Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is investing more than $5.2 million in 24 Iowa projects and other supply chain improvement initiatives through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. The intent of RFSI is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain by developing and expanding markets for Iowa’s small farms and food businesses.
“As more Iowans are looking for local food options and turning to Choose Iowa to find them, the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program and other initiatives at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship are helping to strengthen supply chains and build the infrastructure behind that food production,” said Secretary Naig. “By enhancing processing capacity and reinforcing distribution networks, we’re creating more robust pathways for Iowa farmers and small businesses to bring their high-quality Iowa food and ag products to market. As a result, these projects and logistical investments will ultimately help enhance our supply chains, create jobs in rural communities and grow Iowa’s economy.”
The Department offered applications for two types of grants, including a larger infrastructure grant and a smaller equipment grant, both of which require cost-share contributions by the applicant. The Department received 60 eligible applications, and the competitive grant process aimed to support projects that strengthen the middle of the supply chain through processing, aggregation and distribution while also expanding market access for farms and small businesses. Many of the 24 selected projects will expand wholesale markets that serve schools and early care facilities as well as other institutional buyers like hospitals and colleges. The projects will also help farms and small businesses gain access to grocers and support other intermediary markets such as food hubs, post-harvest processing facilities or other distribution networks.
A portion of the overall investment, $997,040.00, will be invested into strengthening logistical connections between Iowa’s wholesale food hubs, which will lead to increased capacity, aggregation and distribution. In coordination with the Iowa Food Hub Managers Working Group, which was organized in 2015 by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa will invest in new software and the formulation of standard operating procedures for the Iowa Hub-to-Hub Network. The plan also calls for hosting a Middle of the Supply Chain Buyer and Supplier Summit to build relationships between local food buyers and producers, and to share innovative improvements to Iowa’s food system infrastructure. A supply chain coordinator will also help build new markets and sales for Iowa’s food hub network and producers.
The RFSI program, which is funded through the USDA – Agriculture Marketing Service, is administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship with operating assistance from Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development. Additional partners include Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
For the complete list of projects visit the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
