Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) Equipment-Only Grant opportunity Virtual Office Hours

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry sent this bulletin at 08/12/2024 03:51 PM EDT

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Agricultural Resource Development

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) Equipment-Only Grant opportunity Virtual Office Hours

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is preparing to facilitate the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) Equipment-Only Grant opportunity. In preparation for a Request for Applications (RFA) anticipated to open in September 2024, DACF has prepared a RFSI program webpage providing a program overview, contact information, and quick facts.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) will hold three RFSI virtual office hours to provide an overview of the RFSI Equipment-Only Grant opportunity and to answer questions from prospective applicants.

RFSI Equipment-Only Virtual Office Hours

  • RFSI Equipment-Only Grant overview
  • Ask questions about Maine's RFSI Equipment-Only grant program
  • Funding range: $10,000-$100,000 for middle-of-the-supply chain equipment purchases.
  • No matching funds required.
  • August 20, 2024 10:00-11:30 a.m. via MS Teams
  • September 5, 2024 2:00-3:30 p.m. via MS Teams

Contact michelle.t.webb@maine.gov Subject line: RFSI Equipment-Only Office hours to register for one or both virtual office hours.

Program Overview:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA AMS) is partnering with state Departments of Agriculture to invest in food supply chain reliance, market access, and value-added processing infrastructure through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI).

The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) program is to build resilience across Maine’s middle-of-the-supply food chain. Funds will support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of Maine-produced food and beverage products, including specialty crops (farmed for human consumption), dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and specialty/other food products. Food and beverage products containing meat, poultry, wild-caught, and foraged ingredients are excluded from eligibility.