Oregon Announces $755K Award To Strengthen Food Supply Chain

The Oregon Department of Agriculture recently announced a major investment, in an effort to strengthen the region’s food system.

ODA announced that over $755,000 has been awarded to Northwest Mills and Specialty Grains to build critical grain milling infrastructure at Coyote Business Park, located seven miles east of Pendleton.  The business park is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

The Funds Will Help The "Middle" Of The Chain

ODA said the funding comes through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, part of a cooperative agreement with the USDA.  This initiative focuses on the often-overlooked middle of the food supply chain — things like food processing, aggregation, storage, and distribution — helping to make local and regional food systems more resilient. 

"This is a win-win situation for both agriculture and the Umatilla Tribes," said Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "The grant will enable Northwest Mills and Specialty Grains to support local farmers, create markets for our unique grains, and reduce the distance between farmers and customers. At the same time, the Umatilla Tribe will benefit by seeing their Coyote Business Park flourish with successful businesses."   

Part Of The American Rescue Plan

This awarded funding is part of the $420 million available through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant program to build capacity within the middle of the supply chain and support local and regional producers funded by the American Rescue Plan of 2021. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories.

For a complete list of projects across Oregon, visit ODA's Website.

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