The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting grant applications for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI).
The LDAF will work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)to award $4.6 million for equipment and infrastructure projects to Louisiana food and farm businesses, as well as other eligible entities including nonprofits, local government entities, tribal governments, schools, and hospitals. The application period opens February 7, 2024, and applications will be accepted through April 15, 2024.
The goal of the RFSI program is to build resilience in the middle-of-the-food-supply-chain, increase and streamline markets for small farms and local businesses, and support the development of value-added products for consumers that will lead to fair prices, fair wages, and new job opportunities.
“There are many people and steps needed to bring locally produced food to our tables. The RFSI grants will help fund those in our local supply chain that process, transport, and distribute our food,” remarked Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain. “This funding will create new opportunities, strengthen markets for local farmers, and increase stability for consumers. We look forward to seeing all of the great projects that come out of this partnership with USDA.”
Through the cooperative agreement, the LDAF will coordinate the initiatives that will strengthen Louisiana’s middle-of-the-food-supply-chain. Funds will support expanded capacity for aggregating, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distributing locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for eating, and aquaculture. RFSI funds exclude meat, wild-caught seafood, and poultry products as those products are funded through other USDA programs.
Applications will be evaluated through a competitive review process in cooperation with the USDA- Agriculture Marketing Service. Applications will be ranked based on their project’s need, proposed outcomes and feasibility, as well as the impact they will have on the local food supply chain in their communities. The LDAF encourages applications that serve underserved farmers and ranchers, new and beginning farms and ranchers, veteran producers and processors, and other middle-of-the-supply-chain businesses owned by socially disadvantaged people.
Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. CT on April 15, 2024. There will be information sessions that include application training throughout Louisiana from February 5, 2024 – February 9, 2024. For more information on the applications, please download and carefully read the Request for Applications at https://www.ldaf.la.gov/business/grants-funding/resilient-food-systems-infrastructure.
The LDAF and USDA will announce the projects receiving funding this summer. To apply for RFSI grants, or for additional information, including training dates and locations, and frequently asked questions about the RFSI grant process, please visit: https://www.ldaf.la.gov/business/grants-funding/resilient-food-systems-infrastructure, or contact [email protected].