Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $449 Million in Loan Assistance to Help Rural Businesses

[The Straight Story]

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $449 Million in Loan Assistance to Help Rural Businesses
Guaranteed Loans Provided Through Recovery Act Funds Help Local Businesses and Supports 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' Initiative


WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $449 million in loan guarantees to assist 128 rural businesses through funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding is being made available through USDA Rural Development's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. Altogether, $1.7 billion is available to businesses across the country through Recovery Act Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program funding.

"A number of the Recovery Act funds announced today are supporting USDA's 'Know Your Farmer Know, Your Food Initiative' by providing capital to rural business that support and market locally produced foods in communities throughout the country," said Vilsack. "We can revitalize rural communities and spur economic opportunity by building infrastructure to strengthen local food systems and creating a stronger link between local food production and local consumption."

For example, Prairieland Foods, LLC, in Hallam, Neb., was selected to receive a $650,000 loan to enable the locally owned and operated dairy processing facility to meet the growing demand for a local, source-verified, sustainable supply of dairy foods and ingredients. The facility will also help diversify the market exposure for milk produced at local dairies, including partner company Prairieland Dairy, LLC. The loan will be used to purchase adjacent property for future expansion to include producing cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy foods and ingredients.

In Holly Springs, N.C., My Way Tavern, a local family-owned restaurant, has been selected to receive a $204,000 loan to help with start-up costs of their neighborhood restaurant. The restaurant plans to purchase at least 10 percent of its produce from local farmers.

USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative was launched in September. It emphasizes the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers and includes such major agricultural topics as supporting local farmers and community food groups; strengthening rural communities; enhancing direct marketing and farmers' promotion programs; promoting healthy eating; protecting natural resources; and helping schools connect with locally grown foods. The initiative builds on the 2008 Farm Bill, which provides for increases and flexibility for USDA programs in an effort to promote local foods.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/01/0013.xml

[naaman fletcher]

1. how do you find out about these things before they happen?

I wouldn't mind 200K to start a restaurant.

[ThomWV]

2. The Agencies put out press releases every day.

[The Straight Story]

3. I guess you just check their website daily

:)

[sandnsea]

9. First you stop listening to the media and blogs

Then you go to recovery.gov or site that might be dealing with your particular area of interest. Or you call your local SBA. And you realize that there is a ton of money available IF you can prove you have some financial ability to operate a business and you have a marketable idea.

If you really believe life is as bad as what the naysayers portray, I would think you'd just jump off a cliff and be done with it. Yes it is tough and never really changes for most of us. But those of us in the US and developed world should thank our lucky stars every day there is still a food bank or a soup kitchen because that is 1,000 times better than people in places like Haiti will ever have it.

[babylonsister]

4. Rec'd!

:thumbsup:

[dcsmart]

5. K & R

[firedupdem]

6. Rec'd n/t

[Hekate]

7. All right! KnR. nt

[NJmaverick]

8. Interesting concept

[HughMoran]

10. K&R

[rebel with a cause]

11. We use to buy the cheapest milk and dairy products we could find.

Then my daughter read where the big corporate dairies were trying to put the community dairies out of business. We started buying the products of a dairy company that is made up from dairies across the mid-west and mid-south area and are farmer owned. Some of their plants are in towns all around us. We pay a lot more for our milk now but you know what, it tastes better. In fact, the milk we use to buy was making me ill.

Now I have no reaction to any of these dairy products including the milk. Like Prairieland, their milk is more natural and I am glad to see other companies that are producing healthier products getting the chance to compete in their regions. And I am thankful for the Obama administration for helping programs like this instead of just giving money to corporations like Haliburton.

The dairy co-op that sales here has grown to produce more than just dairy products and is much bigger than Prairieland Dairies. Here are several links to information on the Prairieland company.

http://blog.brownfieldagnews.com/?p=1089

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/jun08/jun23/Dairyindustryexpansionpayin.cfm

http://www.journalstar.com/business/local/article_e7880564-e6be-11de-98a7-001cc4c03286.html

Our dairy company's web site and where Prairieland may be working toward. Good luck to them and their healthier product.

http://www.prairiefarmsdairy.com/index.php?p=545

[Hamlette]

12. This is horrible news. Obama sucks. How could he possibly do this to us? Obama = Fail.

its more corporatist, bullshit Obama is worse than Bush bullshit.

Damned dems.

All to hell.

[Cha]

14. Did you even read it?

Gotcha:P

[The Straight Story]

16. Looks to me like Obama is helping small/local businesses (nt)

[CTLawGuy]

13. K&R

NT

[Cha]

15. This is really good news!

Locals Foods, baby!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. Very Good News!

[waiting for hope]

18. K&R

Happy to see some people getting assistance - side note, there is a growing trend here in NC for restaurants to buy locally grown produce and meat. I hope it will continue, it's a great way of giving back to the community and keeping it all viable.