675b16a4a3cb3230e14b5fb6 Usdaadobestock 599878417 Editorial Use Only

USDA Offers $124 Million in Grants for Small and Mid-Sized Food Businesses

Dec. 12, 2024
Business Builder grants focus on local and regional supply chain assistance in each of the 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers.

USDA today said it’s made available $124 million in Business Builder grants to support small and mid-sized farm and food businesses by funding projects that increase business viability, develop regional market opportunities and expand value chain capacity.

Business Builder grants are for small and mid-sized food and farm businesses, including agricultural producers, processors, aggregators, distributors and other businesses within each region of the 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers (RFBCs). They provide financial assistance to support farm and food businesses producing in, sourcing from and focused on local and regional markets.

The grants are being offered through the 12 RFBCs and are a part of their work to support a more resilient, diverse and competitive food system by providing assistance to access local and regional supply chains, including linking producers to wholesalers and distributors.

The 12 RFBCs are: Delta, Great Lakes Midwest, Islands and Remote Areas, Northeast, Rio Grande Colonias, Southeast, Appalachia, Heartland, North Central, Northwest and Rocky Mountain, Southwest and National Intertribal Food Business Center.

More information can be found on the Regional Food Business Centers webpage.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.

Sponsored Recommendations

Refrigerated transport services you can count on

Ensure product quality from origin to final destination with refrigerated shipping solutions from Schneider.

4 shipping challenges that a dedicated carrier can solve

Navigating the logistics industry is challenging. Find out how a dedicated transportation solution can solve some of the most common shipping challenges.

Dedicated lightweight solution maximizes bottled water payload

A leading bottled water company needed a carrier to transport water from 29 plants to retailers. The challenge? Handling over 46,000 pounds. Read the study.

Recipe for successful growth: Schneider’s dedicated fleet services helps bakery rise

Learn how a large bakery company complimented their private fleet with Schneider Dedicated freight services to increase freight capacity, amplify visibility & reduce costs.