Midwest Boosts Local Agriculture with New Grant Program
Midwest, U.S – Keeping the flourishing local food businesses at the heart, a novel grant program is set to revolutionize Midwest’s agricultural landscape. This promising initiative that prioritizes local food systems will offer mentorship and technical assistance to local food producers and farmers across six states, an effort aimed at tackling food scarcity on the regional level.
Imagine Maya women from the Q’anjob’al community in Nebraska, nurturing plants corn rows which, upon harvesting, would be converted into the beloved Central American comfort food common in El Salvador and Guatemala – pupusas. This basic, yet complex, confluence of agriculture and entrepreneurship serves as the backbone of local food economies, ensuring the community’s tables are never void of food.
“Heartland Regional Food Business Center’s Business Builder Grant Program”
The upcoming Heartland Regional Food Business Center’s business builder grant program is fueling organizations like Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim in Omaha to further elevate local food ventures. Saul Lopez, interim executive director of Comunidad Maya, emphasized the significance of establishing a solid network within the Maya community, where individuals grow and sell their crops amongst each other. Lopez explained, “You really want to map out who’s doing what in order to create resiliency. That’s what we want for the community, to be able to thrive in case of any other circumstances.”
Initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Business Center – a cooperative of Midwestern-based food and agricultural organizations – focuses its efforts across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas. Through the business builder grant program, food entrepreneurs can secure up to $50,000. These funds can be utilized for various operational needs like hiring consultants, staff salary, or replacing essential supplies or equipment.
Preparation and Reinforcement
The Center’s partner institutions have been proactive in preparing potential grant recipients within their respective states. They have been instrumental in assisting applicants to refine their business proposals and ready the necessary documentation, making them eligible for the grant funding. This assistance is particularly crucial for immigrant farmers, primarily Latino non-citizens engaged in agriculture, who might struggle with the complex eligibility process.
Kjersten Hyberger, a local foods associate at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska, expressed pride in their ability to offer financial aids to communities that face accessibility barriers. “We’re really proud that we offer that to communities that might have trouble accessing financial products”, said Hyberger. On a similar note, the Kansas Rural Center in Newton, Kansas, too, is committed to assisting local food producers with streamlining their business plans and comprehending the local food market. Tom Buller from the Kansas Rural Center, reflecting on the collective approach, stated, “For an organization that’s very state-based, learning from folks in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa and Missouri has been really helpful.”
Addressing Food Insecurity
At a time when rates of food insecurity across the heartland are on the rise, empowering Midwest farmers and food businesses and fostering local food economies could hold the key to addressing this issue. “We can pair food insecurity with small farming and really help change the market.” asserted Katie Nixon, co-director of the Heartland Business Center.
Reflecting the shared sentiment, Hartsook emphasized, “I am really hoping that we can see food as an overall economic driver for the state of Iowa, specifically, rural Iowa areas where we know we need to foster additional economic development.”
Both Lopez and Nixon acknowledge that cultivating food economies require time and dedication. However, they also emphasize that they’re planting the seeds of a brighter future where food scarcity is a worry of the past. Applications for the first round of the business builder grant program are estimated to open sometime in July.
