Minnesota Grants Strengthen Local Food and Farm Businesses

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has awarded $1,755,623 in grant funding to 42 Minnesota businesses through its Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Value-Added Grant and Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing Grant (MPEM). Both programs provide funding for Minnesota-based businesses to invest in equipment and physical improvement projects that support expanding production capacity, market diversification, and market access for agricultural products. Sixteen businesses across the state were awarded a total of $714,010 through the Value-Added Grant program. This funding supports a diverse group of businesses including produce processors, hemp product makers, food hubs, and value-added grain, herb, and beverage producers. An additional 26 businesses received a total of $1,041,613 through the MPEM Grant track, which is dedicated to supporting meat, poultry, egg, and dairy processors. These businesses are making upgrades such as expanding cold storage, installing commercial-scale equipment, and launching new on-farm creameries to improve processing capacity and increase food safety.