Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

1. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Keith R. Bisson SVP, Program Management and Development CEIkbisson@ceimaine.org Rural LISC 2013 Seminar June 5, 2013 Washignton, DC

2. The Intermediary: CEI • Mission: To help create economically and environmentally healthy communities in which all people, especially those with low incomes, can reach their full potential • Organized as a CDC in 1977, certified as a CDFI in 1995 • 88 Staff • $898.5 million capital under management/committed • 41,044 businesses/people counseled • $2.44 billion leveraged • Support the Triple Bottom Line – Economy, Equity and Environment • Three areas of focus: • Financing and Investment • Business Development Services • Policy

3. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at CEI: Creating Opportunity Along the Value Chain from Farms to Retailers • Supports viability and expansion of rural food economies in Maine and the Northeast • Committed to increasing food self-sufficiency and access to healthy food for all • Provide: • Business Technical Assistance • Financing • Sector Initiatives

4. Business Technical Assistance • Coordinate team-based business planning • Leverage resources and networks • Provide sector expertise

5. Financing • Flexible debt; lines of credit; equity and equity-like financing; guarantees • Amounts from <$10,000 to >$500,000 or more • Coordinate multiple sources of capital

6. Sector Initiatives • Food access initiative for underserved populations • State and federal policy and advocacy networks • Strategic collaboration with regional farming and food organizations

7. Programmatic Impact • Over our 35 year history, CEI’s food system work has resulted in over 295 direct investments totaling more than $15 million and leveraging an additional $75 million. • In the past 5 years, food system lending has created or retained 323 jobs and kept 6,773 acres of farmland in production. • Our current portfolio totals nearly $5.7 million; and within that our agriculture and value chain portfolio nearly $2.7 million.

8. The CEI Team: • Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Program Team: • Gray Harris, Director • Daniel Wallace, Program Developer • Experienced team of five loan officers with complete loan servicing staff • Business Development Services division with 12 experienced business counselors

9. Northern Girl – Caribou, Maine • Value-add processing of locally grown vegetables, in Maine’s northernmost county, Aroostook. • $25,000 equity investment to support operations. • Sources of funds: CEI’s Healthy Food Finance fund and Annie E. Casey foundation funds.

10. Fossa’s General Store – Dexter, Maine • Community store that sources local farm products year round. Phase II plans include vegetable processing, and a creamery. • $50,000 term loan for working capital, renovations, and debt refinance. • CEI Fund source: Healthy Food Finance Funds.

11. Village Farm – Freedom, Maine • Organic farm in midcoast Maine, offering over 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers for 75+ CSA member households and several wholesale accounts. • $15,000 microloan to construct a greenhouse and install an irrigation system. • 2 CEI Fund sources: Maine Farm Business Loan Fund (partnership with The Carrot Project); The Organic Loan Fund

12. CEI Staff

13. MAINE FRESH

15. Q & A