The Missouri Department of Agriculture is set to receive nearly seven million dollars from the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, a move aimed at fortifying the food supply chain.
The initiative seeks to enhance resilience in the mid-food supply chain, offering better markets for small farms and food businesses, supporting value-added products, fair wages, and creating job opportunities in rural communities.
The funds will be distributed as competitive grants, promoting aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, and distribution of locally produced food. Eligible products include fruits, vegetables, dairy, human-consumption grains, aquiculture, and other food items, excluding meat and poultry.
Two grant applications are available: Simplified Equipment-Only Grant for equipment purchases and Infrastructure Grant for building or facility improvements. The deadline for Simplified Equipment-Only Grant applications is the end of today, while Infrastructure Grant applications must be submitted by March 15th. The anticipated award date is July 1st.
Click here to read more kxcv.org
Photo Credit: missouri-department-of-agriculture
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Government & Policy