The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain; to provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses; to support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, and fair wages; and create new and safe job opportunities.
Donor Name: California Department of Food and Agriculture
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants
Deadline: 02/26/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The overall goal of RFSI is to create more and better processing options for local and regional producers across the specialty crops, dairy, grain (for food), and other sectors by targeting gaps and opportunities in the pandemic assistance, Food Systems Transformation programs, and existing USDA grant programs that support the agricultural supply chain. RFSI will build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain; provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses; support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, and fair wages; and create new and safe job opportunities.
Projects should support infrastructure in the middle-of-the-supply-chain for California food and farm businesses and other eligible entities. The food supply chain involves the following stages: 1. Production, 2. Processing, 3. Aggregation and Distribution, and 4. Markets and Consumers. RFSI proposals must support the middle of the supply chain, which refers to stages 2. Processing and 3. Aggregation and Distribution. This program supports food system crops and products meant for human consumption (excluding meat and poultry products, which are funded through other USDA programs).
CDFA anticipates that approximately $30 million will be awarded to projects that expand middle-of-the-food-supply-chain capacity for locally and regionally produced foods and offer more and better market opportunities and new streams of revenue to small and mid-sized agricultural producers, including those who may not have access to value-added opportunities or processing to meet market demand for premium or value-added products, such as underserved producers.
Types of Tracks
The RFSI is comprised of two tracks composed of different project types: Infrastructure Grants and Simplified Equipment-Only Project Grants.
- Track 1: Infrastructure Grants will fund projects that expand capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of targeted agricultural products. Applicants may request between $100,000 and $3,000,000. Matching Funds are required for this grant type.
- Track 2: The Simplified Equipment-Only option is a Fixed Price Grant, meaning it will fund only equipment purchases (and not associated facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs), and the amount awarded will be equal to the cost of the equipment up to $100,000. No match is required for this grant type.
Grant Period
Projects can begin on October 1, 2024, and must end by February 26, 2027.
Eligible Entities
Entities eligible for Infrastructure Grants are listed below.
- Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors.
- Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
- Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
- Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
- Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
For more information, visit CDFA.
