Agricultural Education and Support

As part of their Great Lakes Navigator Network, the American Farmland Trust (AFT) has put together some curriculum materials to help farmers navigate land transfer - both from the land-seller and seeker sides. If you would like access to these materials, please email info@mifarmlink.org. We will get the most up-to-date version to you!

Farmers just starting out with 10 years or less of operating a farm or ranch are considered Beginning Farmers according to the USDA. The USDA offers a variety of programs and services to help beginning farmers get started or grow their operation, including farm loans, crop insurance, conservation programs, and disaster assistance.

Farming takes courage - it can be capital-intense with plenty of uncertainty. CultivateGrowth offers a helping hand to modern and diverse young, beginning and small farmers with our unmatched expertise and all-encompassing support. Helping small and beginning farmers of all production styles obtain and maintain the resources they need is a top priority for GreenStone.
CultivateGrowth provides financing in unique and individualized situations through our relaxed underwriting standards to help the next generation of agriculture overcome the farming's financial challenges. Our expertise in agricultural financing, in addition to our understanding of specialized Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, allows us to better understand your business cycles and the
details in your operation as we provide loans for young, beginning or small farmers.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service, a USDA agency, offers access to the many different
Farm Bill programs geared toward conservation practices like manure storage, chemical handling
facilities, pollinator habitats, cover crops, and much more. Each County in Michigan has a district
conservationist that can help landowners enroll.

The USDA Farm Service Agency is the point of access for Farm Bill programs that provide loan
assistance, insurance products, and other risk management tools. FSA has offices throughout the
State.

This is a private for profit company website that offers a variety of real estate services to farmers,
including a searchable database of farmland listings, a few of which are located in Michigan.

Pair this application infographic with MIFFS' larger "Guide to EQIP" for all of MIFFS best tips on utilizing this NRCS program on your farm.

MIFFS has assembled this insiders guide to the Natural Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which is designed to fund farming practices which reduce existing risks to natural resources.

The Finding Farmland Calculator is a unique mortgage calculator designed to teach farmers about their financing options and creditworthiness when buying farmland. Build one or more purchase scenarios, then compare the total costs, monthly payments, and your scores on several financial ratios. Download the results to have on hand when meeting with a loan officer.

USDA Local Agriculture Market Program

The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Grants can be used for the planning stages of establishing or expanding a local and regional food business enterprise or to improve or expand a food business that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure by performing feasibility studies, market research, training and technical assistance for the business enterprise and/or for producers working with the business enterprise. A 25% match is required.

Eligible entities may apply if they support local and regional food business enterprises that process, distribute, aggregate, or store locally or regionally produced food products.

Manchester Hightunnels is a team of fabricators and builders that offer a combined 60 years
of experience in both the construction and horticultural industries. After several years of working with
growers in the vegetable production space and green industry, they launched their 30' gothic-style
hoop house.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) helps and recognizes farmers who reduce erosion and runoff from private land into
public waters. The program is administered by MDARD and delivered by your local conservation district.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

The Beginning Farmers DEMaND series is a line of publications from Michigan State University
Extension. These publications are designed to help beginning farmers learn about financial and
business management strategies that will assist them in developing into the next managers and
decision-makers on the farm.

New and beginning farmers can sign up to receive a new monthly newsletter catered to their needs.

MSU Extension's educational offerings cover basic, startup information for beginning farmers interested in engaging in new agricultural enterprises.

FSA's Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program is a valuable resource to help Tribes become
owners of additional property within the reservation to advance and increase current operations,
provide financial prospects for Native American Communities, increase agricultural productivity, and
save farmland for future generations. Through FSAs innovative programming, American Indian and
Alaska Native tribal governments have the ability to create sustainable and community-driven
solutions to rural community challenges.

The USDA has a wide variety of resources available to help new farmers access capital, learn the ropes, and get connected to the farming community.

This is a property tax exemption that is available to eligible ag operations in Michigan. If you are
buying farmland, it is good to be aware of this to make sure the exemption is retained by the new
owner.

CoFund
We are excited to open our next round of, CoFUND, our regranting program, aimed to support and build the collective resilience of food and land-justice based cooperatives; led by Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color of all ages. Through this fund, CoFED will re-grant funding to cooperative and farmer-based organizations that are building and working to transform the food system.

USDA Rural Development
This program provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund and provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

The Economic Development Foundation (EDF) is a non-profit lender who provides access to capital for small businesses that are purchasing or refinancing commercial real estate, and/or machinery and equipment. We are authorized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a Certified Development Company (CDC) to deliver the SBA’s 504 Loan Program. EDF is one of a small percentage of CDCs in the nation that SBA has approved into their Accredited Lender Program (ALP). As an ALP Lender, EDF has authority to process, close, and service 504 loans, and our customers receive expedited processing of loan approvals and servicing actions.

The WCCD Tools & Equipment Lending Library is designed to make various tools and implements accessible to local producers and landowners. The tools & equipment in the rental program are designed for conservation purposes. We offer Hand Tools, Herbicide Application tools, and larger Equipment rentals. Residents can request to reserve Tools & Equipment throughout the year.

USDA Farm Service Agency
The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.

This is quick glance at all of Ottawa County's ag stats.

As part of their Great Lakes Navigator Network, the American Farmland Trust (AFT) has put together some curriculum materials to help farmers navigate land transfer - both from the land-seller and seeker sides. If you would like access to these materials, please email info@mifarmlink.org. We will get the most up-to-date version to you!

The Beginning Farmer DEMaND series offers a fresh look at farm business management for new and beginning farmers. The series is designed to help the next generation of farm operators learn about financial and business management strategies that can help them develop into managers and decision-makers on the farm. Whether you represent the transition of generations, an employee to owner, or a new entrant to the business, the DEMaND series can offer assistance through articles, bulletins, webinars, and more!

DEMaND series sign-up:
Bulletins are published periodically during the year. If you’re interested in having the latest DEMaND series bulletins sent directly to your email, sign up today to be on the mailing list.

Farming takes courage - it can be capital-intense with plenty of uncertainty. CultivateGrowth offers a helping hand to modern and diverse young, beginning and small farmers with our unmatched expertise and all-encompassing support. Helping small and beginning farmers of all production styles obtain and maintain the resources they need is a top priority for GreenStone.
CultivateGrowth provides financing in unique and individualized situations through our relaxed underwriting standards to help the next generation of agriculture overcome the farming's financial challenges. Our expertise in agricultural financing, in addition to our understanding of specialized Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, allows us to better understand your business cycles and the
details in your operation as we provide loans for young, beginning or small farmers.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service, a USDA agency, offers access to the many different
Farm Bill programs geared toward conservation practices like manure storage, chemical handling
facilities, pollinator habitats, cover crops, and much more. Each County in Michigan has a district
conservationist that can help landowners enroll.

The USDA Farm Service Agency is the point of access for Farm Bill programs that provide loan
assistance, insurance products, and other risk management tools. FSA has offices throughout the
State.

MIFFS has assembled this insiders guide to the Natural Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which is designed to fund farming practices which reduce existing risks to natural resources.

A guide from MSU Extension and the Center for Regional Food Systems outlines best practices for
processing and selling liquid honey for beekeepers who make $15,000 or less in annual honey
sales.

The mission of IAC is to pursue and promote the conversation, developments and use of our
agricultural resources for the betterment of American Indian people. They conduct a wide range of
programs designed to further the goal of improving Indian Agriculture. The IAC promotes the Indian
use of Indian resources and contracts with federal agencies to maximize resources for tribal members.

Match Made In Heaven: Livestock + Crops is a 3-year, 6-state grant project that creates
opportunities for farmers to share their interests, challenges, and needs, and for the crop and
livestock organizations that they engage with to hear from their members and meet their needs
with their programming and resources. The project is a collaboration between 50+ groups including
crop and livestock associations, universities, public agencies, and soil/water groups.

At the heart of this project is collaboration between farm groups that dont always get to work
together: crop and livestock associations, folks involved with education and service, and farmers
themselves. We're all putting our heads together to move shared interests forward and learn how
we can be most effective in our efforts to support farmers. This project is a great opportunity for
organizations to hear from their members, and will build great foundations for future projects.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) helps and recognizes farmers who reduce erosion and runoff from private land into
public waters. The program is administered by MDARD and delivered by your local conservation district.

Michigan Farm Bureau is Michigan's voice of agriculture. This grassroots organization helps guide
policy at the local, state, and national level. Their Farm Business Resources page has a information
and tools on a wide variety of farm related topics, such as legal resources, drones, and
commodities.

Michigan Farmers Union (MFU) is a grassroots organization that works to protect the social and economic well-being of family farmers throughout Michigan. We are committed to enhancing the quality of life of family farmers through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.

Michigan is the only state with a Produce Safety Technician program dedicated to providing on-farm
technical education for fresh produce farmers. Better yet, technicians are a free, voluntary,
confidential, non-regulatory resource.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

The Beginning Farmers DEMaND series is a line of publications from Michigan State University
Extension. These publications are designed to help beginning farmers learn about financial and
business management strategies that will assist them in developing into the next managers and
decision-makers on the farm.

New and beginning farmers can sign up to receive a new monthly newsletter catered to their needs.

MSU Extension's educational offerings cover basic, startup information for beginning farmers interested in engaging in new agricultural enterprises.

FSA's Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program is a valuable resource to help Tribes become
owners of additional property within the reservation to advance and increase current operations,
provide financial prospects for Native American Communities, increase agricultural productivity, and
save farmland for future generations. Through FSAs innovative programming, American Indian and
Alaska Native tribal governments have the ability to create sustainable and community-driven
solutions to rural community challenges.

Agriculture in Ottawa County is diverse and bountiful, with over 1200 farms including dairy farms, greenhouses, blueberries, and so much more. Ottawa County farmers seek to conserve and protect the land they farm and the water that surrounds us by using practices such as cover crops, grass
waterways, and assistance transitioning to no-till. The Ottawa Conservation District offers several services and resources for farmers, such as
financial assistance for conservation practices and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program.

The Mission of the Raw Milk Institute is to improve the safety and quality of raw milk and raw milk products through:
Farmer training and mentoring nationally and internationally
Establishing raw milk guidelines and Common Standards
Improving consumer access and producer transparency
Consumer education about the benefits of raw milk on the immune system and gut
microbiome
Investment in raw milk research with use of RAWMI test data
The Raw Milk Institute's Vision is to build a healthier world where raw milk is safe, embraced, and accessible. RAWMI empowers dairy farmers and consumers by providing support from grass to glass and soil to soul.

The WCCD provides a variety of services for farmers in the county that range from help with MAEAP
verification, navigation of NRCS programs, TOPP, Climate Smart Farm Project, county cost-share opportunities, and invasive species
management. They are also the current institutional home of MIFarmLink!

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

The 1990 Farm Bill created the 2501 Program to help underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters, who have historically experienced limited access to USDA programs and services. The 2014 Farm Bill expanded the 2501 Program to include veterans. The 2501 Program is officially called Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program.

The objective of the 2501 Program is to show USDA’s commitment to ensuring that underserved and veteran farmers, ranchers, and foresters can equitably participate in USDA programs. Grants are awarded to community-based and non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, and eligible Tribal entities with at least 3 years of experience in working with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers and ranchers. Individual farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply for 2501 Program grants.

The Washtenaw County Black Farmers Fund (WCBFF) is transforming our community through food
sovereignty and land justice by investing in Black Farmers who have long been denied access to
land and resources. They are a coalition of nonprofits, farmers, and community members working
to build a more equitable and just food system. Funding is available for aspiring Black Farmers
living or farming in Washtenaw, Jackson, Ingham, Livingston, Oakland, Wayne, Monroe, and
Lenawee counties of Michigan who produce nutritious food and supply the Washtenaw County
foodshed.

Michigan Good Food Fund is a statewide loan fund that invests in good food enterprises working to
increase access to affordable, healthy food and sparks economic opportunity. Since 2015, initiative
partners have invested more than $17 million to date in loans and grants supporting more than 300
Michigan-based food businesses that grow, process, distribute, and sell healthy food that reaches
those who need it most. We provide flexible, patient capital to good food enterprises often
overlooked by traditional banks. Lending is bolstered by business assistance to help entrepreneurs
grow their ventures and prepare for financing.

Steward is a private lending partner, financing the growth of regenerative farms and sustainable producers through simple, flexible business loans.

The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program (IAG) is designed to
support the priorities of Tribal Nations in meeting the needs of traditional harvesting methods and
indigenous animals. This project intends to fund projects which invest in Tribal Nations' supply
chain resiliency, indigenous animals, restoring local indigenous food systems, and indigenous
processing methods, and expanding local capacity for the harvesting, processing, manufacturing,
storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution (communal or commercial) of meat, poultry,
seafood, and other animals that provide culturally appropriate food and food security to tribal
communities. The primary purpose of all projects must be to expand or enhance indigenous
animals and meat processing capacity in Indian Country.

The mission of IAC is to pursue and promote the conversation, developments and use of our
agricultural resources for the betterment of American Indian people. They conduct a wide range of
programs designed to further the goal of improving Indian Agriculture. The IAC promotes the Indian
use of Indian resources and contracts with federal agencies to maximize resources for tribal members.

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Eligible applicants for Local MCap grants include business entities (regardless of legal structure) engaged in meat and poultry processing, including rendering animal carcasses or byproducts. Eligible entities include Tribes and Tribal Entities, for-profit entities, non-profit entities, and State or local government entities. Private entities must be independently owned and operated, and all applicants must be domestically owned. Additionally, applicants’ facilities must be physically located within the 50 States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

If you are new to the world of lending, these webinars will be helpful in navigating loan preparation
for the variety of different agencies and products that are available to beginning farmers.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust serving Native farmers
and ranchers created from the historic Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation settlement. The Trusts
Mission shall be to make grants to Eligible Grant Recipients, described in section 8, to fund the
provision of business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services
to Native American farmers and ranchers to support and promote their continued engagement in
agriculture.

FSA's Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program is a valuable resource to help Tribes become
owners of additional property within the reservation to advance and increase current operations,
provide financial prospects for Native American Communities, increase agricultural productivity, and
save farmland for future generations. Through FSAs innovative programming, American Indian and
Alaska Native tribal governments have the ability to create sustainable and community-driven
solutions to rural community challenges.

Northern Initiatives is a non-profit CDFI that provides loans to small business owners and
entrepreneurs in Michigan that might not qualify for loans from traditional banks for a variety of
reasons. They offer emerging business loans and assistance with the Michigan Good Food Fund.
They have helped many farms and food based businesses. Some of their products are region specific.

CoFund
We are excited to open our next round of, CoFUND, our regranting program, aimed to support and build the collective resilience of food and land-justice based cooperatives; led by Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color of all ages. Through this fund, CoFED will re-grant funding to cooperative and farmer-based organizations that are building and working to transform the food system.

The Economic Development Foundation (EDF) is a non-profit lender who provides access to capital for small businesses that are purchasing or refinancing commercial real estate, and/or machinery and equipment. We are authorized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as a Certified Development Company (CDC) to deliver the SBA’s 504 Loan Program. EDF is one of a small percentage of CDCs in the nation that SBA has approved into their Accredited Lender Program (ALP). As an ALP Lender, EDF has authority to process, close, and service 504 loans, and our customers receive expedited processing of loan approvals and servicing actions.

The primary objective of the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program is to provide technical
assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups through cooperatives and Cooperative Development
Centers. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a Notice published in the Federal
Register and an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

Grants must be used to provide technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups in rural
areas. Examples of technical assistance are:
Feasibility studies
Business plans
Strategic planning
Leadership training

MIFFS is a farmer-led organization that strives to listen first and maintain the knowledge and
lessons learned from the diverse individuals and communities with which we’ve worked. MIFFS
provides various services to support the success and growth of historically underserved farmers in
Michigan by facilitating peer to peer, regionally based, farmer networks. MIFFS staff and affiliates
work on the ground in partnership with farmers and their local communities to identify and address
barriers for success in farm development.

USDA Farm Service Agency
The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.