Food Hubs and Farm Stops Grant Program

The Food Hubs and Farm Stops Grant Program is a strategic funding initiative of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) under its Farm to Family program. This grant opportunity was developed in direct response to input gathered from farmers and other stakeholders through community engagement events across Michigan. It reflects MDARD’s commitment to fostering resilient local food systems by enhancing the capacity and sustainability of food hubs and farm stops throughout the state. The program launched with its first funding round in 2025 and aligns with the state’s broader objectives to improve food access, support small-scale agriculture, and strengthen the connection between producers and consumers. The program specifically targets two distinct but complementary types of food infrastructure. Food hubs, as defined by the USDA and Michigan State University, are facilities or networks that provide aggregation, distribution, and marketing services to help small-scale producers access larger-volume institutional and consumer markets. These hubs enable producers to scale operations, improve income, and concentrate on farming activities by offloading logistical and marketing burdens. Meanwhile, farm stops function as retail-style, year-round markets operating primarily on a consignment basis, allowing producers to retain ownership of their goods until sale and capture a larger share of profits. Both models share a mission-driven ethos focused on supporting local producers, enhancing transparency, and increasing community education and engagement around local food systems. Grant funds of up to $50,000 per recipient are available for projects that demonstrate expanded or new service delivery, infrastructure development, equipment acquisition, distribution enhancements, or processing capacity improvements. Eligible applicants must be either Michigan-based food hubs listed in the Michigan Food Hub Network Directory or Michigan-based farm stops that adhere to the defined characteristics of such entities. Each applicant may submit only one application per funding cycle, and all applications must be completed and submitted through MDARD’s MiAgGrants portal. The application window for this program opened on January 21, 2025 and closed on February 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. During the application process, grantees were required to provide detailed budgets and respond to metrics-based outcome questions, including projected increases in food throughput, value added to producers, geographic sourcing, and reach to consumers. Applicants also needed to register as vendors through the SIGMA Vendor Self-Service system and submit completed applications through MiAgGrants by explicitly selecting the “Application Submitted” status to be considered for review. All applications undergo a review process tentatively scheduled between February 22 and April 1, 2025. Successful applicants are expected to receive funding notifications between June and July 2025. Funded projects will be required to report on outcomes and financials for up to three years following the grant period. Administrative costs of up to 10% are permitted. However, salaries, wages, staff benefits, and travel costs are not eligible expenditures. MDARD retains the authority to determine the eligibility of applicants as farm stops or food hubs based on program definitions. Applications must be complete to be eligible for consideration. Support is available to applicants through MDARD’s Customer Service Center and a named systems administrator, who can assist with technical issues related to MiAgGrants. The grant program promotes inclusive participation and upholds nondiscrimination principles as outlined by the State of Michigan and MDARD.

Must complete all sections and confirm submission in MiAgGrants to move from in-progress to submitted.