Del. Dept. of Agriculture aims to bolster food supply chain with grant opportunities
DELAWARE – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is now accepting applications through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program.
How the Program Works
The cooperative agreement with the USDA provides more than $1.7 million through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. Chief of Community Relations for the DDA, Stacey Hofmann, says the goal is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain.
What is the middle of the food supply chain? It’s a questions that Hofmann says she hears a lot. She says it runs the gamut of distribution, aggregation, manufacturing and freezing food, and more.
“That really comes into play from the time the food is raised at the farm and makes it to the farm gates,” Hofmann said. “So, everything from the farm gate to right before it gets to your supermarket.”
Funding Opportunities
This round of applications, hopefuls will be vying for two separate funding opportunities.
Simplified Equipment-Only Projects awards may range from $10,000 to $100,000. The money is meant to be used to purchase equipment. Applicants cannot use the funds for facility upgrades, staffing, or other costs.
“That will allow them to upgrade equipment on the farm that will be involved in processing, and ultimately help more of the middle of the food supply chain,” Hofmann said.
The other opportunity covers Infrastructure Grants, with a minimum award of $100,000, and a maximum of $1.15 million. Hofmann says those funds can be used for upgrading land, or toward fostering better working relationships between processing companies and farmers, for example.
“They do have to have a 50% match if they are applying for that,” Hofmann said. “If they come under a historically underserved group, they can qualify for a 25% match.”
Unique Challenges and Advantages
Hofmann says the DDA is hoping for as many applicants as possible, as the First State faces unique challenges with its food supply chain.
“Compared to 2017, we are down in the number of farmers, and the number of land growing,” said Hofmann. “So, we need to be able to channel this better, and building this opportunity will help get the product out to our consumers.”
Even with those challenges, Hofmann says Delaware is also in the perfect spot to grow its food industry.
“Delaware is primed to put our products out within a day’s reach,” said Hofmann. “We’re hitting all of the large cities on the east coast. And so, our farmers are able to ship all the way up to Canada, and down as far south as Miami.”
How to Apply
Applicants seeking to set themselves apart from the competition should consider bringing on more than one partner, and doing as much legwork as possible ahead of submitting their application, says Hofmann.
“Don’t discount yourself if you’re not a business,” Hofmann said “Counties can apply, local communities can apply, as well as. As long as you are impacting the middle of the supply chain, you should consider this grant opportunity.”
The deadline to apply is April 30th. The DDA will be hosting a webinar on March 21st at 10 a.m. for applicants who may need assistance. Program office hours are also available for applicants on April 4th and April 18th at 10 a.m. Register for the sessions, and review program documents, by clicking here.
