Food hub grant money available

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have teamed up to jumpstart the process of developing food hubs by coordinating their outreach efforts and making it easier for businesses, agricultural producers and non-profits to access their resources.

Both agencies have loan and grant programs to support the development of food hubs and other local food efforts.

A new food system, called food hubs, offers a consistent and reliable supply of locally and regionally grown food from small to mid-sized farmers. Hubs provide a common drop-off point for multiple farmers and a pickup point for distribution firms and customers that want to buy source-verified local and regional food.

The two agencies worked with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to simplify the process of applying for funding from both agencies by developing a common checklist of required information.

Organizations interested in applying for grants or loans to assist in the development of food hubs should call the USDA Rural Development at 217-403-6202 or the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity at 800-252-2923.