Individual Development Accounts

  Published on June 19, 2009
  The grant evaluated in this report was intended to increase the viability of small farm start-ups through the provision of a cash match to personal savings.

• Michigan New Farm Development: Case Studies from the Southwest Michigan Emerging Farmers Initiative

  Published on June 1, 2009
  This report details the emerging farmers initiative in Southwest Michigan.