National Farm Viability Conference: Full Schedule

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1:30pm MDT

Loan-Ready Clients: A Workshop for Service Providers Who Help Make It Happen

Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT

Service providers play a critical role in helping farm and food business producers access capital. In this interactive workshop, participants will build the skills needed to move producers from "not yet" to "loan ready." Through real-world examples and hands-on discussion, explore financial analysis, business planning, business health assessments, and long-term strategy—to better prepare your clients for lender expectations and improve financing outcomes. Participants will also learn how to identify common barriers to loan readiness and develop practical strategies to address them. The workshop will highlight effective ways to support producers in organizing financial information, strengthening their business narratives, and building realistic, growth-oriented plans. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with tools, resources, and a clearer framework for guiding producers through the loan preparation process and increasing their chances of securing financing. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the key components of loan readiness for farm and food business producers, including financial, operational, and strategic factors. 2. Analyze basic financial documents (cash flow, balance sheet, income statement) to assess a producer's readiness for financing. 3. Evaluate overall business health and pinpoint common gaps that may hinder access to capital. 4. Apply practical tools and frameworks to support producers in strengthening business plans and financial positioning. 5. Prepare producers to effectively communicate with lenders and meet common underwriting expectations. 6. Develop actionable next steps to move producers from "not yet" to loan ready within their own service context.

Speakers

Andrea Krahmer

Director of Ag Business Support, Oregon Agricultural Trust

Andrea's lifelong passion for agriculture began on her family's small farm in rural Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management from Oregon State University and began her career as an agricultural lender shortly after graduation. After 19 years of... Read More →

Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT
Weavers

Accessing Capital

3:30pm MDT

Perceived vs. Real Risk: Why Good Farm Deals Don't Get Funded

Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Weavers

Risk is a four letter word in the food and farm lending ecosystem that often inhibits traditional and alternative non-food lenders from lending to more food and farm businesses. Over the years, real and perceived risk has limited access to capital for enterprises that are working to strengthen local and regional food systems. As lenders dedicated to investing in the food system, Foodshed Capital, California FarmLink, and Fair Food Network have developed risk management tools that support and guide our lending and investing strategies. In this session we will share a case study and engage participants in discussions of risk and risk mitigants for lending to food and farm businesses. We would begin by introducing the session, the presenters, and a simple farm financing case (e.g., expansion into a new market or equipment investment). As a full group, we'll present the case and allow time for clarifying questions before breaking into three facilitated small group sessions, where we'll ask participants to assess risk from different perspectives. In breakout groups, participants will be asked to map out where perceptions diverge (execution risk, market risk, financial risk, etc.) and then from there, we'd shift into solutions: what tools actually reduce risk and help get deals done? To close out, the groups would reconvene and share approaches (TA, guarantees, flexible repayment, ongoing financial support), and we'd build a collective "risk mitigation toolbox" with the diverse perspectives and experience in the room. Learning objectives: Share experience of successful ways the presenting organizations reduce risk and support their borrowers pre and post loan. Provide insight to business advisors on how lenders see risk and how they can support their clients who are seeking capital. Identify risk mitigation strategies outside of traditional credit improvement advice.

Speakers

Asia Hampton

Business Skills Advisor, California FarmLink

Asia is a Business Skills Advisor specializing in financial operations, strategy and capital access for farmers. She supports clients navigating loan readiness, standing up or standardizing their bookkeeping practices and business planning through California FarmLink. A practitioner... Read More →

Indy Brahm

Chief Operating Officer, Foodshed Capital

Indy Brahm is the COO of Foodshed Capital, where she leads lending, business support programming, and operational strategy. Since joining in 2020, she has underwritten dozens of loans to growing farm businesses and brings hands-on farm experience from three seasons at a diversified... Read More →

Joel Moyer

Director of Investments, Fair Food Network

Over the last 13 years, Joel has worked on most of the 71 mission aligned food and farm investments and loans Fair Food Network has made through the Fair Food Fund. As Director of Investments, Joel leads the team in underwriting, and structuring loans, and he leads portfolio management... Read More →

Tuesday September 22, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
Weavers

Accessing Capital