Harvest to Market Grant

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The Heartland Regional Food Business Coalition is offering funding to support rural farm, ranch, and value-added food businesses producing in, sourcing from, and focused on local and regional markets. This includes food processors, aggregators, distributors, and retailers that source locally and/or serve multiple small- and mid-scale food and farm businesses.

The Heartland Food Business Coalition highly encourages Harvest to Market Grant projects that focus predominantly on starting or expanding a business in the region through value-added opportunities; diversification of on-farm post-production activities; expansion of access to new markets; and/or innovations to generate income.

Projects involving multiple farm and/or food businesses (such as pooling products to fulfill larger orders) will receive additional consideration.

Expected program outcomes:

• Strengthen regional food systems and partnerships, addressing industry supply chain challenges
• Create and expand market opportunities for small and mid-size producers and processors
• Increase sourcing from local producers by distributors, processors, retailers, and other buyers
• Support the launch of new food and farm businesses and improve existing ones
• Boost revenue for food and farm businesses
• Increase local food capacity in communities served

Small food and farm businesses and tribal food and farm enterprises in selected rural counties Missouri and Kansas are eligible to apply.

Examples of eligible enterprises:

• Retail food sales outlets
• Producers, farmers, and ranchers
• Food/farm cooperatives
• Value-added processors
• Businesses involved in aggregation and distribution
• Food hubs
• Farmers markets
• Tribal food and farm enterprises
• Food and farm business enterprises, including school food service

Award ceiling: $25,000
Award floor: $5,000
Project period: 6 months
Estimated total program funding: $1,000,000

Links to additional guidance, templates, and application instructions are available on the program website.

Submit completed applications using the online application portal.

Applicant assistance:
(Registration required)

• Informational webinar
  June 22, 2026
  12:00 p.m. Central
• Office hours
  12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Central
  • July 2, 2026
  • July 9, 2026
  • July 16, 2026
  • July 23, 2026
  • July 30, 2026
  • August 6, 2026