The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has partnered with Kansas to award $5.6 million for 49 projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems.

“Projects funded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program are building strength and resilience in Kansas’ food system, diversifying agricultural markets, creating new revenue streams for small and mid-sized producers, and providing economic opportunities for local communities,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is grateful for Kansas’ support strengthening local and regional agricultural supply chains.”

Through this program, the Kansas Department of Agriculture will fund 49 projects, including eight infrastructure grants and 41 equipment grants to support middle-of-the-supply-chain infrastructure.

"These grants will help Kansas food and farm businesses and other eligible organizations create diverse local and regional market options and more economic opportunities for our Kansas communities," said Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. "With this financial support, we will see improvements across the middle of our state's food supply chain including increased food processing infrastructure, aggregation points for producers, and product storage. KDA is proud of the work being done by these businesses and is pleased to expand that work through these grant awards.”

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, funded by the President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. 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.

Source: USDA's AMS