The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Services and the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries have awarded six projects a combined $5.9 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program. The goal of the RFSI program is to strengthen local and regional food systems.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing this project has been essential for Alabama. Before its official launch, I reached out to USDA to emphasize Alabama’s need for funding to strengthen our local food supply chain,” said Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate. “We’re proud to be one of the first states to gain approval for our state plan and announce sub-awards for the RFSI program.”
Among the funded projects are:
- Alabama State Association of Cooperatives will partner with Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension, Deep South Food Alliance and multiple grower cooperatives throughout the Alabama Black Belt counties to advance cold chain and processing infrastructure for produce.
- Miller Family Dairy will construct and equip a new dairy processing facility that will transform raw milk into fluid milks, creams, butter and cheeses. Dairies within 100 miles will also utilize this aggregation hub to distribute their milk and dairy products efficiently.
- Anderson Farms will build a produce processing facility that will aggregate products from an additional 10 farms. The facility will also store and distribute seven new value-added products of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables to supply local school systems.
The awarded funds are part of $420 million available through the RFSI grant program. For more information on the RFSI program and its requirements, visit here.
