Corona-virus Agriculture and Forestry Business Relief Fund

As you may know, Governor Lee announced a $50 million allocation of Tennessee’s CARES Act funding for agricultural and forestry businesses in Tennessee, called the Coronavirus Agricultural and Forestry Business (CAFB) Fund. The fund is for reimbursement of expenses associated with COVID-19 response activities. The Governor’s Office, in conjunction with several partners, including the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and HORNE LLP, will manage the disbursement process for the funding.

This program is intended for agricultural and forestry businesses that have not received any other USDA or federal aid for COVID-19 relief. In order to be eligible, entities must have:

• experienced a business disruption due to COVID-19 (lost sales due to decreased demand)

• incurred costs specific to COVID-19 response and safety

• have plans for projects to aid Tennessee supply chains disrupted by COVID-19, or

• have plans to increase capacity due to increased demand within their industry, with emphasis on meat processing, expansion, and development.

The CAFB Fund will prioritize small businesses, businesses with a high percentage of Tennessee inputs, adversely COVID-affected industries, and businesses most effectively repairing a damaged agricultural and forestry supply chain.

Prior to applying, please review all program information Click Here

The website will be available Saturday, August 15 to provide all information needed to successfully apply. To receive more detailed information on the program and the application process, please register to attend a CAFB Fund webinar by clicking on the “webinar” tab

The application portal will be open by noon on Monday, August 17, 2020 and will close Monday, August 31, 2020. Applications will be reviewed at the close of the application period. Recipients will be notified on September 15, 2020.