1. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Gray Harris
Director, Sustainable Agriculture
and Food Systems
CEI
gharris@ceimaine.org
FFFF conference
May 24-25, 2013
Toronto

2. The Intermediary: CEI
 Mission: To help create economically and environmentally
healthy communities in which all people, especially those
with low incomes, can reach their full potential
 Organized as a CDC in 1977, certified as a CDFI in 1995
 88 Staff
 $898.5 million capital under management/committed
 41,044 businesses/people counseled
 $2.44 billion leveraged
 Support the Triple Bottom Line – Economy, Equity and
Environment
 Three areas of focus:
 Financing and Investment
 Business Development Services
 Policy

3. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at CEI:
Creating Opportunity Along the Value Chain from
Farms to Retailers
 Supports viability and expansion of rural food
economies in Maine and the Northeast
 Committed to increasing food self-sufficiency and
access to healthy food for all
 Provide:
 Business Technical Assistance
 Financing
 Sector Initiatives

4. Business Technical Assistance
 Coordinate team-based business planning
 Leverage resources and networks
 Provide sector expertise

5. Financing
 Flexible debt; lines of credit; equity and equity-like
financing; guarantees
 Amounts from <$10,000 to >$500,000 or more
 Coordinate multiple sources of capital

6. Sector Initiatives
 Food access initiative for underserved populations
 State and federal policy and advocacy networks
 Strategic collaboration with regional farming and food
organizations

7. Programmatic Impact
 Over our 35 year history, CEI’s food system work has
resulted in over 295 direct investments totaling more
than $15 million and leveraging an additional $75
million.
 In the past 5 years, food system lending has created or
retained 323 jobs and kept 6,773 acres of farmland in
production.
 Our current portfolio totals $5.7 million; and within
that our agriculture and value chain portfolio $2.7
million.

8. Village Farm – Freedom, Maine
 Organic farm in midcoast Maine,
offering over 100 varieties of
vegetables, herbs and flowers
for 75+ CSA member households
and several wholesale accounts.
 $15,000 microloan to construct a
greenhouse and install an irrigation
system.
 2 CEI Fund sources: Maine Farm
Business Loan Fund (partnership
with The Carrot Project); The
Organic Loan Fund

9. Northern Girl – Caribou, Maine
 Value-add processing of
locally grown vegetables, in
Maine’s northernmost
county, Aroostook.
 $25,000 equity investment
to support operations.
 Sources of funds: CEI’s
Healthy Food Finance fund
and Annie E. Casey
foundation funds.

10. Fossa’s General Store – Dexter, Maine
 Community store that sources
local farm products year round.
Phase II plans include vegetable
processing, and a creamery.
 $50,000 term loan for working
capital, renovations, and debt
refinance.
 CEI Fund source: Healthy Food
Finance Funds.

11. Community Development Frame: Mission-Based Results, creating opportunity for economic prosperity in underserved communities
W
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W
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SUBSIDY BASED MODEL
Transformative Capital
-Seed Capital Funds
-Catalyst Fund
-"Debt with Training Wheels"
-Innovative Capital/Financing
Fund
Transitioning Businesses
in the sustainable
agriculture and food
system sector
Commitment to develop a revenue based model
WHAT WHO
CRITERIA
REVENUE BASED MODEL
CEI
VSJF/StOnge

12. Q & A