We’re no longer accepting applications for the Minnesota Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant Program. The RFSI Program is funded by one-time federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. At this time, we do not expect that funds will be available to offer another round of RFSI grants.
Although the grant program has closed, free technical assistance is still available to producers, businesses, cooperatives, and other organizations that are part of the food supply chain in Minnesota.
Funded projects
Selected RFSI grantees will make investments in infrastructure for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food intended for human consumption, including specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and other food products (except meat and poultry, which are funded through other programs).
Through a competitive application and review process, eleven businesses and organizations operating in the middle of the food supply chain were selected to receive RFSI grants totaling $9.5 million. The projects will be completed between December 2024 and March 2027. A summary of each of the funded projects is provided below.
Bongards’ Creameries: Strengthening Dairy Processing Capacity with New Sliced Cheese Wrappers, Diverter Lane, and Associated Equipment
$1,572,259.50
Bongards' Creameries, a dairy cooperative owned by 176 farmer-producers, will purchase and install a new sliced cheese wrapper and diverter lane at the end of the production line and upgrade the two existing wrappers in its Bongards location. The investments will expand capacity for the manufacturing of Minnesota-made sliced processed cheese by 5.5M pounds per year.
Concept Processing: Increasing Fluid Milk Packaging and Distribution Efficiency through Milk Filling/Bagging, Refrigeration, and Storage Expansion
$304,780.84
Concept Processing will purchase and install automated gallon and 5-gallon bag milk fillers, two refrigerated milk trucks, and equipment for a walk-in cooler. The new equipment will expand Concept Processing’s capacity to efficiently package fluid milk from their seventh-generation dairy farm in Melrose into value-added bagged products, strengthening its ability to supply seven wholesale distributors and grow the farm-to-fork milk program with Minnesota public schools and universities.
Featherstone Farm: Modernizing Warehousing Infrastructure and Equipment to Serve Middle-of-the-Supply-Chain Operations
$250,535.90
Featherstone Farm in Rushford will expand and upgrade its warehouses and walk-in cooler facilities, and make equipment investments in a food safety compliant wash, dry, and pack line for salad crops; returnable plastic containers (RPCs); and a machine to sanitize the RPCs. The upgrades will allow greater aggregation, processing, storing, and distribution of Featherstone Farm’s Minnesota-grown vegetables and crops, as well as products from other Minnesota farms and food producers.
Hmong American Farmers Association: Constructing a New Facility for Processing, Storage, and Value-Added Product Production to Grow Hmong Farmer Capacity
$1,680,351.38
The Hmong American Farmers Association will construct a new processing, storage, and kitchen facility for value-added food production on their incubator farm in Hastings. The facility will be enclosed and climate controlled so HAFA’s 104 Hmong farmer-members have access to a facility to process their fresh produce year-round and take advantage of winter sales opportunities.
Hoyo: Creating a New Food Production Facility for Value-Added Somali Food Products to Serve Minnesota Schools and Communities
$668,034.70
Hoyo will build out the new Hoyo Food Production Facility with the goal of increasing critical employment for Somali immigrants from the local community and meeting the needs for food production from local sources to support community cultural food demands in the middle of a food and employment desert in Minneapolis. Infrastructure improvements and specialized equipment will enable Hoyo to immediately double its production capacity, with long-term potential to increase production capacity by fivefold as sales grow.
Green Acres Mill: Bolstering Minnesota's Oat Supply Chain and Local Farming Community by Establishing a New Oat Milling Facility
$1,500,000.00
Green Acres Milling in Albert Lea will purchase cleaning and kilning equipment systems for a new innovative oat milling facility that will enhance the local food system and support rural development by filling a middle-of-the supply-chain gap for oat processing infrastructure. Green Acres Milling will work with over 100 local farmers within a 120-mile radius known as the "Oat-Shed" to source oats, offering them a reliable market with fair pricing, enabling production of an estimated 364,800 cwt of high-quality oat groats yearly, and meeting growing consumer demand for traceable, non-GMO, and allergen-free oats.
Manna Food Cooperative: Building a Processing Facility to Increase Local Produce Supply for Minnesota Schools and Value-Added Products for Farmers
$304,198.19
Manna Food Cooperative will create and outfit a new commercially licensed processing kitchen, purchase processing equipment, and expand food-grade storage capacity for the benefit of local producers. The processing kitchen at Manna Food Co-op in downtown Detroit Lakes will provide the processing capacity onsite to lightly process and store fruits and vegetables for member suppliers and give them the opportunities to generate value-added products for wholesale buyers, particularly Minnesota schools.
Midwest Processors: Revolutionizing Minnesota's Sunflower Industry through Value-Added Processing Infrastructure
$530,483.56
Midwest Processors, a family- and farmer-owned processor of sunflowers in Pierz, will purchase milling and screening equipment, install conveyors and temporary storage, and integrate packaging into the production line. The infrastructure investments will allow Midwest Processors to enhance value throughout the supply chain through innovative upcycling of sunflower meal into high-protein meal, establishing access to premium markets for Minnesota producers.
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians: Cooking Well, "Minozekwe," by Establishing a New Processing Facility for Locally Grown Produce and Value-Added Products
$872,410.00
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, through its Department of Agriculture, will expand its existing processing capacities to support new wholesale and retail opportunities of locally grown produce and value-added products. The project includes constructing a new food processing and storage facility adjacent to its greenhouse in Redby, purchasing and installing necessary processing equipment and technologies for the facility, and obtaining food safety consultation and training.
Sno Pac Foods: Growing Southeastern Minnesota's Cold Storage Capacity with a New Caledonia Facility
$1,572,500.00
Sno Pac Foods Inc., a grower and processor of organic fruits and vegetables in southeastern Minnesota, will construct a new cold storage facility in Caledonia to store their own products, as well as provide additional storage for other agricultural companies. The new storage facility will be constructed on property adjacent to Sno Pac Foods' existing processing plant and office and will be substantially more efficient, saving time, fuel, labor, and leasing expenses, while filling a drastic need in this part of the state for cold storage.
The Food Farm: Expanding On-Farm Storage and Packaging Capabilities to Meet Local Food Demand in Northeast Minnesota
$222,006.22
The Food Farm, a diversified organic vegetable farm in Wrenshall, will construct a cooler and pack house addition to its current storage facility; install new equipment to clean, store, and package produce for markets across northeast Minnesota; and purchase a larger delivery vehicle with a liftgate. These improvements will enable the Food Farm to expand markets and offer middle-of-the-supply-chain capacity to other nearby producers so that newer farmers can grow and develop with less risk.
Program background
The Minnesota Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program is funded by a cooperative agreement between the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) and the MDA. The contents of this webpage and other program materials are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. Through this program, we are working in partnership with USDA AMS to make competitive subaward grants to build resilience across the middle of the food supply chain in Minnesota and provide targeted market development services for local and regional food products.
