Trending
HARRISBURG -- The Shapiro Administration recently announced over $21 million in federally-funded grants to 77 farms and food manufacturers to increase capacity, drive growth, and provide opportunity throughout Pennsylvania's food supply chain.
"Pennsylvania is investing to feed our future through a stronger local supply chain, which means healthier communities, thriving businesses, more job opportunities, and more resilience in challenging times," said Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. "Historically, partnerships with the federal government have expanded Pennsylvania's capacity to feed local growth. This partnership builds on that longstanding tradition of cooperation that benefits our national and local economy as well as families across Pennsylvania."
The funding comes through Pennsylvania's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program -- a cooperative agreement with U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was announced by Governor Josh Shapiro at the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show. The program provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to support food processing, distribution, and aggregation from multiple farms to help meet demand for local, seasonal, and fresh food. For qualifying historically underserved, women-owned, and veteran-owned small businesses, the required match is reduced to 25 percent.
Grants will support equipment upgrades, safety improvements, and facility modernization, allowing manufacturers to expand product lines and better connect farmers with consumers. The program includes two types of grants:
•Infrastructure Grants for system-wide improvements that benefit groups of producers
•Equipment-Only Grants for critical upgrades and new purchases
RFSI funding compliments the impact of the Shapiro Administration's investments to give Pennsylvania's farms expanded access to capital and markets through PA Preferred Organic™ and the new Organic Center of Excellence, the nation's first Agricultural Innovation Grants, Fresh Food Financing Initiative, and other strategic investments to strengthening local production and keep Pennsylvania a national leader in agriculture.
Governor Shapiro's Economic Development Strategy prioritizes agriculture and manufacturing as essential to Pennsylvania's economic future.