We have no-cost technical support available to Vermont businesses and organizations for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant planning, application, and project implementation.

Larklea and The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) are offering technical support to RFSI applicants and grantees in Vermont, including consultation before applying:

  • RFSI program eligibility, alignment, and strategy

  • Infrastructure project planning (scope and timeline)

  • Budget design and approach to maximize eligible match funding

  • Narrative review and suggestions for higher scoring

  • Operations and business coaching following grant awards

If you are interested, please fill out this very short survey so we can understand your project and how to help, or email tad@larklea.com.

About RFSI

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture will award RFSI grants to improve the aggregation, distribution, manufacturing, processing, storing, transporting, and wholesaling of Vermont food products including specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and value-added products.

Funded through the USDA, RFSI is intended to:

  • Build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain

  • Support market development and new market opportunities for Vermont farms and food businesses,

  • Promote development of Vermont value-added products, and

  • Support fair prices, fair wages, and new and safe job opportunities

Projects to support meat or poultry are excluded from this opportunity, per USDA stipulations. Projects that are exclusive to farming or farm production are also not eligible, but on-farm processing or value-added projects are eligible, as they fall within the middle of the supply chain suite of activities.

There will be two grant tracks: an initial, larger Infrastructure Grant track and a simplified Equipment-only Grant track.

Infrastructure Grant Track

The infrastructure grant track is for larger-scale projects that expand capacity and infrastructure for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of locally and regionally produced food products. Projects can include items such as expanding processing capacities, modernizing equipment, modernizing IT systems, constructing new facilities, modernizing food safety plans, or climate-smart equipment.

Approximately $2,000,000 will be available for infrastructure projects. Grants can range from $100,000 - $500,000 and will run from fall 2024 through February 2027. There is a 50% total project match required. Match can be reduced to 25% for historically underserved farmers and ranchers.

Infrastructure applications are due June 5, 2024. See the Request for Applications (RFA).

Equipment-Only Grant Track

The equipment-only grant track is a simplified application solely for equipment needed. The equipment and project it supports must align with RFSI grant parameters – i.e. it must be for middle of the supply chain activities, such as processing, aggregation, distribution, wholesaling, etc. and meet other RFSI requirements.

Approximately $1,000,000 will be available for equipment-only projects. Grants range from $30,000 - $100,000.