The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Heartland Regional Food Business Center (RFBC) today announced the award of over $3.7 million in Business Builder Grants to support small, medium and diverse food and agribusiness entrepreneurs. These grants will support business expansion, job creation and business capacity building, and increase the penetration of local products in the local market. Funding is available for projects in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Northwest Arkansas.

No More Empty Pots is one of 34 Heartland Center partners working to fill gaps in resources available to local food and agriculture businesses ready to start and grow. At No More Empty Pots, local entrepreneurs and business owners are supported through affordable commercial kitchen and food storage rentals, one-on-one mentoring, and more. technical business Support. In addition, programs such as Community harvest and the Micromarket At No More Empty Pots, we support a value chain, or network, of people and businesses working together to produce and deliver products and services. In 2023, No More Empty Pots sourced over 38,600 pounds of food from 40 local farmers.

In May 2023, the USDA awarded $360 million to finalists to establish 12 USDA regional food economic centers and one national intertribal food economic center to provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building of key local and regional food systems. These centers support small and medium-sized producers and food and agriculture operations with the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system. The Heartland Regional Food Business Center, led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Missouri community development corporation New Growth, focuses on growing the local and regional food system in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and northwest Arkansas. It conducts this work as a regional team with 14 key partners and 20 staff across the five states.

Local and regional food systems are essential to the entire food supply chain, and the new Regional Food Business Centers are the cornerstone of our efforts to support them. The centers will provide technical assistance to create new value chain connections, expand supply and demand in new and existing markets, improve product profitability and market value, assist with business and succession planning, and foster connections at the state and national levels. Projects funded through the Heartland Center’s Business Builder Program will advance the Center’s vision of making the region a place where locally produced food is a major contributor to a stable and secure food supply through regional networks that make local food an easy, everyday choice and support healthy people, community economies, and sustainable ecosystems.

“The Regional Food Business Centers are a cornerstone of USDA’s efforts to transform the food system, helping farmers, ranchers and other food businesses access the resources and technical assistance they need to enter new markets,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA’s undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. “The center’s Business Builder Grant program will empower the region’s small and medium-sized farmers and food businesses to start and grow their operations by developing new revenue streams and attracting investors. This program is critical to achieving the Biden-Harris administration and USDA’s vision of a food system that fosters opportunities for regional food businesses and rural economies.”

“The Business Builder grant opportunity will provide much-needed capital to build and strengthen local food systems in the Heartland,” said Katie Nixon, co-director of the Heartland Center and director of the Food Systems Program at New Growth. “We are excited and ready to provide technical assistance to applicants with their ideas and applications. We are here to support our food and agribusinesses in their efforts to feed their communities.”

“Our team at No More Empty Pots is passionate about making fresh, locally grown food more accessible to more people,” said Talia McGill, President/CEO of No More Empty Pots. “We are committed to supporting small and diverse food and agribusiness entrepreneurs, growing their businesses through the Business Builder grant opportunity, and helping to close the farm-to-plate gap for more homes and businesses in the greater Omaha area.”

The USDA Heartland Regional Food Business Center has received a total of $11.15 million for its Business Builder Program. The Center’s Business Builder Program accepts competitive subcontract proposals valued at $5,000 to $50,000 each semi-annually. The Heartland Center will prioritize:

• Small farms and small businesses in urban and rural areas operating along the local and regional food value chain
• Food and agricultural operators who are indigenous, immigrant, people of color, veterans, or otherwise disadvantaged, such as people with physical disabilities.
• Food and agriculture entrepreneurs who are ready to build their business from startup to growth stage.
• Food and agricultural entrepreneurs who are unsure whether they are eligible and where to get help, and who are unfamiliar with the tools.

The Heartland Center is accepting applications for its first round of funding until October 15, 2024. The center will provide a Information Webinar to apply for Business Builder Grants on August 28, 2024 from 12pm to 1pm CT. For more information, visit the Heartland Center website.

About No More Empty Pots

No More Empty Pots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings individuals and groups together to improve self-sufficiency, regional food security, and economic resilience in urban and rural communities through advocacy and action. No More Empty Pots supports youth and seniors with educational and experiential learning opportunities and job readiness training. For more information, visit www.nmepomaha.org or by email [email protected].