Business in Brief: 09/04/2010

Business

September 4, 2010

Anonymous ---- The Record Eagle Sat Sep 04, 2010, 07:14 AM EDT

Fruit-growing workshop Sept. 11

TRAVERSE CITY — A workshop on "Growing Fruit in Northern Michigan" will be held Sept. 11 from 8 to 11 a.m. at Jacob's Corn Maze and Barn Market.

The event is co-sponsored by Benzie County's Michigan State University Extension Office and features extension educator Steve Fouch. It's for people interested in growing fruit trees and will include information on site selection, soils, appropriate tree varieties, cold-hardy rootstocks, pest and disease control, pruning and training, and harvest periods. It also will include a fruit-tree tour, and trees will be available for purchase.

There's a $10 fee and the event will include coffee and baked goods. The corn maze is located at 7100 M-72 West, about 3.5 miles west of Grand Traverse Bay. More information is available from the Benzie extension office at 882-0025.

New farmers market open for business

CEDAR — A new farmers market is open in Leelanau County.

Farm 651 is located at 9595 S. Cedar Road and will be open on most days through November from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will feature fresh produce and baked goods including doughnuts, bagels, muffins, pies and other food items.

More information on the business is available by contacting Jason Roggensee at (602) 615-1995 or by visiting the market's website at http://www.farm651.com.

Federal disaster loan deadline is Oct. 1

Traverse city — The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses that Oct. 1 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans available in Michigan. The SBA declared a disaster as a result of the early frost, freeze and excessive rainfall that began on Aug. 1, 2009.

Counties in northern Michigan included in the declaration are Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Otsego and Wexford.

"When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA's Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.

Under the program, SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA.

The loan amount can be up to $2 million with a 4 percent interest rate and terms up to 30 years. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.

Disaster loan information and application forms can be obtained by calling (800) 659-2955 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA's website at www.sba.gov.