Transcript Slide 1
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Keith R. Bisson
SVP, Program Management and
Development
CEI
[email protected]
Rural LISC 2013 Seminar
June 5, 2013
Washignton, DC
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
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
Business Technical Assistance
Coordinate team-based business planning
Leverage resources and networks
Provide sector expertise
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
Sector Initiatives
Food access initiative for underserved populations
State and federal policy and advocacy networks
Strategic collaboration with regional farming and food
organizations
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.
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
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.
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.
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
CEI Staff
MAINE FRESH
Q&A