Maple Business Resources
Being profitable with a maple business is not always easy. Fortunately, there are several organizations and programs available to support maple producers with business and financial planning, accessing loans, and finding the few grant programs to support expansion of maple operations.
Financing Your Operation
Financial Planning Resources and Mentoring:
- UMaine Cooperative Extension Maple Team can sit down with you to discuss your financial goals and get you pointed towards the most relevant resources.
- SCORE Maine experienced volunteer farm business mentors.
- University of Vermont Maple Management Team.
- Extensive Maple Business Planning Modules, Calculators, and Templates to help you plan.
Resources for Leasing a Sugarbush
- Land for Good’s Build a Lease Tool
- Securing Sound Sugarbush Leases – “Country Folks” article
Farm and Maple Specific Loan, Grant, and Cost Share Programs:
- USDA: Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service
Contact your local USDA Service Center for more information about the following programs. Some of their funding programs for maple producers include:
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- Farm Storage Facility Loans (sap tanks, hauling trucks, syrup storage space, etc.)
- Farm Loan Programs including;
- Direct and Guaranteed Farm Operating Loans
- Direct and Guaranteed Farm Ownership Loans
- Direct Microloans
- Direct Emergency Loans (From declared natural disasters)
- Guaranteed Conservation Loans (Implementing conservation practices)
- Direct Youth Loans (for aspiring farmers ages 10 to 20 y/0)
- The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Financial Cost Share and Technical Assistance
- Energy Efficiency (Steam hoods, RO installation, etc.)
- Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) (Cost Share)
- Sugarbush (Forestry) Management Plans
- Crop Insurance Programs
- Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
- Financial assistance to replant trees lost due to natural disasters
- Energy Efficiency Improvement Incentive Programs
- USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
- Efficiency Maine programs to improve efficiency of energy use
- Agricultural Solutions Program
- Commercial and Industrial Prescriptive Incentive Program
- Commercial and Industrial Custom Program (Free audits for energy reduction potential)
- Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
- Agriculture Marketing Loan Fund helps Maine agricultural businesses undertake projects to enhance the viability and vitality of the farm, and improve the manufacturing, marketability and production of their products.
- Maine Farms for the Future Program is a competitive grant program that provides selected farms with business planning assistance and investment support.
- Agricultural Development Grants provides cost-share grants to conduct market promotion, market research and development, value-added processing and new technology demonstration projects.
- Tax Incentive Programs
- Other Funding Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administrator (SBA Loans)
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) Financing and Sustainable Business Funding.
- Farm Credit East (FCE). Agricultural specialization for loans, and financial advising and support.
- Finance Authority of Maine (FAME). Loans and agriculture specific funding programs.
- MOFGA Technical Assistance Grants help organic certified farmers, processors and food entrepreneurs access technical assistance for their business (i.e., business planning, market research or expansion, production and scaling up assistance, accessing new markets, etc.)
- Your local credit union or bank.
Links to external sites are provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any content on the linked sites.
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