ISDA to offer grant funding for food chain resilience
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The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are partnering to provide more than $6.7 million in grant funding for projects designed to “build resilience across the middle of the supply chain.”
The agreement is part of the USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, which aims to increase distribution, aggregation, storage capacity, and facility updates and expansions in the food supply chain.
Indiana businesses and producers that work in the middle of the food chain sector, which is defined as between the farm gate and the end retail market, or in the processing and distribution sector are eligible for grant funding.
Projects that could receive funding could include creating a produce packing line, value added dairy and egg products, establishing or expanding a co-packing facility, or building a commercial kitchen.
“Our Hoosier farmers, producers, agribusinesses and consumers need a steady food supply chain system. We are grateful that USDA recognized this need in Indiana and across the country and continue to work with us to enhance our middle of the food chain businesses,” ISDA Director Don Lamb said in a news release. “These grants will go a long way in ensuring rural vitality and success for our small and mid-sized producers, processors as well as Hoosier consumers.”
Applicants will be required to demonstrate how their projects will improve resilience in the middle of the food chain, the ISDA said. The projects that receive funding must be completed between June 2024 and May 2027.
The grant funding could be used for a variety of purposes, including purchasing or upgrading equipment, infrastructure and technology; construction of a new facility or expansion of current facilities, and increasing storage space.
Applications will open on Jan. 29 and will be due by March 8 at noon ET. You can learn more about the grant program by clicking here.