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Funding needs of farm and food businesses
1.
Which of the following best describes your farm or food business's MAIN operation?
Production agriculture - dairy
Production agriculture - fruits/veg
Production agriculture - livestock
Production agriculture - other
Food/beverage processing
Winery/cidery/brewery/distillery
Food/beverage retail sales
Food/beverage wholesale distribution
None/Don't know
Other (please specify)
2.
How long has this business been operating?
Just starting up
Less than 5 years
5 to 10 years
10 to 20 years
More than 20 years
Don't know
Other (please specify)
3.
Is this business your main source of income?
Yes
No
Don't know
Other (please specify)
4.
Are you currently in need of additional funding for this business?
Yes
No
Don't know
Other (please specify)
5.
If the business does need additional funding, what g
eneral purposes
is the funding needed for?
(Select all that apply)
Developing a new product line
Transitioning into new types of production (e.g., from dairy to grains)
Transition to value-added production or food/beverage processing (e.g., potato production to distilling for vodka)
Adding or expanding agri-tourism (on-farm sales, farm stays, farm tours)
Expanding to new markets (direct to consumer sales, wholesale/retail)
Increasing transportation/distribution capabilities
Improving on-farm safety
Modernizing existing equipment or infrastructure (e.g., barn repair)
Adapting to climate change (e.g., installing stormwater management / drainage systems, preventing soil erosion, carbon farming, etc.)
Don’t know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
6.
If the business does need additional funding, what
specific purposes
is funding needed for?
(Select all that apply)
Purchasing equipment
Purchasing, building or renovating structures
Purchasing land
Purchasing vehicle or vehicle repair
Land improvements
Working capital for supplies
Working capital for marketing or promotion or wholesale readiness
Refinancing an existing loan
Hiring service providers (e.g., lawyer, safety auditor, business consultant, etc.)
Don’t know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
7.
If you were to get the needed funding, where do you see yourself and your business in 5 years?
8.
Are you aware of funding sources that might meet your business needs as noted above?
Yes
No
Don't know
Other (please specify)
9.
If you are aware of funding sources that would address your needs, have you applied for a grant or loan or taken other steps to access those resources?
Yes
No
Don't know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
10.
If you are not aware of funding sources that would meet your businesses needs, what would you say is the MAIN reason you are not aware:
(Specify all that apply)
I haven’t looked very hard, it may be out there
I looked but no funder offers funding for what I need (as far as I know)
I don’t have time
I need a referral to point me in the right direction
Don’t know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
11.
If you haven't previously applied for a loan or grant for your business needs, what are the most important reasons preventing you from doing so?
(Check up to three)
Not sure how
Too much paperwork
Most grants are reimbursement based and I don’t have enough capital to front the costs
Grants are so competitive, I’d probably waste time applying and not get anything out of it
Not eligible
Interest rates are too high
Down payment requirements are too high
I prefer not to take on debt
My debt-to-income ratio is too high
I don’t have a business plan
I need a non-profit fiscal sponsor to apply for a grant on my behalf
Don't know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
12.
If you have previously applied for a loan or grant for this business, how easy or difficult was the application process?
Very easy
Easy
Difficult
Very difficult
Don't know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
13.
Which, if any, of the following funding sources have you applied for and/or received in the past?
(Select all that apply)
Federal grants (e.g., USDA Value-added Producer grants)
State grants (e.g., New York State Beginning Farmer grants or Empire State Development grants)
Local grants (e.g., county economic development grant)
FSA guaranteed bank loans (e.g., NBT Bank)
Conventional Non-guaranteed bank loans (e.g., NYBDC)
Private loans or investments (Non-family) (e.g., Dirt Capital or Local Farms Fund)
Crowdsourcing loan (e.g., Kiva)
None/Don’t know
Other (please specify)
14.
If you have previously applied for a loan or grant for this business, what would you want to change about that experience?
15.
If you have received a grant or loan for this business, how was your experience after receiving it? Is there anything you would wish to change about that experience?
16.
If you have applied for a grant or loan and not been funded, what is your understanding of the primary reason?
(Select all that apply)
Too competitive
My application or business plan was perceived as not strong enough
Insufficient credit history
Credit score too low
Insufficient down payment
My debt-to-income ratio is too high
Not eligible for other reasons
Don’t know
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
17.
Thinking about our region, what existing funding sources do you believe are most valuable for local farm and food businesses?
(Select all that apply)
Commercial bank loans
County microenterprise
Federal grants
State grants
County/municipal grants
Crowdsource funding channels
Private investors
Don’t know
Other (please specify)
18.
What additional funding information or resources would be helpful to further your business goals?
19.
Which New York County are you located in?
Albany
Allegany
Bronx
Broome
Cattaraugus
Cayuga
Chautauqua
Chemung
Chenango
Clinton
Columbia
Cortland
Delaware
Dutchess
Erie
Essex
Franklin
Fulton
Genesee
Greene
Hamilton
Herkimer
Jefferson
Kings (Brooklyn)
Lewis
Livingston
Madison
Monroe
Montgomery
Nassau
New York (Manhattan)
Niagara
Oneida
Onondaga
Ontario
Orange
Orleans
Oswego
Otsego
Putnam
Queens
Rensselaer
Richmond (Staten Island)
Rockland
Saint Lawrence
Saratoga
Schenectady
Schoharie
Schuyler
Seneca
Steuben
Suffolk
Sullivan
Tioga
Tompkins
Ulster
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Westchester
Wyoming
Yates
Not in New York
20.
May we follow up with some additional questions?
Yes
No
21.
Please enter your contact information:
Name
Farm/Business name
City/Town
Email Address
Phone Number
Current Progress,
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