(Des Moines) Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced over $5.2 million in funding for 24 Iowa projects through the USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program. The initiative aims to strengthen the middle of the food supply chain by supporting Iowa’s small farms and food businesses, enhancing processing capacity, and improving distribution networks.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture offered two grant types—larger infrastructure grants and smaller equipment grants—requiring cost-sharing from applicants. Of 60 eligible applications, 24 were selected to expand wholesale markets serving schools, hospitals, and grocery stores while improving access for local producers to intermediary markets like food hubs and post-harvest facilities.
Southwest Iowa projects receiving funds include:
A. Miller Farms
Silver City
RFSI Equipment Grant: $90,000.00
Matching Funding: $10,000.00
Miller Farms will create a new regional oat preprocessing facility that will take raw oats from Iowa farmers and process them into oat groats. The oat groats will be directly marketed to several outlets and can also be processed directly into oatmeal. In turn, the product could be directly marketable as food grade to multiple outlets. Equipment purchases will include a cleaner, huller, separation destoner and conveyor equipment. Anticipated outcomes of this project include higher prices paid to farmers, increased supply and demand for oat products, and at least one new full-time position.
Farm Table Delivery
Harlan
RFSI Equipment Grant: 75,500.10
Matching Funding: $8,388.90
Farm Table Delivery will add a pallet-fit freezer and cooler to their current facility to expand their fulfillment capacity and improve transportation efficiency. Increased cold storage will allow them to increase purchases, offering wholesale buyers more variety and larger product fulfillment. Intact pallets will also decrease the risk of accidents and injury to staff.
Garden of Paradise
Essex
RFSI Equipment Grant: $17,267.00
Matching Funding: $1,919.00
Garden of Paradise will purchase a commercial cooler to store vegetables after washing and packing them prior to distribution. The cooler will allow them to reach more customers by extending the shelf life of produce and by reducing waste. Unused space can be rented to producers or nonprofits wanting to store or cross-dock produce for a short period of time. This project is anticipated to result in one additional job.
Garden of Paradise
Essex
RFSI Equipment Grant: $17,267.00
Matching Funding: $1,919.00
Garden of Paradise will purchase a commercial cooler to store vegetables after washing and packing them prior to distribution. The cooler will allow them to reach more customers by extending the shelf life of produce and by reducing waste. Unused space can be rented to producers or nonprofits wanting to store or cross-dock produce for a short period of time. This project is anticipated to result in one additional job.
Long Walk Farm
Council Bluffs
RFSI Equipment Grant: $100,000.00
Matching Funding: $11,111.00
Long Walk Farm will purchase equipment for value-added vegetable and produce processing as well as storage and delivery to schools, restaurants and retail stores in southwest Iowa. Equipment will include cold storage, a blast freezer and a pre-owned delivery van. Long Walk Farm will purchase from twelve or more farms in Southwest Iowa. This project will benefit other farmers through additional purchases and custom processing. Standard operating procedures will be created for new products with a focus on cabbage, peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, carrots and beets. Three full time positions are anticipated to be added because of this project.
The Mill
Shenandoah
RFSI Equipment Grant: $90,000.00
Matching Funding: $10,000.00
The Mill will design and install a shared-use facility with produce processing equipment that allows for washing, sorting, packing, labeling and refrigeration of fresh produce. They will also include a shared walk-in freezer. This facility will benefit local and regional producers in processing, aggregation and marketing of their products. This expansion will allow the Mill to serve as a food hub node. By connecting with other Iowa communities as a food hub, they will expand and strengthen local and regional food systems, create more diverse local and regional market options, and expand revenue streams to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities.
