By Blake Jackson
More than $2 million in grants has been awarded to 27 Kentucky agricultural businesses to boost resilience in the middle of the supply chain and enhance local and regional food systems, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell announced.
“Creating greater protection for our food supply chains provides an increased level of confidence in the food and products we grow and sale in Kentucky,” Commissioner Shell said. “These proactive steps are just one way we protect what we eat and create better lives for Kentuckians and beyond.”
The grants are part of the $8.6 million allocated to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program.
Nationwide, USDA awarded $420 million to strengthen the middle segment of the food supply chain, create market opportunities for small farms and food businesses, encourage value-added production, and support fair prices, wages, and safe jobs.
Eligible projects under the program expand capabilities in areas like aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution for specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other products excluding meat and poultry.
Funded through the American Rescue Plan, the RFSI program provided states with formula funding. KDA partnered with USDA to award competitive subgrants for infrastructure and equipment.
A five-member panel reviewed 138 applications seeking over $39 million in funding to select projects best aligned with program guidelines. This round focused solely on equipment-only grants.
Applicants could request cost-share support ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, with approved equipment eligible for full funding.
Recipients include:
- Wise Bird Cider Co., Lexington - $100,000 for a pasteurization system.
- Circle G. Farms, Danville - $100,000 for grain cleaning and milling equipment.
- Haney’s Appledale Farm LLC, Nancy - $100,000 for apple processing and refrigeration.
- Cecil Farm Produce LLC, Owensboro - $100,000 for a refrigerated truck.
- Maple Crest Farm, Manchester - $100,000 for egg washing, grading, and refrigeration equipment.
Other awardees include dairy, produce, honey, orchard, and specialty crop operations across the state, receiving between $10,434 and $100,000 for equipment such as refrigeration units, processing machinery, packing lines, and transportation vehicles to strengthen Kentucky’s food system infrastructure.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-fatcamera
Categories: Kentucky, Business, Government & Policy