The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $316 million to twelve regional Food Business Centers since May 2023.  Most recently, $3.7 million was granted to the Heartland Center. This entity involves participation by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and New Growth, operating under the Rural Missouri Community Development Organization.  The objective of the USDA grant is to expand local and regional food systems in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and northwest Arkansas.

Money is distributed in amounts of $5,000 to $50,000 to eligible applicants who include: -

• Small farms and businesses contributing to local and regional food supply.
• Entrepreneurs who are immigrants, people of color, veterans and the otherwise disadvantaged.
• Food and farm entrepreneurs initiating new enterprises.

Katie Nixon, Co-Director of the Heartland Center, noted, “The Business Builder grant opportunity will inject capital for building and strengthening local food systems.”

In all USDA announcements, grants and funding are referred to as “investments”.  This presumes either a future financial return or alternatively quantifiable social benefits. The USDA under the present Administration has expended taxpayer funds for numerous projects intended to restructure the food supply in the U.S. and to benefit the “underserved.” It is now time for the Department to justify their expenditures on projects funded three years ago and to provide solid financial data on return as a result of grants and loans. If not, the Department should cease using the misleading euphemism “investment” and refer to the disbursements as giveaways to selected constituencies.