ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that it has partnered with Minnesota to award $9.5 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program (RFSI) to strengthen agricultural supply chain infrastructure across Minnesota.
Through the program, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will fund 11 infrastructure grant projects in communities across the state, including Rushford, Albert Lea and Caledonia.
“Projects funded through the RFSI Program are building strength and resilience in Minnesota’s food system, diversifying agricultural markets, creating new revenue streams for small and mid-sized producers, and providing economic opportunities for local communities,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is grateful for Minnesota’s support strengthening local and regional agricultural supply chains.”
These southern Minnesota communities will be receiving funds for the following projects:
- RUSHFORD – $250,535.90: Featherstone Farm in Rushford will expand and upgrade its warehouses and walk-in cooler facilities and make equipment investments in a food safety compliant wash, dry, and pack line for salad crops; returnable plastic containers (RPCs); and a machine to sanitize the RPCs. The upgrades will allow greater aggregation, processing, storing, and distribution of Featherstone Farm’s Minnesota-grown vegetables and crops, as well as products from other Minnesota farms and food producers.
- ALBERT LEA – $1,500,000: Green Acres Milling in Albert Lea will purchase cleaning and kilning equipment systems for a new innovative oat milling facility that will enhance the local food system and support rural development by filling a middle-of-the supply-chain gap for oat processing infrastructure. Green Acres Milling will work with over 100 local farmers within a 120-mile radius known as the “Oat-Shed” to source oats, offering them a reliable market with fair pricing, enabling production of an estimated 364,800 cwt of high-quality oat groats yearly, and meeting growing consumer demand for traceable, non-GMO, and allergen-free oats.
- CALEDONIA – $1,572,500: Sno Pac Foods Inc., a grower and processor of organic fruits and vegetables in southeastern Minnesota, will construct a new cold storage facility in Caledonia to store their own products, as well as provide additional storage for other agricultural companies. The new storage facility will be constructed on property adjacent to Sno Pac Foods’ existing processing plant and office and will be substantially more efficient, saving time, fuel, labor, and leasing expenses, while filling a drastic need in this part of the state for cold storage.
Other communities to receive funding for their projects include Bongards, Melrose, Hastings, Minneapolis, Detroit Lakes, Pierz, Redby and Wrenshall.
“We thank the USDA for the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program which benefits Minnesota businesses, farmers, and consumers by investing in the middle of the food supply chain in our state,” said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “These grants highlight the diversity of Minnesota’s food and ag sector, as the funding will benefit a wide range of industries, locations, and sizes of organizations and businesses.”
Find stories like this and more, in our apps.
Copyright 2025 KTTC. All rights reserved.