The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 15 announced that it is making $320 million in new investments to create better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in 19 states across rural America.
The projects are being funded through the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, and the Rural and Economic Development Loan and Grant Program. The states include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are standing up for America’s farmers and ranchers by expanding processing capacity, creating fairer markets, more revenue streams, and market opportunities which help bring down food costs for families at the grocery store,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The types of projects slated for the funding, according to USDA, include a family-owned meat market and bison processing facility in the Midwest; a greenhouse facility in the Northeast that will be growing salad greens year-round in a hydroponic environment; food supply chain businesses in the South, including a berry processor that is purchasing equipment to expand production capacity; and a plant-based yogurt manufacturer and a cold storage facility in the West.
“We are partnering with entrepreneurs in rural areas to build brighter futures, connect business owners to new markets, and create good jobs for generations to come,” Vilsack said. “These investments reflect the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and middle out and make our communities more resilient.”