By Blake Jackson
Kentucky's agriculture industry received a welcome boost with an $8.6 million grant from the USDA's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. This grant aims to strengthen local and regional food systems by investing in infrastructure and equipment for processing, storage, and distribution.
The program targets businesses and organizations working with a variety of food products, excluding meat and poultry. Examples include specialty crops, dairy, grains, and aquaculture. Eligible projects can receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $3 million, with matching funds required depending on the applicant's status.
Kentucky's Department of Agriculture (KDA) will manage the grant program and partner with organizations like The Kentucky Center for Agriculture & Rural Development to assist with program coordination. Applications for two categories are open: infrastructure and equipment-only grants.
The infrastructure category supports larger projects like building processing facilities or expanding storage capacity. Equipment-only grants fund purchases of equipment like coolers, trucks, or processing machinery. Both categories aim to improve efficiency and capacity within the "middle of the supply chain," focusing on processing and distribution stages.
Applicants are required to have a federal “Unique Entity ID” (UEI) number, therefore interested entities without a UEI are encouraged to make application for their UEI at SAM.gov.
This initiative aims to create new revenue opportunities for Kentucky farmers, provide more local food options for consumers, and generate fair wages and job creation within the food system. Applications are open until April 5th, 2024, encouraging farmers, food businesses, and other eligible entities to apply and contribute to a more resilient and robust Kentucky food system.
Photo Credit: kentucky-agricultural-board
Categories: Kentucky, Government & Policy