Tag: Innovation

Innovative DE Ag Projects Receive $665K

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Delaware Department of Agriculture Awards Over $665,000 for Innovative Projects to Improve Food Supply Chain

DOVER, Del.  — The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) today announced it is awarding $665,872 in funding to 12 projects through the First State Food System Program. The program, managed by the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, strengthens the local food system by supporting the broad food supply chain spectrum.

“We have had an outstanding response to the funding available through the First State Food System Program, demonstrating the continuing need to strengthen Delaware’s food supply chain infrastructure and create new and expanded markets for our farmers and producers,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse.

The First State Food System Program is designed to highlight the interconnection of systems and processes that shape nutrition, food security, health, community development, and agriculture. Since this program began in 2022, nearly $350,000 has been awarded to projects addressing community food access and approximately $500,000 to projects improving processing capacity across the state.

T.A. Farms, LLC received Cycle 1 funding for their “Poultry Revamping Project.” Producer Elizabeth Carter shared, “We would process roughly 450 birds in about five hours with our old system. Our new system can process about 700 birds in the same amount of time. Especially during our holiday season, this allows us to process the birds efficiently, allowing for a fresher product. The beneficiaries are all the consumers looking for fresh local meat, the organizations we have donated to, and our family members. Creating a physically easier work environment allows our family members to think about the future. It allows us the mindset to think long-term in the meat business.”

Awards are approved to support projects in each county. Each awarded project is designed to help Delaware’s food supply chain. The planned work will focus on one or more of the following: food processing, distribution, community access, and food production. In this year’s funding for Cycle 2:

  • 50% of projects were awarded to Delaware farms.
  • 34% of the projects were awarded to community organizations focused on community development, nutrition education, and food access.
  • Many of the projects related to processing, storage, and distribution include the collaboration of two or more food supply chain operators.

The First State Food System Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), championed by Delaware’s Congressional Delegation – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. Passed by Congress, ARPA was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021.

Projects funded in Cycle 2 include the following:

Production

  • Bennett Orchards LLC, Wind Machine Freeze Protection to Mitigate Climate Change Effects and Strengthen Local Fruit Supply

Transportation

  • Marvelous Produce, Strengthening Delaware’s Fruit and Vegetable Supply Chain – Farm to End User

Markets and Industry

  • Powers Farm, Farm Store Expansion

Food Waste

  • Food Bank of Delaware, Compact Membrane Fresh Produce Preservation Phase 2

Processing

  • Fifer Orchards, Local Food System – Farm-to-Table Kitchen
  • Dittmar Family Farms LLC, Vegetable Processing and Cold Storage Expansion (Also includes storage and distribution)
  • D & J Custom Cutting, Ready-to-Eat Meat Processing
  • TA Farms LLC, Value-added Products

Storage and Distribution

  • Love-in-Deed Community Development, Food Closet Capacity Building & Super Foods Urban Garden Project

Community Access

  • La Red Health Center, Sussex County Community Fridge Program
  • Teach a Person to Fish Society, Milton Pantry Garden Beds
  • Wilmington Alliance, Growing West Center City: 7th & West Streets Community Garden

Last year, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) received funding for their project – Strengthening the Farm to Pantry Food System in Sussex County. HLFM Volunteer Nancy Staisey stated, “Volunteers and farmers both embraced the expansion of this program. The small farms are very enthusiastic about this program as they can sell more product while being able to feed those in need.”

The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy plans to open the window for the last round of funding under the First State Food System Program beginning in February 2023. Complete program information can be found at https://farmandfood.delaware.gov.

The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy strives to facilitate and support a local food system where farmers can access viable markets, Delaware households can access nutritious and wholesome food options within their communities, and where the impacts of supply chain disruptions can be diminished.

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Delaware is #1 Entrepreneur-Driven Economy

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Entrepreneurs Are Driving the Most Economic Growth In These 10 U.S. States, According to Shopify Internal Data

A recent report found that Delaware, Wyoming, and California were leading in entrepreneurial contributions to their local economies in 2022.

Being an entrepreneur or self-starter doesn’t just mean you’re contributing to your own financial success, you’re also contributing to the local economy.

A recent report by the e-commerce platform Shopify analyzed the economic impact of entrepreneurs worldwide by measuring how people in the platform’s ecosystem contributed to jobs supported (the number of jobs sustained by entrepreneurs who use Shopify’s platform to sell goods and services), GDP impact (value of goods and services produced by merchants), and business activity (merchant revenue plus the revenue of suppliers who provide materials and services).

Overall, entrepreneurs in Shopify’s ecosystem supported 5.2 million jobs globally in 2022 (an 8.3% increase from 2021) and generated $490.5 billion in economic activity (+8.6%).

Leading Shopify’s global ranking was the U.S., with over $270 billion generated from business activity, 1.1 million jobs supported, and a GDP impact of $128.7 billion. The second and third spots were both in Eastern Europe — Lithuania (No. 2) and Romania (No. 3) — followed by the United Kingdom (No. 4) and the Czech Republic (No. 5).

In the U.S., Delaware was the top state for entrepreneurial contribution to the economy with business activity of $2.2 billion, 9,280 jobs supported, and a GDP impact of over $1 billion.

After Delaware, the Mountain States dominated the ranks, with three out of the top five across the country being in the region: Wyoming (No. 2), Montana (No. 4), and Utah (No. 5). California ranked No. 3, and was also independently leading for the most jobs created across the country at 134,024.

Here are the top 10 U.S. states where entrepreneurs in Shopify’s ecosystem are generating the most business for their economy:

Delaware:
Business activity: $2.2 billion
Jobs Supported: 9,280 jobs supported
GDP Impact: $1 billion

Wyoming:
Business activity: $912 million
Jobs Supported: 3,710
GDP Impact: $416 million

California:
Business activity: $57.6 billion
Jobs Supported: 235,237
GDP Impact: $26.6 billion

Montana:
Business activity: $694 million
Jobs Supported: 2,838
GDP Impact: $325 million

Utah:
Business activity: $6.9 billion
Jobs Supported: 28,081
GDP Impact: $3.1 billion

Nevada:
Business activity: $3.4 billion
Jobs Supported: 13,885
GDP Impact: $1.5 billion

Alabama:
Business activity: $2.6 billion
Jobs Supported: 10,832
GDP Impact: $1.2 billion

Florida:
Business activity: $15.5 billion
Jobs Supported: 63,560
GDP Impact: $7.2 billion

Idaho:
Business activity: $1.3 billion
Jobs Supported: 5,612
GDP Impact: $639 million

Hawaii:
Business activity: $826 million
Jobs Supported: 3,380
GDP Impact: $389 million

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$60.9M in SSBCI Funds for Delaware

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Delaware approves $60M to support small businesses

Delaware Governor John Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced the approval of Delaware’s state plan for $60.9 million in funding under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The SSBCI is a program through the U.S. Department of Treasury that was reauthorized under the American Rescue Plan Act to support small businesses and entrepreneurship and expand access to capital.

Delaware will operate four programs: a capital access program, a loan participation program, and two equity/venture capital programs. The loan participation program will offer up to 50 percent participation in small business loans for equipment and working capital. The Delaware Early Stage VC Program will support the formation of new VC funds with Delaware-based managers, focused on investments in underserved startups. The Delaware Accelerator and Seed Capital Program will support an estimated three accelerator programs, supporting idea-stage startups, including those developed by underserved owners and managers.

“This new funding will be another resource to strengthen small businesses and create good jobs up and down our state,” Governor Carney said in a statement. “It will promote entrepreneurship and provide more resources for early-stage incubation programs. It will also help diverse businesses access capital and leverage additional private dollars that companies need to grow. I want to thank President Biden, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and members of our congressional delegation for making these new resources available.”

“The role of government is to create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative is a great example of creating a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs to be able to compete with their bigger counterparts to get their business off the ground,” Sen. Carper said. “This is one more tool in the toolbox that is available for small businesses to grow and thrive.”

“Tens of millions of dollars to help small Delaware businesses get loans, support underserved entrepreneurs, provide seed capital for cutting-edge startups — these funds will provide a critical lifeline for the small businesses that make up the backbone of the First State’s economy,” said Sen. Coons.“My Small Business Access to Capital Act, which was enacted in the American Rescue Plan, revived a proven program to provide small businesses with the capital they need to grow, and I couldn’t be happier to finally bring these funds to the Delaware businesses that need this help the most.”

“Today’s announcement is another demonstration of the strong commitment the Biden Administration has to investing in small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country,” Rep. Blunt Rochester said. “I am thrilled that Delaware is going to receive over $60 million under the State Small Business Credit Initiative, funding made possible through the historic American Rescue Plan Act that I voted for, to support critical initiatives including a capital access program, a loan participation program, and two equity/venture capital programs. With this funding, small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved areas will have expanded access to capital, be able to grow their businesses, and help bolster our local economy all at the same time.”

The American Rescue Plan Act, championed by Senators Carper and Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, reauthorized and expanded SSBCI, and was highly successful in increasing access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The new SSBCI builds on this successful model by providing nearly $10 billion to states, the District of Columbia, territories, and Tribal governments to increase access to capital and promote entrepreneurship, especially in traditionally underserved communities as they emerge from the pandemic. This includes $2.5 billion in funding and incentives to support underserved businesses. SSBCI funding is expected to catalyze up to $10 of private investment for every $1 of SSBCI capital funding, amplifying the effects of this funding and providing small business owners with the resources they need to sustainably grow and thrive.

In January, the Census Bureau released data which showed that over the last two years Americans have applied to start 10.5 million new businesses, making 2021 and 2022 the strongest two years on record for new business applications. The investments being made through SSBCI are a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to keep this small business boom going by expanding access to capital and by providing entrepreneurs the resources they need to succeed. The work Treasury has done through SSBCI’s implementation process to help these funds reach traditionally underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs will continue to be critical to ensuring the small business boom lifts up communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

This article was originally posted on the Delaware Business Times website at: https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news-briefs/60m-support-small-businesses/

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