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Centers & Center Partners can now subscribe to the Regional Food Business Center Digest directly! Simply forward this message to your key partners and technical assistance providers and click the subscription link here or in the footer of this newsletter to sign up.
This Digest is specifically for the Regional Food Business Center partners. Continue scrolling to learn more about upcoming resources and events.
February 2025
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USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center Hosts Quarterly Webinar Series
 The USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center hosts a quarterly webinar series designed to highlight innovative projects led by its partners across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. These webinars give attendees an in-depth understanding of the Center's initiatives, focusing on business development and support for local producers, farmers, and ranchers.
Each session highlights important projects within the region, encouraging collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry professionals. The webinars are free and open to everyone, offering a valuable resource for those interested in sustainable food systems and agricultural advancements.
Upcoming Webinar: Agriculture and Agricultural Technology
Date: April 16, 2025
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m. ET
Register here
For details on upcoming and past webinars, visit: www.swfoodbiz.org
Past Meetings
February Network of Centers: Working with CDFIs, philanthropy, and other fiscal sponsors., February 4
The first trio of Centers to lead in our new NoC format (Southwest, Southeast, and North Central) reminded us it's never too late to think about engaging finance and funders to expand food systems investments. The discussion highlighted strategies for leveraging non-financial resources to support program sustainability, including collaboration with philanthropy and Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). We also announced the launch of the RFBC Financial Institution Community of Practice (CoP), (see below for further information).
Notes from this meeting are available in the RFBC Resource Hub.
Program Administration Meeting: Inaugural call, February 11
The RFBC Program Administration Meeting is established to ensure all RFBC programmatic and administrative updates are shared regularly and consistently with RFBC lead and partner organizations. The RFBC Program Administration Meetings are a central channel to streamline “need to know” information to Centers and the RFBC Team.
In our inaugural call, we shared more about the purpose and structure of the Program Administration Meetings, what you can expect in future calls, and of course updates on all RFBC program, policy, and administrative happenings. Program Administration Meetings are open to all Center staff.
Notes from this meeting are available in the RFBC Resource Hub.
Register for the next meeting (March 11) here.
Upcoming Meetings
RFBC Financial Institution Community of Practice, February 26, 1:00 p.m. ET
Financial Institution Community of Practice. Co-lead by USDA AMS and LOCUS, participants will explore finance-related topics spanning technical assistance, funding, and resource sharing. With an initial emphasis on opportunities for collaboration with Community Development Finance Institutions, the CoP will identify resources to support growth and innovation across regional food systems and discuss strategies to amplify and sustain the impact of the RFBC program.
Register for the first meeting (February 26) here.
The TA Provider and TA Recipient Experience, February 26, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
As Centers launch various types of TA, February’s discussion will focus on how Centers are managing these partners and evaluating their impact, including through feedback from program recipients to ensure TA success. Attendees will also be asked to think about their Center’s TA recipient journey. That is, what does the journey from recruitment to engagement to participation to follow-through look like from the client’s perspective?
As a reminder, Tea ‘n TA is not recorded, and Mural serves as a place to find summaries of discussions and key takeaways.
Tools to Enhance Your Business Management Webinar Series
Join the Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM) every Thursday from February 6 to May 1 for a weekly webinar series designed to strengthen your business management skills.
Date: Every Thursday, February 6, 2025 - May 1, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Cost: Free
Webinar Schedule:
February 20: Business Planning: Marketing
February 27: Business Planning: Management & Organization
March 6: Business Planning: Financials
March 13: Business Planning: Wrap Up
March 20: How much does it cost to grow? (Part I)
March 27: How much does it cost to grow? (Part II)
April 3: No Webinar
April 10: Where should I market my products?
April 17: How much did that market make?
April 24: FSA Programs, Farm Answers, and USDA Beginning Farmer Programs
May 1: Putting it all together
Local Food Marketing Practices Survey
The next Local Food Marketing Practices Survey is open for public comment through March 31, 2025. Initially conducted in 2015, this next installment will allow USDA to collect data to measure changes and growth within the local food industry on a national basis. Conducted as a follow-up to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the target population will focus on respondents who reported product sales directly to consumers or to retail outlets that in turn sold directly to consumers.
2025 National Food Hub Survey
The National Food Hub Survey is now open! Conducted by Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS), this survey marks the sixth national effort to gather data on the economic growth, activities, opportunities, and challenges of food hubs across the United States.
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