Florida offers over $8 million in grant funding to support local food production
Florida accepts applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through Aug. 5, 2024.
Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has a cooperative agreement with Florida under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, or RFSI. Through this agreement, USDA and Florida are working together to offer over $8 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain.
In May 2023, USDA announced the availability of up to $420 million through RFSI to strengthen local and regional food systems. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories. RFSI is authorized by the American Rescue Plan. Updates for each state’s Request for Applications for the RFSI program are available on the AMS website.
“This partnership between USDA and Florida is allowing critical funding to reach areas of the supply chain that need it most,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The projects funded through this program will create new opportunities for the region’s small and midsize producers to thrive, expand access to nutritious food options, and increase supply chain resiliency.”
Using RFSI funding, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will fund projects that build resilience within the middle of the supply chain while strengthening local and regional food systems. The projects will focus on supporting Florida farmers and producers. The program is a competitive infrastructure opportunity to expand the capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, infrastructure, storing, transporting, wholesaling and distribution of regional agricultural products. An electronic questionnaire was posted on the department’s website to help identify underserved producers and help develop the state’s priorities for this grant funding.
Those interested in receiving a subaward should apply directly through FDACS by Aug. 5, 2024. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers and underserved communities.
For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure web page.
Source: USDA's AMS
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