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:
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 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