The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition offers endorsement for 0% interest, no-fee Kiva loans for up to $15,000 toward agricultural and food operations.
Community members come together to support a MT farmer or local food entrepreneuer by making them a loan. Starting at $25, you can make a loan. Get repaid. Repeat!
CFAC’s Pitchfest and the KIVA Loan process is an opportunity for farmers and food businesses to pitch their business idea LIVE to a community of lenders. Every year, CFAC hosts a Pitchfest, an event where farmers looking for capital to expand their business can pitch their ideas to the community to get fully funded for a 0% interest loan.
It’s an easy 5 steps!
- Join CFAC’s lending team on KIVA here.
- Find the current local farmer or food business loan profile on CFAC’s page. (see example!)
- Make a loan to that person (starting at $25!)
- Get repaid.
- Repeat!
Watch this quick and easy video of how to join CFAC’s lending team here!
Are you a Montana farmer or local food business owner who needs a 0% interest, no fee loan?
While any business owner can apply for a Kiva loan on their own, endorsement from CFAC increases the likelihood of getting full funding and gives priority to the application when it is reviewed by Kiva. Furthermore, applicants for this program are automatically enrolled to present in our live fundraising event–Farm Fresh Pitchfest–where businesses present their Kiva loan projects in front of investors, business coaches, and community members who want to support Montana’s local food system. While this program requires participants to run a crowdfunding campaign, CFAC provides technical support and coaching, and 100% of CFAC endorsed loans have attained full funding.
Kiva does not require businesses to have a certain credit score, so this opportunity is perfect for those who are in the beginning phases of business development and have not yet had the opportunity to access capital. However, businesses of all stages of development are encouraged to apply.
This opportunity requires a initial steps and two different applications:
1) Email mary@missoulacfac.org and state your interest in a Kiva Loan.
2) Apply to CFAC for endorsement, and
3) to Kiva for a crowdfunding profile and to access your loan.
The application to CFAC for endorsement covers the needs of Kiva’s application process (application link here), so once you attain endorsement you should have the information you need to apply to Kiva without additional requirements.
CFAC has endorsed 19 loans for a total of $144,500 and our borrowers have a 100% repayment rate (remember, it’s 0% interest and has no fees!).
To learn more about Kiva, its innovative loan model, and to access the Kiva application, visit www.kiva.org/borrow
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- You and your business must be based in the United States (for CFAC endorsement you and your business must be based in Montana).
- You must be over 18 years old.
- You must be using the loan for business purposes.
- Your business must not be engaged in any of the following activities: multi-level marketing / direct sales; illegal activities (e.g. gambling, scams); or pure financial investing (e.g. stocks)
- You cannot currently be in foreclosure, bankruptcy, or under any liens.
- You must be willing to demonstrate your social capital by having a small number of your friends and family make a loan to you before your loan can enter the public funding process.
Contact us if you have more questions: bfrprogram@missoulacfac.org or 406-926-1625
Kiva.org is an international non-profit that enables passionate and determined entrepreneurs to access 0% interest small business loans by crowdfunding locally and across the world.
Click here to see the presentations from 2020’s Fourth Annual Farm Fresh Pitchfest.
Past Loans
- Moon River Ranch $8,500 for a walk-in cooler to support new veggie CSA part of business.
- MT Cross Farms $4,000 loan for efficiently and effectively feed her flock of sheep for a year
- Tangled Carrot Farm $10,000 loan in start-up equipment and fencing for her 1 acre farm
- Aspen Grove Farm $10,000 loan for irrigation infrastructure to expand the farm’s honeyberry production.
- Back to the Mother Microbrewed Kombucha $8,500 loan for bottling and labeling equipment.
- Tucker Family Farm $10,000 loan to help purchase a cheese press for their creamery.
- Front Street Fungi $9,000 loan to help purchase a steam sterilizer for his local mushroom operation.
- Southbound Flowers $5,000 loan to help cover start-up costs for her new flower farm.
- House of Ferments $6,000 loan to purchase fermentation equipment for her food and beverage business.
- Missoula Grain & Vegetable Co. $8,000 loan to buy a new greenhouse for season extension.
- Little Dancing Dog Farm $5,000 loan to help purchase a walk-behind tractor for their farm.
- SweetRoot Farm – $9,000 loan for a walking tractor and implements.
- Crow’s View Farm – $8,000 loan used to purchase a high tunnel for season extension.
- Black Bear Soup and Produce – $8,000 loan to buy a walk-behind tractor to use on her small farm.
- Hindu Hillbilly – $10,000 loan to help complete a honey house and shop so she can get licensed to sell her honey in the wholesale market.
- Wicked Good Produce – $10,00 loan to purchase a refrigerated truck to expand her local food distribution company.
- Glacier Tilth Farm – $5,000 loan for start-up cash flow for her first year in business.
- Bäckerei Provincial – $3,000 loan to buy mixing and baking equipment for her bakery and bread CSA.
- Flare Pops – $3,000 loan to buy equipment for their start-up ice pop operation.
- Ploughshare Farm – $6,000 loan to upgrade farm equipment and advertising efforts.
- County Rail Farm – $10,000 loan to help set up production at their new location and expand their farm.