Senator Dan Laughlin has announced that over $2 million in federal grants will be allocated to farms and food producers in northwestern Pennsylvania. This funding is part of a larger $24 million initiative under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant program, supported by the Shapiro administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program aims to enhance capacity, create jobs, and help local producers access new markets.
Laughlin emphasized the importance of these investments for local agricultural businesses: “This is a major win for our local farmers, processors and food businesses,” he stated. He added that these funds would enable families to expand their operations and meet growing demands for fresh, local products.
The RFSI program offers matching grants to improve aggregation, processing, storage, and distribution of local food products. It includes two types of funding: Infrastructure grants (IG) for system-wide improvements benefiting multiple producers, and Equipment-only grants (EO) for individual producer enhancements.
Several recipients in Laughlin’s district have been awarded these grants:
– Farmer’s Kitchen received $1 million (IG) to build a facility for organic frozen potato products.
– Welch Foods Cooperative was granted $750,000 (IG) to modernize refrigeration systems.
– Edinboro Market got $99,681 (EO) to expand kitchen and delivery operations.
– Manison Farms was awarded $100,000 (EO) for bulk truck bins and gondolas.
– Mason Farms received $65,500 (EO) for bulk storage equipment.
– Robert Mazza Inc. got $97,500 (EO) for sparkling wine processing upgrades.
– Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network received $64,019 (EO) for farmers market infrastructure improvements.
“These investments reflect a smart, targeted approach to supporting the agriculture industry,” Laughlin noted. He committed to advocating for resources that foster economic growth in the region.
A complete list of grant recipients can be found at www.agriculture.pa.gov.
