To help Business Builder awardees with upfront costs, the Heartland Center has partnered with three lenders in the region that will offer “bridge loans” to cover out-of-pocket expenses that the grant reimburses. A training on Sept 3 will cover bridge loans and introduce lenders.
Seven food hubs in the Iowa Hub to Hub Network now work together to provide services that reduce time and costs for producers, get more local food to more markets, and help producers keep more of the final sales dollar.
The Heartland Center’s Governance Council will continue deliberations about maintaining the Heartland Center as a network of collaborating support organizations with or without alternative funding.
Lionberry is a case study in what can happen when farm and food entrepreneurs get the right kind of help. And success is often not just for one business.
This event may be remembered as the time when ISU Extension and Kitchen Corridor unleashed a wave of local food innovation across Iowa.
Incubator kitchens offer essential space, equipment and mentorship. They also bring together a community of entrepreneurs who can learn from one another.
Nebraska food economy report provides enlightening view of local farm and food business potential.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center has selected 89 food and farm enterprises for $3.7 million in Round 1 funding through its USDA Business Builder Subaward grant program. Finalization of grant awards is currently on hold pending U.S. Secretary of Agriculture review of the RFBC program.
Two Heartland Regional Food Business Center clients from the greater Kansas City region teamed up to raise chickens. One is a farm. The other is a restaurant in need of a steady, local supply of eggs and steady, affordable prices.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center’s team of 32 business support organizations have been busy since the program’s 2023 start. They have been serving clients across the region and working to build a strong and sustainable network dedicated to building the local and regional food economy.