Illinois Department of Agriculture to Distribute 3.6 Million in Local Food Grants

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Agriculture will distribute 3.6 million dollars in fiscal year 2026 to support local food processing, storage, aggregation, and distribution. Grants will range from 1,000 to 250,000 dollars for collaborative projects and 1,000 to 75,000 dollars for individual projects. Eligible applicants include Illinois farms, cooperatives, slaughter and processing facilities, food businesses, food hubs, nonprofits, and local governments with fewer than 50 employees or members. Funding must be used for infrastructure related to processing, storing, or distributing value-added agricultural products. Applications will be available February 18, 2026, on the Illinois Department of Agriculture website, and interested applicants can prepare by pre-registering with SAM.gov and the GATA Grantee Portal.