Pa. partnering with USDA to support farms, food businesses

Pennsylvania is partnering with the USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center to support small and mid-sized farms and food businesses.

In partnership with the NASDA Foundation’s USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has launched the first round of Business Builder sub-awards to strengthen Pennsylvania and regional food systems by providing direct funding to small- and mid-sized farm and food businesses, including aquaculture and wild-caught marine businesses.

Ten million dollars are available in this round, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 to support businesses in scaling their operations, expanding markets and connecting segments of the regional food supply chain.

“Pennsylvania’s prime location near four of the 10 largest U.S. markets, coupled with our outstanding transportation infrastructure gives our agriculture businesses an edge, with access to the customers and markets they need to reach,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a statement. “Investing to strengthen those markets and supply chains makes sense for agriculture.”

The Business Builder program will fund projects through three tracks:

• Track 1: Equipment Acquisition ($25,000 – $50,000) – Supports the purchase of specialized post-harvest equipment, such as wash-and-pack stations, refrigerated vans, cold storage units and food safety upgrades.

• Track 2: Business Development ($15,000 – $25,000) – Provides funding for business planning, financial guidance, supply chain analysis, food safety training, workforce development and strategy development.

• Track 3: Product & Market Expansion ($50,000 – $100,000) – Assists businesses in expanding through new product development, market analysis, packaging supplies, kitchen appliances and software implementation.

Applications are opened and will close April 7. Awardees will be announced in July, and funded projects will begin in August.

Grants through the Business Builder initiative are expected to multiply the impact of investments made by the Shapiro Administration to strengthen Pennsylvania agriculture.

“This partnership with the NASDA Foundation’s USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center multiplies the impact of the investments Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration is making to strengthen Pennsylvania agriculture and increases our vitality as a regional food system,” said Redding.