Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2024 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has a cooperative agreement with Massachusetts under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Massachusetts are working together to offer over $3 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Massachusetts is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through March 29, 2024.
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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) will fund projects that expand or modernize capacity that have collaborative, regional impact on intermediaries within the middle-of-the-supply-chain including food hubs, aggregators, wholesalers, distributers, and shared processing facilities. The state’s priorities are informed by stakeholder engagement and outreach to underserved producers to better understand their needs.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with USDA on this program that will further enhance and fortify our local food systems in Massachusetts,” said MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle. “The $3 million in grant funding that the RFSI Program is allocating to the Commonwealth will allow our agricultural businesses and organizations to create more diverse local and regional market options and economic opportunities in our communities that will connect them to healthy, nutritious food.”
Those interested in receiving a subaward should apply directly through MDAR by March 29, 2024. AMS encourages applications that serve smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, underserved producers, veteran producers, and underserved communities.
Through the program and in addition to the Infrastructure Grant funding, MDAR will support supply chain coordination and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating in processing, aggregation and distribution—all critical activities to support access to more and better markets for farmers.
For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage.
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