Registration Open now!
The first cohort of the Credit Ready Meat and Poultry Lending Professional Training - Virtual Series is scheduled for the following dates:
- July 12, 3-5 pm ET
- July 19, 3-5 pm ET
- July 26, 3-5 pm ET
- August 2, 3-5 pm ET
- August 9, 3-5 pm ET
- August 16, 3-5 pm ET
Priority will be given to financial institutions, particularly those poised to increase lending to meat/poultry processors. 1 person per organization, per cohort. Complete this survey to apply for registration.
Informational Webinar Coming Early June — TBA!
Credit Ready Meat and Poultry Lending Professional Training - Virtual Series
The Credit Ready Meat and Poultry Lending Professional Training - Virtual Series is designed for individuals who work at community-based lending institutions (credit unions, CDFIs, and community banks) and other entities eligible for the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program or the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program who are interested in increasing their organizations' activity in the meat and poultry processing space. These trainings will cover the knowledge, skills, and practices you need to finance meat and poultry processing businesses, including market assessment, product development, underwriting and deal structuring, and program and asset management, and support your borrowers through connections to technical expertise. This course is built on real world experience and will be led by co-instructors from the Niche Meat industry and the Community Development Finance field.
- Kathryn Quanbeck - Director of Retail Sales for a pasture-raised/finished meat company with 16 years in niche meat industry as a trainer, consultant, and economist
- Lisa Wager - Community development consultant and trainer with over 20 years in the CDFI industry; founding Executive Director of Wind River Development Fund on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming
- Tera Johnson, Kitchen Table Consultants - consultant, entrepreneur, and founder of the Food Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin
- Kari Underly, Range Meats Inc. - trainer, entrepreneur, and 3rd generation butcher
- Joe Cloud - former Co-Owner and General Manager of processor T&E Meats in Harrisonburg, VA
- Jennifer Curtis and Tina Prevatte Levy, Firsthand Foods - co-founders of a pasture-raised meat food hub in Durham, NC
- Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Honest Meat - consultant, entrepreneur, and Director of Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network at Oregon State University
- Flower Hill Institute - coordinator of Meat & Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance (MPPTA) Program, a cooperative effort with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
- American Meat Science Association - MPPTA TA provider and membership organization of 1000+ meat scientists conducting research, education, and professional development in discipline
- Agriculture Utilization Research Institute - MPPTA TA provider and R&D hub for innovative value-added agricultural products with a focus on the Midwest
Meet the instructors and find out more details in an informational webinar to be scheduled for early june—stay tuned!
Eligible participants: community lenders including nonprofits, public agencies, Tribal Entities, cooperatives, or community-based banks, as well as select individuals who package loan requests for processors or provide due diligence to lenders. At this point, we are allowing just 1 person per organization, per cohort.
The 6-week virtual series will consist of 6 modules, each including 2 hours in a virtual classroom and 60-90 munites of self-paced work. Classes will be held on Zoom and will include dynamic presentations and discussion with the instructors and guest presentors. Course materiels, assignments, and a discussion board will be housed on a web-based learning management system called Canvas. Participants are required to attend all classes, though they may miss 1 session (max). All class sessions will be recorded and participants will have to watch any missed class.
- Module 1 - Introduction to Meat & Poultry Processing
- Module 2 - Market Analysis & Business Planning
- Module 3 - Operations & Best Practices
- Module 4 - Financial Feasibility
- Module 5 - Capital Sources & Packaging
- Module 6 - Lending Strategies
Two additional cohorts are planned, tentatively scheduled for Octover/November 2023 and January/February 2024. The first 3 cohorts of this program are offered at no cost to participants, supported by funding from the USDA Rural Development's Rural Business and Cooperative Service. The value of this program is $1,850 per participant.
Follow us on LinkedIn for updates.
Contact Hannah Vargason with any questions.
Credit Ready Meat and Poultry Lending - Professional Technical Assistance
The Center for Impact Finance also provides Credit Ready Mean and Poultry Lending Professional Technical Assistance to individuals who work at community-based lending institutions (credit unions, CDFIs, and community banks) or other entities eligible for the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program or the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program who are inerested in increasing their organizations' financing activity in the meat and poultry processing space. Eligibility requirements include more than one year of lending experience.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO APPLY FOR USDA FUNDING, SEE:
Meat and Poultry Supply Chain webpage
Processor Grant Applications due July 19
Local Meat Capacity Grant Program - for smaller-scale projects
Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program - to support Tribal Nations
For Lenders, coming soon
"As a continuation of its efforts to strengthen the financing systems for independent processors, USDA Rural Development will make an additional $75 million available to, in partnership with lenders, improve access to financing for meat and poultry processors." Sign up for updates at usda.gov/meat.