For today’s small, mid-sized, and limited resource farmers, finding sufficient capital to finance their businesses can be a challenge. ... The dominant agricultural lenders in the Northeast -- Farm Credit and the USDA Farm Service Agency -- do offer credit, but neither adequately serves farm operators who are start-ups, have unique business models, or inadequate collateral.Click here for the full report.
Earlier this month The Carrot Project and the Strolling of the Heifers in Brattleboro, VT announced a "new micro-loan program to help New England farmers" (quote from TCP web site). Folk singer Pete Seeger is performing a fundraising concert at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro on Sept. 13 to benefit this program.
Disclosure: Yankee has contributed to the Strolling of the Heifers for several years. First Pioneer employee Jon Jaffe is on the Advisory Board of The Carrot Project.
Is there a place for microcredit in Northeast agriculture? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
UPDATE 7/30/08: The Pete Seeger concert in Brattleboro on Sept. 13 has sold out, and a second concert has been added in Lebanon on Sept. 12.
