Utah Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) was awarded $3,043,040 through the USDA AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program. The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain, to provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses, to support the development of value-added products for consumers, fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities. Through this program UDAF will be issuing competitive sub-award grants to support the development of the middle-of-the-supply-chain for Utah-based food and farm businesses. Grant projects may include activities that support the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products. Eligible food products include dairy, grains for human consumption, fruits and vegetables, aquaculture, and other food products. Meat and poultry, wild-caught seafood, exclusively animal feed and forage products, fiber, landscaping products, tobacco, or dietary supplements are all ineligible products for this grant. To be eligible to apply, entities must be headquartered in Utah, have at least 50% of their product (including ingredients/product inputs) grown or raised in Utah, and NOT have received federal funding already for the specific activity for which they are seeking funding. Meat and poultry products and activities are not eligible for this grant.