New support has been announced for agricultural and forestry businesses. This relief was established by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in an effort to stabilize the food supply chain and agribusiness economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the eligible industries include: community food kitchens, craft breweries, farmers markets, food distributors, sawmills, and many more. Visit Tennessee Cares Act Management System for a full encompassing list.
Applicants must be an agricultural, food, or forestry business, or nonprofit agricultural entity in Tennessee or have a project located in Tennessee. They must demonstrate business disruption impact from March 1, 2020 to December 30, 2020 under one of the four relief categories:
- Business Disruption
- Pandemic Response
- Supply Chain Enhancement
- Increased Meat Processing Capacity
CAFB Funding is not a loan and does not need to be repaid. Funding is distributed on a reimbursement basis, which provides support from March 2020 until December 2020. Applications close Monday, August 31st; to apply visit, Tennessee Department of Agriculture website. ATA can give guidance to applicants and help with any further questions. Contact your CPA at https://www.ata.net/ata-offices/.