More than $3.5 million will soon be available for local food infrastructure projects! 

The new Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program will invest in critical infrastructure to scale up the processing, aggregation, and distribution of local food to meet the needs of Illinois communities. 

Farms, businesses, institutions, cooperatives, local governments, nonprofits and other entities working with local food will have the opportunity to apply for collaborative grants of up to $250,000 or individual projects up to $75,000 for infrastructure that will support value-added processing, livestock processing, milling, dairy, trucking, food hubs, community kitchens and other critical pieces of local food supply chains. 

The application opens at the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s website on February 18th with funds distributed in June.  

There will be a required match unless the applicant can prove a high need condition. This grant is made possible with funding through the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

For more information and to start the pre- application process today, visit the Local Food Infrastructure Grant website.

Applications are due by March 27th, 2026.