Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Fund (AFFPIF)

In acknowledgment of the growth potential and significant investment opportunity for Maine agriculture and forestry, Governor Janet T. Mills and the 130th Maine Legislature came together to support the creation of the Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Fund. The Fund's goals are to:

• Strengthen Maine's agricultural, food, and forest products economy, prioritizing increased investments in historically marginalized, underrepresented, and underserved communities, including communities of color, low-income communities, and rural communities.

• Address barriers to capital access for businesses in these communities, helping them start, sustain, scale, and innovate.

• Expand investments in infrastructure to increase access to new markets and opportunities in production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, marketing, sale, and consumption of products.

• Establish technical assistance programs in support of these goals in collaboration with other state agencies, economic development organizations, and key institutional partners.

Authorizing statutes: 7 M.R.S. section 320-A, 320-B, and 320-C. An Advisory Board (meeting roughly the last Wednesday of the month) is guiding the fund's development.

To be determined. Fund details will continue to be developed and refined as the planning process advances and the Advisory Board provides input.

The fund is not yet accepting applications. To be notified when it launches, sign up for the DACF 'Agricultural Grants and Loans' news list: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDACF/subscriber/new?topic_id=MEDACF_36