Wyden, Merkley: Oregon Businesses Statewide Receive Rural Business-Cooperative Grants and Loans

USDA rural business program helps businesses grow as well as job training for people living in rural areas

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that farms and other small businesses in Oregon have earned a combined total of over $32 million in rural business grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help them grow and continue to create job opportunities statewide.

“Our rural economies thrive when small businesses thrive,” Wyden said. “Grants and loans that help emerging businesses grow will mean more jobs and opportunity for Oregonians across the state, and marks another important step in my efforts to secure the future of Oregon’s rural economies, especially as we continue to weather this pandemic.”

“Small businesses are the backbones of our communities, and especially so in our more rural towns,” Merkley said. “I am thrilled USDA Rural Development has selected 12 different rural Oregon businesses to invest in. These funds will benefit small business owners, workers, and community members around rural Oregon by creating and saving jobs and providing important resources to get these small businesses’ products and services across the neighborhood, state, and country.”

USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs provide the capital, training, education and entrepreneurial skills that can help those living in rural areas start and grow businesses or find jobs in the agricultural economy. These investments support America’s long-term prosperity by ensuring that our rural communities are able to take care of themselves, grow and prosper. The USDA amounts and the Oregon recipients include the following:

• $249,372 to Casad Family Farms — a small family livestock ranch and farm in Madras to increase reach and accessibility of meat products from the farm through new market expansion opportunities.
• $50,000 to Wolf Gulch Farm — a certified organic pepper farm in Jacksonville to conduct third party research on economic, market, management, technical, and financial feasibility of adding products to its farm.
• $250,000 to RiverCrest Ranch — a vineyard in Jacksonville to launch its own estate bottled private wine business through developing a brand and implementing a marketing strategy.
• $250,000 to Mt Hood Forest Products — a lumber company in Hood River to expand its sale of wood chips.
• $247,137 to Mountain Valley Meat Service — a cattle ranch located in Mount Hood Parkdale to buy 20 additional cows, USDA certification, marketing purposes, packaging/butchering supplies, maps, brochures, local merchandise, and signage.
• $210,349 to Quackenbush Farm — a mixed vegetable farm in Eagle Creek to support market expansion, increasing its workforce capacity, delivery and distribution costs for wholesale and farm-to-school customers, advertising campaigns and Organic and Good Agricultural Practices certifications.
• $250,000 to Cal Farms — a small radish farm in Oregon City for new packaging and labeling, as well as hiring packing/processing personnel.
• $200,000 to Community and Shelter Assistance (CASA) in Sherwood to provide ongoing technical assistance to manage all of its housing cooperatives so that it remains viable long-term affordable housing options.
• $1,005,000 to Rambo Development in La Grande to buy a Texaco gas station with a car wash and convenience store.
• $2,150,000 to PPM Investments and Gasco to buy and operate an Exxon gas station in La Grande.
• $1,335,000 to MSP Fuel to buy and operate the Mobil gas station in La Grande.
• $2,790,000 to Island City LLC to buy and operate the Chevron station in Island City.
• $1,890,000 to K&L Investments to buy and operate the Chevron station in Baker City.
• $5,000,000 to Virk Hospitality to preserve and renovate The Bandon Inn.
• $10,062,900 to A4 Quality Property LLC to buy a turn-key Travel Centers of America truck stop with a fast food restaurant and convenience store in Huntington.
• $4,615,000 to The Lodge in Sisters — a 62-unit assisted living facility located in Sisters to buy out the three current owners.
• $24,206 to hot sauce company Hot Winter in Cottage Grove to help expand distribution and sales channels into California.
• $48,600 to Blue Elderberry Farm in Salem to develop a business and marketing plan for growing and producing organic locally sourced blue elderberry syrup.
• $250,000 to Champoeg Creek Farm — a sustainable farm in St. Paul, specializing in processing turkey meat, to expand its market share to develop broad brand name recognition.
• $250,000 to Full Farm CSA — a small organic vegetable farm in Junction City to expand the sales of organic produce in Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis through targeted marketing.
• $49,853 to Little Crow Vineyards in Portland to increase its direct-to-customer sales, processing/fermenting, bottling, and labeling.
• $250,000 to Chateau Bianca — a small winery located in Dallas to increase its canned wine customer base by buying grapes to supplement Chateau Bianca’s production and create custom processing and canning supplies.
• $250,000 to Airlie Winery & Vineyard in Monmouth to increase sales staff and online marketing, intake of grapes for wine production, and processing of grapes.
• $250,000 to Shaniko Wool Company Maupin to make Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified wool and to increase sales throughout North America.
• $250,000 to TerraSol Organics — a small microgreen farm in Williams to hire two new sales staff, design and print promotional materials, a website, and professional packaging.
• $250,000 to Diggin’ Livin’ Farm and Apiaries — a small beekeeping farm in Cave Junction to expand its line of value-added honey beverages through targeted marketing, professional branding, and larger distribution.
• $250,000 to White Estate Winery in Grants Pass to increase sales through the expansion of the company’s market and product line.
• $250,000 to Oshala Farm — a small organic family farm in Grants Pass to grow its organic herbal tea line through marketing materials and a wholesale website portal to streamline the ordering process.