Finance Sources & Uses of Capital for Food & Farm Businesses

Learn more and register here.

For growing food and farm enterprises, understanding and securing the right capital is the most critical factor for successful scale. This essential session, developed by the Food Finance Institute (FFI), moves you beyond financial basics into sophisticated strategies for accessing and deploying investment.

You will learn to master the fundamentals of capital acquisition, from building a truly 'investable' business model to strategically identifying diverse capital sources (debt, equity, grants, and more). We will dive into the creation of a comprehensive Sources & Uses of Capital table—the single most important tool for planning financial strategy, negotiating financing, and driving long-term profitability.

Learn directly from a panel of industry veterans who have successfully raised capital, scaled national brands, and advised hundreds of food and farm businesses.

Meet Your Expert Speakers

• Tera Johnson: Serial entrepreneur and Founder of the Food Finance Institute (FFI). Tera brings the firsthand experience of successfully founding and financing the nationally-recognized teraswhey®️ brand, providing unparalleled insight into raising both debt and equity.
• Charlie Sweat: Former CEO, COO, and CFO of Earthbound Farm, one of the nation’s largest organic food companies. Charlie offers decades of executive-level experience in operational finance, strategic planning, and scaling high-growth agriculture businesses.
• Vincent Rice: A seasoned expert in finance and business strategy, drawing on leadership experience from organizations like the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the finance sector, providing vital perspectives on economic strategy and capital deployment.

Agenda Timing

• 9:00 – Introduction
• 9:15 – Module / Session Content Presentations
• 10:30 – Examples review, Q&A and wrap-up

Learn more and register here.