The Illinois Department of Agriculture recently announced nearly $4 million in funding to strengthen and expand the state’s local food system.
The Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program provides funding to Illinois producers and food businesses to help improve the storage, processing, packaging, aggregation, and distribution of locally grown and produced food.
According to the IDOA, eligible applicants must be based in Illinois and involved in storing, processing, packaging, aggregating, or distributing value-added agricultural products. Eligible awardees include farms, cooperatives, processing facilities, food businesses, and food hubs with 50 or fewer employees. Nonprofit organizations and units of local government may also apply.
The program was launched in 2025. Grants range from $1,000 to $250,000 for collaborative projects and from $1,000 to $75,000 for individual applicants.
For a complete list of 2026 grant recipients, click here.