The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program’s purpose is to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain in Minnesota through infrastructure investment and to strengthen local and regional food systems by creating new revenue streams for small and mid-sized agricultural producers.
In addition to the grant program, free technical assistance is available to producers, businesses, cooperatives, and other organizations that are part of the food supply chain in Minnesota.
Technical assistance services are focused on:
- Supply chain coordination
- Food business development
- Market development services for local and regional food products
- Consultation on grant applications and grant administration guidance
To qualify to receive technical assistance, you or your organization and the project, product, or activities you would like assistance with must be related to the purpose and goals of the RFSI program.
Based on stakeholder feedback, we are working with local organizations to provide targeted technical assistance that is aligned with the goals of the RFSI program. We are still finalizing the details of this assistance with some providers. We’ll continue to update this page with additional providers and how to contact those organizations.
RFSI technical assistance providers
The North Central USDA Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) focuses on expanding small and mid-sized agricultural value chains. Activities include technical assistance to create new value chain connections, expanding supply and demand to and from new and existing markets, improving viability and increasing market value of products, and boosting Upper Midwest regional food systems in response to supply chain weaknesses, small business challenges, and other difficulties exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The RFBC has a large network of partners and service partners that are available to provide technical assistance.
Assistance includes:
- Project development and consultation.
- Food business development services.
- Supply chain development and coordination.
- Grant writing support and grant administration guidance for RFSI, other USDA grant programs, and other third-party financial resources.
- Network referrals to other service providers with appropriate expertise.
Contact the North Central USDA RFBC:
- Find an RFBC technical assistance provider in your area
The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) accelerates economic development and impact by empowering expanded uses and markets of agriculturally derived products. AURI enables food and agricultural producers, businesses, and organizations of all sizes to grow sales, create jobs, access capital, and increase profitability. AURI’s food team has an active role in Minnesota’s food entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem and offers a wide variety of services to further the value-added development of Minnesota’s agricultural products.
Assistance includes:
- Food business development services, including business planning and advice on technical and economic feasibility and other considerations.
- Supply chain development and coordination.
- Consultation on improving and upgrading facilities, equipment, or production lines, including sourcing assistance.
- Food product development services.
- Food safety and regulatory guidance.
- Guidance related to waste streams, coproduct utilization, and wastewater management.
- Grant administration guidance.
- Network referrals to other technical assistance and service providers with appropriate expertise.
Contact AURI:
For nearly 40 years, Cooperative Development Services (CDS) has been at the forefront of sustainable cooperative development in Minnesota. CDS supports the growth of cooperative businesses at all stages, including long-established co-ops, startups, and co-op conversions in urban and rural communities. CDS has experience working with cooperatives across the food value chain, leveraging cooperation to build robust regional food systems representing food producers, distributors, and consumers. CDS will focus on providing technical assistance to food and agriculture cooperatives.
Assistance includes:
- Project planning and grant proposal assistance tailored to the needs of cooperative businesses for RFSI and other grants aligned with the goals of RFSI.
- Grant administration guidance.
- Training and education for prospective and early-stage food and agriculture cooperatives, including topics such as the co-op identity, the co-op development pathway, co-op legal basics, cooperative finance, and cooperative governance.
- Assistance for cooperatives with business planning, financial feasibility and investment strategies, market research, and business assessment.
- Governance and board planning support.
- Value chain coordination.
- Network referrals to other technical assistance and service providers with appropriate expertise.
Contact CDS:
La misión del Centro para el Desarrollo Económico Latino (LEDC, por sus siglas en inglés) es ayudar a los empresarios y emprendedores latinos en Minnesota a desarrollar sus negocios y crecer. Como organización creada por latinos, para latinos, LEDC ofrece clases, talleres, asistencia personalizada, servicios de asistencia agrícola, una incubadora de restaurantes y préstamos en su función como una Institución Financiera de Desarrollo Comunitario (CDFI, por sus siglas en inglés). LEDC trabaja a menudo con agricultores y otras empresas vinculadas a la industria alimentaria y agrícola y, a través de su asistencia técnica, ayudará al programa RFSI a beneficiar a la comunidad latina en Minnesota.
La asistencia incluye:
- Servicios y capacitaciones ofrecidos en español para ayudar a los agricultores, empresas alimentarias y organizaciones latinas a acceder al programa RFSI.
- Consultoría en desarrollo de negocios alimentarios y agrícolas, como planificación comercial y financiera, concienciación legal y regulatoria, asistencia de marketing, soporte de mantenimiento de registros y planificación de sucesión.
- Coordinación de la cadena de valor y apoyo al acceso a los mercados.
- Asistencia en redacción y administración de subvenciones relacionadas tanto a RFSI como a otros programas de subvenciones.
- Acceso a otras fuentes de capital a través de capacitación en educación financiera, asistencia con paquetes de préstamos y préstamos directos en su condición como CDFI.
- Oportunidades de establecimiento de contactos y de intercambio personalizado para empresarios latinos en el gremio de alimentos y agricultura y otras entes interesadas de la cadena de valor.
- Referencias a otros proveedores de servicios y asistencia técnica con la experiencia adecuada.
Póngase en contacto con LEDC:
- Danny Jacobo, danny@ledcmn.org
- Formulario de contacto de LEDC
The Latino Economic Development Center's (LEDC) mission is to help Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses in Minnesota launch and grow. As an organization created by Latinos, for Latinos, LEDC provides classes, workshops, one-on-one assistance, agricultural assistance services, a kitchen incubator, and loans as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). LEDC regularly works with farmers and other businesses in the food and agriculture industry and through their technical assistance and will help the RFSI program benefit the Latino community in Minnesota.
Assistance includes:
- Services and training offered in Spanish to assist Latino farmers, food businesses, and organizations access the RFSI program
- Food and agriculture business development consulting, such as business and financial planning, legal and regulatory awareness, marketing assistance, record keeping support, and succession planning
- Value-chain coordination and supporting access to markets
- Grant writing and administration guidance for RFSI as well as other grant programs
- Access to other sources of capital through financial literacy training, and loan package assistance, and direct lending as a CDFI
- Networking and peer-to-peer sharing opportunities for Latino food and agriculture businesses and other value-chain stakeholders
- Network referrals to other technical assistance and service providers with appropriate expertise
Contact LEDC:
- Danny Jacobo, danny@ledcmn.org
- LEDC Contact Form
