A news release yesterday from GreenStone Farm Credit Services indicated that, “GreenStone Farm Credit Services, a leading rural community and agricultural lender, has made a $25,000 contribution to the Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator. The Incubator is a non-profit organization focused on helping farmers and entrepreneurs rapidly commercialize their ag-technology machinery, equipment or software ideas and inventions.
“The contribution from the Michigan based ag-lender will be utilized by the Incubator to provide business startup services to clients. In addition to a financial sponsorship of the Incubator, GreenStone will offer its expertise to Incubator clients in areas such as financial counseling, lending to qualified clients and business finance training to clients and ag-tech entrepreneurs.”
The news item noted that, “The Incubator specializes in helping farmers, entrepreneurs and existing businesses commercialize, license, or sell their ag-technology inventions. The types of hands-on, customized business startup services provided by the Incubator team include, but are not limited to: validating business concepts; assessing intellectual property; confirming product engineering; preparing business plans and financial pro forma documents; developing markets and distribution channels for products; helping to obtain business financing; and connecting clients with manufacturing and agri-business experts to assist with prototyping and product testing.”