Today, the Shapiro Administration announced a significant investment of over $21 million in federally-funded grants aimed at enhancing Pennsylvania’s food supply chain. The funding will be distributed among 77 farms and food manufacturers to increase capacity and foster growth across the state.
“Pennsylvania is investing to feed our future through a stronger local supply chain, which means healthier communities, thriving businesses, more job opportunities, and more resilience in challenging times,” said Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. He emphasized the importance of partnerships with the federal government in expanding Pennsylvania’s capacity to support local growth.
The funds are part of Pennsylvania’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Announced by Governor Josh Shapiro at the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show, this program offers matching grants for food processing, distribution, and aggregation from multiple farms. For certain small businesses that are historically underserved or owned by women or veterans, the required match is reduced to 25 percent.
Grants will be used for equipment upgrades, safety improvements, and facility modernization. These enhancements aim to help manufacturers expand product lines and improve connections between farmers and consumers. The program includes two types of grants: Infrastructure Grants for system-wide improvements benefiting groups of producers and Equipment-Only Grants for critical upgrades.
Governor Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy places agriculture and manufacturing as key priorities for Pennsylvania’s economic future. His budget proposal for 2025–26 includes increased funding for various agricultural initiatives such as the Agriculture Innovation Grant Program and programs aimed at connecting Pennsylvanians with healthy local food.
A detailed list of grant recipients by county was provided, highlighting projects ranging from installing new equipment to expanding storage facilities. These investments are expected to boost production efficiency and market access for numerous local producers across Pennsylvania.
Information from this article can be found here.
