$3.7 million available to help food projects, here's how to apply

(KOAM) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Heartland Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) have announced over $3.7 million in Business Builder Grants intended to empower small, mid-sized, and diverse food and farm entrepreneurs across Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and northwest Arkansas.

These grants, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, are designed to enhance local food systems, spur business growth, and create jobs by strengthening food supply chains in rural and urban areas.

“The Regional Food Business Centers are a cornerstone of USDA’s food system transformation efforts, serving to help farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses access the resources and technical assistance they need to access new markets,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Center’s Business Builder Grant program will empower the region’s small and mid-sized farmers and food businesses to launch and expand their operations by establishing new revenue streams and gaining investors. This program is crucial to achieving the vision the Biden-Harris Administration and USDA has of a food system that fosters opportunities for regional food businesses and rural economies.”

“The Business Builder grant opportunity will inject much needed capital for building and strengthening local food systems in the Heartland,” said Katie Nixon, Heartland Center Co-Director and leader of the Food Systems Program at New Growth. “We are excited and ready to provide technical assistance to applicants on their ideas and applications. We are here to support our food and farm businesses in their efforts to feed their communities.”

Applications for the first round of grants are due by October 15, 2024 .

The Heartland RFBC, led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and New Growth, will manage the grants to support regional food markets and bolster local economies.

The Heartland Center promises to prioritize:

• Small farms and small businesses in urban and rural areas that operate along the local and regional food value chain
• Food and farm entrepreneurs from distressed communities.
• Food and farm entrepreneurs who are eager and ready to build their enterprises, from startup through growth.
• Food and farm entrepreneurs who are unsure of eligibility and where to go for assistance and unfamiliar with resources.

You can find more information and register for an informational webinar on August 28 at Heartland Food Business Center .

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