The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced $2.3 million of Underserved, Value-Added, Regional Food Systems and Supply Chain Grants to accelerate business growth and strengthen food systems across the state. Many of the grants fund broader projects that will support new jobs in Michigan communities.
"Smart investments in our food and agriculture systems boost business growth, build stronger communities and improve quality of life for Michiganders," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "These grants will create new jobs and cultivate new economic opportunities for Michigan farmers and food businesses while giving Michiganders more access to nutritious, locally grown foods."
MDARD awarded Underserved, Value-Added, Regional Food Systems and Supply Chain Grants to the following 28 Michigan entities:
Mid-Michigan
- 1321 Meat Processing. Inc.(Lennon)—$100,000 to develop a new 18,000-square-foot meat processing facility in Shiawassee County. The project is expected to create 22 local jobs and expand regional capacity for livestock processing and value-added agricultural production.
- City of Mt. Pleasant—$100,000 to equip a new incubator kitchen at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market that will help beginning food entrepreneurs test production, scale up and grow their businesses. This project will help create one full-time and ten part-time jobs.
- Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (Flint)— $100,000 for a cold storage expansion project that will improve the organization s ability to receive and store perishable and frozen foods from local farmers and food producers and distribute those foods to community members in need.
- Grow Jackson (Jackson)—$68,750 to invest in cleaning, milling and packaging equipment for locally grown small grains and to support education and training at the River & Rail Food Hub. This project will help create one full-time and one part-time job.
- Mitten State Malt, LLC (Okemos)—$43,637 to expand the production of malt made from Michigan-grown grains by purchasing new equipment and facilitating the company s move to a larger facility. This project will help create two part-time jobs.
Source : michigan.gov