The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has announced the 2021 Value-Added and Regional Food Systems grant recipients. This grant is designed to help retain, expand, attract, or develop agricultural processing in Michigan through targeted investments in technology and equipment, feasibility studies, healthy food access, regional food systems, and urban agriculture. “The demand for Michigan’s food and agriculture products has never been higher, whether it’s globally, nationally, or locally,” states MDARD Director Gary McDowell. “These grants will help businesses and organizations across Michigan improve and expand operations, as well as help build a successful future for them and the communities they serve.” MDARD received 118 eligible project proposals with requests totaling nearly $9.1 million. Of those, only 18 projects were awarded, totaling $1.3 million. Graceland Fruit was selected as one of the 18 and awarded the full $100,000 grant.
Graceland Fruit is a leading producer and global distributor of premium quality dried fruit ingredients for the food industry. We make authentic ingredients that add distinctive taste, texture, visual and nutritional appeal to a wide variety of foods. We were founded by Michigan cherry farmers as an agricultural cooperative to facilitate the processing and marketing of their annual harvest. We pioneered the study and development of the infused dried fruit process, creating the market for the infused dried cherry by developing entirely new applications and year-round utilization opportunities for the crop. With this grant, we plan to expand our product line for Montmorency cherries grown by Michigan cherry farmers. Our founders believed that the agricultural community that grows and harvests fresh fruit must remain economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable today, and for generations to come, our project supports this belief. We are very excited to use this grant to offer more options to our customers!
Here is a full list of the 2021 Value-Added & Regional Food Systems Grant recipients:
- Aid in Milan Inc. – Milan – $23,000. Expand the food pantry for direct food assistance.
- Amplify GR – Grand Rapids – $100,000. Expand the Boston Square Incubator kitchen and food hub.
- Byron Center Meats – Byron Center – $100,000. Expand a meat packaging line to increase capacity for livestock producers.
- Communities First Inc. – Flint – $100,000. Expand the Community Enrichment Center’s kitchen incubator in the food desert, improving entrepreneurial food processing in North Flint.
- Cook Family Processing – Gaylord – $100,000. Expand livestock processing facility, increasing overall capacity in Northern Michigan.
- DeGreif’s Processing – Sault Ste. Marie – $95,765. Expand livestock processing for the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
- Graceland Fruit Inc. – Frankfort – $100,000. Expand a product line for Michigan-grown Montmorency cherries.
- J&A Sunrise Farms LCC – Bailey – $8,660. Expand the cold storage and establish a farm market store.
- Michigan Blueberry Growers Association – Grand Junction – $100,000. Expand value-added opportunities for Michigan blueberry producers with a new heat-sealed packaging process.
- Michigan State University Extension – East Lansing – $52,600. Purchase bottling and canning equipment for new product development and production with entrepreneurs.
- Misty Lane Farm LLC – Stockbridge – $10,000. Expand on-farm cold storage and renovations for the farm store and food hub.
- Mount Pleasant Food Co-op – Mount Pleasant – $100,000. Relocation and expansion of the GreenTree Cooperative Grocery.
- Peace Tree Parks – Detroit – $98,000. Establish the E. Vernor produce distribution center for fresh organic produce and hot food.
- Riley Orchards Receiving and Storage LLC – Mears – $100,000. New receiving, processing, and storage facility for asparagus, cherries, and apples.
- SEEDS – Traverse City – $18,100. Building capacity for expansion of the SEEDS’ farm and value-added processing at the Historic Barns Park.
- Tomato Bliss LLC – Galien – $98,100. Increase and expand processing line for heirloom tomatoes grown by independent Michigan farmers.
- Trenary Toast Bakery Inc. – Trenary – $45,900. Expand the bakery’s oven capacity to increase capacity.
- Upper Peninsula Masonic Association – Marquette – $49,800. Expand the Masonic Arts, Theatre & Innovation (MÄTI) Company Community Kitchen’s equipment and programming for increased value-added food production to local food entrepreneurs.
MDARD promotes and manages several competitive grant programs through the Agriculture Development Division. More details about these programs can be found here.
