Financing Resources:
Farm loans are provided to family-size farmers and ranchers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank, Farm Credit System institution, or other lenders. These loans can be used to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies, and construct buildings or make farm improvements.
USDA Rural Development Loan and Grant programs:
USDA Rural Development programs support loans to businesses through banks and community-managed lending pools and offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural and other cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their member services. Rural Development helps rural individuals, communities and businesses obtain the financial and technical assistance needed to address their diverse and unique needs. Follow the link for a listing their Business and Cooperative programs aimed at helping the family farmer.
National City PNC, a SBA Lender:
SBA Loans offer flexible terms and competitive rates, plus they’re partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. National City is proud to be one of the top 10 SBA Lenders in the country.
Greenstone Farm Credit Services:
GreenStone FCS provides financial services to the agricultural industry – including short, intermediate and long-term loans, equipment and building leases, life and crop insurance, accounting and tax services, and appraisal services. GreenStone Capital Markets provides lending services to commercial producers and agribusiness.
Business Consulting and other services:
Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center:
The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development CenterTM (MI-SBTDCTM) enhances Michigan’s economic well-being by providing counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures, existing small businesses and innovative technology companies.
SCORE:
SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources:
The MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) can help you develop and commercialize high value, consumer-responsive products and businesses in the agriculture and natural food sectors. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or an established company, the Center is your key to the front door of MSU’s vast and varied technical expertise, research, outreach, and educational services.
The Center connects you to university resources through the ANR Innovation Counselor’s Network. ANR Counselors are professionals from MSU and partnering organizations who are positioned around Michigan as your initial Center contact. They are educated to assess the developmental phase of your business/product, identify markets, innovate new products, help you make critical go, no-go decisions, and guide you from start-up to market.
When businesses, products or ideas are ready to move forward, an ANR Innovation Counselor connects clients to Client Services. Client Services is the MSU Product Center’s coordinating unit. It’s their job to pinpoint the necessary resources at MSU as well as the resources of state and federal agencies, and private companies, to move projects forward. Client Services works in conjunction with the Center’s Strategic Marketing Institute. The Marketing institute develops the information base needed to support the initial screening and evaluation of concepts, products and businesses.
Hamilton Farm Bureau:
Hamilton Farm Bureau offers nationally certified crop advisors that work in partnership with Michigan’s best producers of crops ranging from cherries and blueberries to corn and wheat. Their professional consultants make recommendations that are specifically designed to help each producer reach stated goals. The on-farm relationship is backed by a staff of skilled technicians who deliver and apply the custom fertility and crop protection solutions. With facilities in Hamilton and Traverse City, Hamilton Agronomy efficiently provides seed, custom fertility, crop protection and application services to the West Coast of Michigan.