Traci Barkley, director of Sola Gratia Farm, watches as staff load produce into the farm’s refrigerated delivery van, which was purchased with the support of funding from the Illinois’ Local Food Infrastructure Grant program. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)
Article Summary
- Illinois food producers and businesses can apply for a share of $3.6 million through the Illinois Department of Agriculture as part of a grant program to support local food infrastructure systems.
- Policymakers and advocates stress the importance of the program to support the critical infrastructure needed to facilitate local food systems.
- The deadline for applications is March 27, and applicants have to pre-register at the IDOA website.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois food producers and businesses can apply for a share of $3.6 million in state grant funding through March 27 as part of a program to reduce Illinoisians’ reliance on food from out of state.
The Local Food Infrastructure Grant program, through the Illinois Department of Agriculture, supports small agricultural operations and food producers working with cold storage, processing equipment, refrigerated transportation and distribution systems.
The grant program is currently open for applications, and applicants must complete a pre-registration before applying. Funds will be distributed in June.
Information on the application process can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s website.
The grant program is designed to support the infrastructure needed to make locally grown food more accessible in Illinois.
“When we say farm-to-home food, we forget about the critical infrastructure in between,” Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, said in a release announcing this year’s funding. “This investment ensures that our food makes it from farm to local food processor and distribution safely and cleanly to your plates at home.”
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a local food and farm advocacy group, administered the program in its first year in 2023. The idea for the legislation came after alliance members identified a lack of sufficient infrastructure to feed their surrounding communities, said Molly Pickering, policy director at the Illinois Stewardship Alliance.
“We believe Illinois farmers can feed Illinois, but we need programs and policies to support these farmers,” she said.
Policies like the Local Food Infrastructure Grant program benefit Illinois by removing barriers that keep local businesses from serving their communities, Pickering said.
“We know that in Illinois, 95% of the food that we eat is imported from out of state,” she said. “That means every time we spend money on food, all that money is flowing to corporations and companies out of state. It’s not staying in our communities. It’s not being reinvested in our communities.”
Following the passage of the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Act, the Illinois Department of Agriculture took over administration. The state appropriated $2 million in fiscal year 2025 to the Department of Agriculture to administer the grants, though the program faced implementation delays. The unused funds have been added to this year’s cycle.
“Local food doesn’t move itself,” Liz Moran Stelk, executive director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, which helped launch the program, said in a news release. “Farmers across Illinois are ready to meet growing demand for locally produced food, but they need the infrastructure to do it.”
Here’s how the grants can help
Previous grant recipients have shown what that infrastructure can look like in practice. Sola Gratia Farm, a nonprofit farm in Urbana, used funding to purchase a refrigerated delivery van and processing equipment, allowing it to expand deliveries to schools, food pantries and neighborhood markets.
In McLean County, Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains invested in grain handling and processing equipment, improving product quality and reducing waste. Recipients have described how the grants made a huge difference in opening business opportunities.
“Everyone benefits when we empower our local farmers,” Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, a supporter of the program, said in a news release. “By fortifying the food system, we are supporting our local farmers and mitigating food insecurity. This funding will expand access to fresh, local foods, strengthen the local economy and grow the food supply chain.”
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is pushing for a more permanent funding solution, rather than relying on year-to-year appropriations. “That hasn’t materialized yet, but we’re going to keep advocating for that, and so are our members,” Pickering said.
Rebecka Pieder is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications, and is a fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
