Reciprocity allows persons residing and certified and credentialed in one state to be certified
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) foster economic opportunity for diverse communities around Minnesota, and new funding is available to help them support more of Minnesota’s farmers. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for its CDFI Technical Assistance Grant, aimed at helping Minnesota’s certified CDFIs expand their agriculture-focused services.
The MDA expects to award approximately $260,000 in one-time funding through a competitive review process, with individual grants of between $10,000 and $200,000 available for certified CDFIs in two main areas of technical assistance:
- Technical assistance provided by CFDIs to farmers (e.g., assisting farmers with loan readiness or expanding outreach efforts toward targeted groups with agriculture-focused financial services).
- Technical assistance for CDFIs to increase their own capacity to serve farmers (e.g., to develop their agriculture lending program or internal knowledge and processes as a foundation to provide financial services to farmers).
The deadline to apply for the grant is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, September 5, 2024. The MDA will notify applicants in October about whether their proposal was funded.
Full grant details and the request for proposals (RFP) can be found on the MDA website.
Applicants must be certified CDFIs who serve or intend to serve farmers in Minnesota and have participated in at least one U. S. Department of Agriculture grant or loan program. A certified CDFI is defined as a bank, credit union, microloan fund, or venture capital provider who has completed a certification process with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund.
An online public information session about this technical assistance grant will take place at noon on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. The MDA will review basic information included in the RFP including applicant eligibility, funding timelines, and application questions. Registration is required.
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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us
Grant Recipients
Here are previous recipients of the AGRI Livestock Investment Grant, listed by fiscal year (FY)
Current access to roller crimpers is limited and greater access may improve or expand the use of rye cover crops, but this is a competitive grant and priority will be given to those applicants that address a direct market limitation. The use of a roller crimper to terminate rye is a soil health practice. The purchase of a roller crimper is eligible for the MDA’s Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants or the Ag BMP Loan Program.
Current access to roller crimpers is limited and greater access may improve or expand the use of rye cover crops, but this is a competitive grant and priority will be given to those applicants that address a direct market limitation. The use of a roller crimper to terminate rye is a soil health practice. The purchase of a roller crimper is eligible for the MDA’s Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants or the Ag BMP Loan Program.
No, the crops are not required to be for consumption nor support food production. They must however meet the goal of continuous living cover and the project should address a direct market limitation. Funds are to be used to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development. This can include equipment infrastructure and business and market development.
No, the crops are not required to be for consumption nor support food production. They must however meet the goal of continuous living cover and the project should address a direct market limitation. Funds are to be used to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development. This can include equipment infrastructure and business and market development.