The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has secured a substantial $12.25 million grant through the USDA's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. This funding aims to fortify Minnesota's food supply chain, creating new opportunities for small farms and food businesses while providing consumers with an increased array of locally produced value-added products.
The MDA will administer these funds as competitive grants in partnership with the USDA, with an emphasis on improving infrastructure linked to aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally derived food products.
Fruits, vegetables, dairy, cereals for human use, aquaculture, and other food products (except meat and fowl) are all eligible. Furthermore, the project will provide business development services to both new and established food enterprises.
To shape the priorities of the grant and business development programs, the MDA invites public input through an online survey until July 31, 2023. Furthermore, stakeholders can participate in two virtual listening sessions:
Tuesday, July 18, 2023, between 12 and 1 p.m.Sign up for this event
Wednesday, July 27, 2023, from 7-8 p.m.Sign up for this event
Distribution of the funds from the Minnesota RFSI Initiative is scheduled to commence in 2024.
Visit the MDA's Local and Regional Markets webpage for additional information on the four-year RFSI Initiative. Michael Zastoupil can be reached at Michael.Zastoupil@state.mn.us or 651-201-6369 for questions or assistance with survey access.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-d-keine
Categories: Minnesota, Business, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Livestock, Dairy Cattle