Financial Resources Available to Maine Farmers
Coastal Enterprises Inc.
P.O. Box 268
Physical Address: 36 Water Street
Wiscasset, ME 04578
Phone: 882-7552
Contact: Kerri Sands
Coastal Enterprises Incorporated (CEI) is a private, nonprofit Community Development Corporation and Community Development Financial Institution.
CEI provides financing and support in the development of job-creating small businesses, natural resources industries, community facilities, and affordable housing.
CEI administers the “Farms for the Future”, a program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, that is a two-phase business assistance program that helps Maine farmers plan for the future of their agricultural enterprise.
Efficiency Maine
Efficiency Maine, Public Utilities Commission
18 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0018
Physical Address: 242 State Street, Augusta
Phone: 1-866-376-2463
Efficiency Maine (EM) provides energy audits to small businesses including farms. Contact Shirley Bartlett at 287-3318.
EM’s small business low interest loan program (including farms) provides cash incentives for energy upgrades. Each business is eligible for up to $100,000 per calendar year or up to $200,000 over a two-year period. Contact Shirley Bartlett at 287-3318.
Efficiency Maine also provides rebates on solar thermal systems to heat air and water up to 25% of the entire cost of the system or $1,250 whichever is less.
Farm Credit of Maine, ACA
615 Minot Ave.
Auburn, ME 04210
Phone: 207-784-0193
Contact: Matthew Senter
Farm Credit of Maine provides short and long term financing and leasing products for agricultural, aquatic, and forest products businesses in Maine.
Farm Service Agency
21 Enterprise Dr. Suite 1
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-622-7847
Contact: Brenda Wells, Farm Loan Officer
Farm Service Agency’s mission is to provide financing to agricultural producers.
Funding is available for farm-based energy projects.
Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District
21 Enterprise Drive. Suite #1
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-622-7847 Ext. 3
Fax: 207-626-8196
Contact: John Blais
Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District (KCS&WCD)’s mission is to protect and enhance Maine’s soil and water resources. KCS&WCD provides educational programs, conservation information and technical assistance to municipalities, schools, landowners and residents of Kennebec County.
Through receipt of a NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant in 2007, the District is able to assist county dairy farms with energy audits and assistance in leveraging state and federal program funds for energy efficiency investments.
Maine Department of Agriculture
28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: 207-287-3491
Maine Department of Agriculture (Department) strives to be a resource to the people of Maine on agricultural issues.
The Department provides low interest loans for capital improvements through its Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund. It also provides grants to groups of farmers interested in doing a collective project for energy efficiencies, or want to test new technologies that will help multiple farmers through its Agricultural Development Grant Program.
Maine Small Business Development Centers
96 Falmouth Street
Portland, ME 04104
Physical Address: 68 High Street
Phone: 207-780-4420
The mission of the Maine Small Business Development Centers (Maine SBDC) and its technology-focused group, the Maine Small Business and Technology Centers (Maine SBTDC), is to assist in the creation and maintenance of viable micro, small and technology-based businesses and the jobs these businesses provide.
Maine SBDC and Maine SBTDC provide comprehensive business management assistance, training, resource and information services to Maine’s micro, small, and technologybased communities.
Maine Technology Institute
405 Water Street, Suite 300
Gardiner, ME 04345
Phone: 207-582-4790
Fax: 207-582-4772
The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) offers early-stage, capital and commercialization assistance for the research and development of innovative, technology based projects that create new products and services, generating jobs in the state of Maine.
The state-funded, private non-profit encourages, promotes, stimulates and supports research and development activity leading to the commercialization of new products and services in the State’s technology-intensive industrial sectors to enhance the competitive position of those sectors and increase the likelihood that one or more of the sectors will support clusters of industrial activity and to create jobs for Maine people.
Two of their target areas are environmental technology, and advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture. Deadlines vary depending on the particular MTI Program: Seed Grants are offered every three months; Development Awards are offered twice a year; and Cluster Enhancement Awards are based on rolling acceptance. Matching funds are encouraged for Seed Grants, and required for Development and Cluster Enhancement Awards.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
967 Illinois Avenue, Suite #3
Bangor, ME 04401
Telephone: 207-990-9100, Ext. 3
Fax: 207-990-9599
NRCS has 15 field offices throughout Maine.
Since 1935, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to producers who advance the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working agricultural lands. Such lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land and other noncropped areas that are an incidental part of the agriculture operation.
U. S. Small Business Administration
Maine District Office
Edmund S. Muskie Federal Building
68 Sewall Street, Room 512
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-622-8274
Small Business Administration’s (SBA) mission is to help entrepreneurs realize their own potential. Each successful business makes a contribution to Maine’s economy, not only for the owners and employees, but for the community as a whole.
The SBA guarantees other financial institutions’ loans. The SBA offers a free annual Maine Small Business Resource Guide and connects individuals with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) retired volunteers that offer free financial counseling at seven chapters throughout Maine.
USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant Program
USDA offers grants of up to $100,000 may be used for planning activities or up to $300,000 for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products for farm-based renewable energy. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. The deadline for the FY 2011 funding cycle has not been announced yet, but will likely be spring 2011.
For more information and assistance about the program, contact Michael Grondin in the USDA office in Bangor at 990-9168.
USDA Rural Development Section 9006 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program
USDA currently funds grants up to $500,000 and loan guarantees up to $10 million to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for assistance with purchasing and installing renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements. The deadline for the FY 2011 funding cycle has not been announced yet, but will likely be spring 2011.
For more information and assistance about the program, contact John Sheehan in the USDA office in Bangor at 990-9168.
USDA Rural Development Rural Community Development Initiative
USDA provides technical assistance and training funds to qualified intermediary organizations to develop their capacity to undertake housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas, including renewable energy projects. The deadline for the FY 2011 funding cycle has not been announced yet, but will likely be fall 2011.
RCDI grant funds are available to intermediaries and have a dollar for dollar matching fund requirement, intended to double the impact of the grants. Qualified organizations can be public or private (including tribes) that have been legally organized for at least three years and have experience working with eligible recipients. Recipients of assistance from the intermediary can be non-profit organizations, low-income communities, or federally recognized tribes.
Go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/me/Offices/office.htm for a list of offices to request an application.
Women, Work and Community
Phone: 800-442-2092
Women, Work and Community (WWC) has 17 service centers across Maine.
The mission of Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community (WWC) is to improve the economic lives of Maine women and their families by increasing their income, assets, and earning potential and their overall quality of life.
WWC provides technical assistance to women on small business planning and finances.