Farmers and food businesses are both eligible for a $3.7 million grant from the USDA and Heartland Regional Food Business Center. (Photo by Susan J. Demas/Michigan Advance)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Heartland Regional Food Business Center are accepting grant applications from small- to mid-sized farmers and food businesses in the central U.S.
The first round of Business Builder Grants is worth about $3.7 million, and awardees will receive between $5,000 to $50,000. Only projects based in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and northwest Arkansas are eligible to apply.
The grants can be used for business expansion, job creation, increasing production or new facilities, according to a press release.
USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the press release that these grants allow for smaller food businesses and farms to expand their business and create new revenue streams.
“The Regional Food Business Centers are a cornerstone of USDA’s food system transformation efforts, serving to help farmers, ranchers and other food businesses access the resources and technical assistance they need to access new markets,” Moffitt said.