Area Farms Receives Funding to Improve Local, Regional Food Systems

Projects are being funded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI).

Shutterstock photo.

INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has partnered with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) to award $6,714,042 million for 17 projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI).

These grants will build resilience across the middle of the supply chain while strengthening local and regional food systems.

Local farms receiving funding include: 

• Summer Solstice Farms, (Jefferson County) Summer Solstice Farms will utilize Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant funds to construct a new processing, aggregation, and storage facility in Southeast Indiana to help small farmers gain access to institutional and wholesale markets.
• Beneker Family Farms, (Franklin County) will utilize grant funds to assist in the creation of the Southeastern Indiana Food Hub. The food hub's primary focus is to create opportunities for all regional farmers to improve food supply resilience by developing and expanding their middle of the supply chain capacity. 
• Unvarnished Farm , (Jefferson County) a small-scale regenerative operation, will purchase a mobile refrigerated trailer and more efficient wash/pack station to process and deliver fresh produce to more counties in Southeast Indiana. The mobile refrigerated trailer will allow Unvarnished Farm to travel widely, increasing the integrity and variety of the produce offered, while partnering with other local producers to combine trips to locations in three communities. The larger, more efficient wash/pack station will allow Unvarnished Farm to increase the quantity and quality of goods delivered. This project will increase the financial viability of Unvarnished Farm, allowing it and other local producers to scale their product and geographic footprint while providing high quality, safe, and fresh local producer to markets, food banks and pantries, restaurants and other outlets.
• HenABen Farm, (Ripley County) seeks to expand its processing of dehydrated mushrooms and vegetables. The primary goal of this project is to acquire food processing and dehydrating equipment to create and distribute shelf-stable, value-added mushroom and vegetable products, promoting healthy alternatives for consumers and expanding economic opportunities for producers. This initiative will open new market outlets for local vegetable producers, such as grocery and health food stores, farmers' markets, and with a local health practitioner.

“Indiana farmers work hard to produce millions of pounds of fruits, vegetables and other pantry staples each year that are eventually shipped across state lines or do not even make it to market,” Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development said. “This grant funding will ensure more Hoosiers are fed by Hoosiers and that these organizations can better serve their communities.”

This awarded funding is part of the $420 million available through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant program to build capacity within the middle of the supply chain and support local and regional producers.

For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/rfsi/rfsi-rfa-status.