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The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking public comments on priorities for the new Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. This program is designed to assist states in building resilience in the middle of the supply-chain – Processing and transportation to a warehouse or distribution center. The program will also help to strengthen local and regional food systems by creating new revenue streams for producers.

CDFA will partner with the United States Department of Food & Agriculture (USDA) to administer a competitive solicitation. Public comments are requested to inform program priorities. CDFA will strive to clearly define the needs of California’s agricultural supply chain and address areas that can lead to a more resilient food system. The priorities will inform a state plan, which will be submitted to USDA and will ultimately help guide prospective applicants to submit projects that address the most relevant issues affecting the industry.

CDFA expects the program to open fall 2023 and anticipates up to $34 million will be awarded. The minimum award amount is $100,000 per project and the maximum award amount is $3 million per project. Projects will begin fall 2024 and must end by February 2027.

• Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors.
• Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
• Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
• Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.
• Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers’ middle-of-the-supply-chain activities.

• Expand capacity for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products to improve markets for producers;
• Modernize manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information-technology systems;
• Enhance worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements;
• Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements;
• Improve operations through training opportunities;
• Support construction of a new facility;
• Modernize or expand an existing facility (including expansion and modifications to existing buildings and/or construction of new buildings at existing facilities);
• Construction of wastewater management structures;
• Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment; and
• Develop, customize, or install equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves air and/or water quality, and/or meets one or more of USDA’s climate action goals.

Yes. Infrastructure Grant recipients are required to contribute 50% of the total proposed project cost as a match to federal funding. This applies to all applicants except for historically underserved farmers and ranchers, or other businesses that qualify under Small Business Administration (SBA) categories of small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, or veteran-owned small business, the required match funding contribution or cost share is reduced to 25% of the project cost. Applicants must self-certify in their Infrastructure Grant applications to being eligible for this reduced match.

Click here to view the current proposed program priorities.

All interested parties may submit comments to grants@cdfa.ca.gov beginning July 14, 2023 through August 3, 2023 at 5pm PST.

Public Listening sessions will be held July 25, 2023 through August 3, 2023. Click here for a full schedule and to register for a listening session.

For more information on this program or how to apply with Morrison’s assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530-893-4764.