United States Department of Agriculture
Rural Business and Cooperative Service
Loan and Grant Programs
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
USDA Rural Business and Cooperative Service
Judith A. Canales has more than 20 years of experience
working in federal government and local government
administrations and in nonprofit management. During the
Clinton Administration, she served in the as the Acting
Associate Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative
Service in Washington, DC and as the Deputy State Director
at the Rural Development State Office in Texas.
Judith Canales specializes in rural, urban, community, and
economic development. She is responsible for overseeing the
Agency’s $10.7 billion national portfolio and is involved in
providing financing to small businesses and cooperatives
throughout rural America.
Judith A. Canales
Administrator
Rural Business and Cooperative Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Development
Ms. Canales has a Master of Public Administration from
Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government,
Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Trinity University in San
Antonio, and a Bachelor degree in Journalism from the
University of Texas at Austin.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
Business and Cooperative Programs
Rural Business and Cooperative Service (RBS) offers programs and services that help
small rural businesses and agricultural producers create good paying, sustainable jobs
and improve the quality of life throughout rural America.
Business Programs - works in partnership with private sector and the communitybased organizations to improve the economic conditions in rural communities by
providing direct and guaranteed loans and grants for projects that help create and save
jobs and promote clean rural environments. Recipients include individuals,
corporations, public and private companies, cooperatives, Indian tribes, and nonprofit
organizations.
Cooperative Programs - promotes the use of the cooperative form of business as a
viable option for marketing and distributing agricultural products. Our programs serve
cooperative members, directors, management, educational institutions, organizations,
rural residents, and all others with an interest in the cooperative form of business.
 From FY 2009 through 2011, RBS obligated over $6.95 billion, provided 12,214 direct
and guaranteed loans and grants, assisted 50,082 businesses, and helped create or save
266,082 jobs.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
Business Programs
Business Programs
• Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan (B&I)
• Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG)
• Intermediary Relending Program (IRP)
• Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance
Program (RMAP)
• Rural Economic Development Loan/Grant Program (REDLG)
• Rural Energy for America (REAP)
• Bioenergy Programs
 From FY 2009 through 2011, Business Programs obligated over $6.89
billion, provided 11,762 loans and grants, assisted 49,018 businesses, and
helped create or save 263,516 jobs.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programs
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides financial assistance
to agricultural producers and small rural businesses so they can purchase and
install renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements to
non-residential buildings and facilities, and participate in energy audits and
feasibility studies. Our energy efficiency and renewable energy projects
include biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric projects.

Since 2003, REAP has helped more than 13,000 rural small businesses and
agricultural producers save enough energy to power nearly 600,000
American homes for a year.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
Cooperative Programs
Cooperative Programs
• Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG)
• Small Socially-Disadvantaged Producer Grant
(SSDPG)
• Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG)
• Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG)
• 1890 Land-Grant Institutions Rural Entrepreneurial Outreach and
Development Initiative
 From FY 2009 through 2011, Cooperative Programs obligated over $58.4
million, provided 452 loans and grants, assisted 1,045 businesses, and
helped create or save 2,566 jobs.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
USDA Rural Business and Cooperative Service
How do I apply?
For more information on Rural Business Service loan guarantees, direct loans,
and grant programs, please visit our website at www.usda.gov.
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
17th Annual Capitol Forum
USDA Rural Business and Cooperative Service
Contact Information
USDA Rural Development
Rural Business and Cooperative Service
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Telephone: (202) 690-4730
USDA Rural Development website: www.rurdev.usda.gov
Thank You!