MDA Receives $12.25 Million to Support Food Systems Infrastructure
Public input is sought on how to prioritize the funds
St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has received $12.25 million through the USDA?s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program to help strengthen Minnesota?s food supply chain between the farmer and consumer by investing in infrastructure. The result of these investments will be more and stronger markets for small farms and food businesses to access, as well as an increase in locally made value-added products for consumers throughout the state.
The MDA will work in partnership with USDA to distribute these funds as competitive grants to invest in the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products. Eligible food products include fruits and vegetables, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products (excluding meat and poultry). The project will also fund business development services for new and established food companies.
The MDA is currently seeking public input to help shape priorities for the grant and business development programs. Interested parties have until July 31, 2023, to submit responses through an online survey. The MDA will also be hosting two virtual listening sessions where stakeholders can provide feedback:
The Minnesota RFSI Initiative will begin distributing funds in 2024.
More information about the four-year RFSI Initiative can be found on the MDA?s Local and Regional Markets webpage. Questions about the program or requests for survey access assistance may be directed to Michael Zastoupil at [email protected] or 651-201-6369.
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