Over $19 million in funding available to New York State through USDA to support resilient food system

ALBANY, NY- Nearly $20 million of funding is available for New York’s Department of Agriculture and Markets through a new United States Department of Agriculture and Markets (USDA) grant opportunity.

This development is according to State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “With this funding, we would have an opportunity to make a real impact on the resilience of our food system, focusing on the middle-of-the-supply-chain specifically, to modernize and support construction of agricultural facilities, improve training, support the purchase of new equipment, and so much more,” he said.

Funding from this program would support projects that expand capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural products.

Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to:

• Expand capacity for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products to create more and better markets for producers.
• Modernize manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information technology systems.
• Enhance worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements.
• Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements.
• Improve operations through training opportunities.
• Support construction of a new facility.
• Modernize or expand an existing facility (including expansion and modifications to existing buildings and/ or construction of new buildings at existing facilities);
  Construction of wastewater management structures, etc.
• Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment.
• Develop, customize, or install equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves air and/or water quality, and/or meets one or more of USDA’s climate action goals.

A pubic comment period for food system stakeholders will be open July 13 - July 28.

Industry producers and stakeholders can provide feedback and/or register to join a stakeholder discussion group. 

Image via New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.