Food Hubs and Farm Stops Grant Program

The Food Hubs and Farm Stops Grant Program, part of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Farm to Family Program, is designed to strengthen middle-of-the-supply-chain agri-food systems across Michigan. The initiative assists local food supply chain entities by funding the expansion of current services, the launch of new services, equipment acquisition, market access enhancement, and distribution and processing capacity expansion. By strengthening aggregation and distribution infrastructure, the program aims to connect local producers with institutional buyers and direct consumers, expanding markets and boosting profitability for small and mid-sized producers while increasing access to fresh, healthy foods in Michigan communities.

To be eligible, applicants must be Michigan-based farm stops or Michigan-based food hubs that are recognized by and listed on the Michigan Food Hub Network Directory. Farm stops are mission-driven, year-round retail markets supporting small-scale producers through direct sourcing and consignment models that retain higher profit margins for growers. Food hubs are organizations that offer aggregation, distribution, and marketing services to connect producers with regional and institutional buyers. MDARD retains sole discretion to determine whether an applicant qualifies as an eligible food hub or farm stop. Applicants must be registered as a state vendor in the State of Michigan SIGMA Vendor Self Service (VSS) system before applying, and only one application per food hub or farm stop is accepted.

Eligible projects focus on building supply chain capacity, including purchasing and installing walk-in freezers, cold storage, food processing and packaging machinery, point-of-sale systems, or leasing refrigerated transportation. Up to 10% in administrative costs is allowable for direct project oversight and management. Ineligible costs include salaries, wages, employee fringe benefits, and travel expenses. Applicants must document clear measurable outcomes, including expected increases in food throughput by volume or weight, dollar value increases returned to agricultural producers, Michigan counties of origin for products, number of participating growers, and new consumers served.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the State of Michigan MiAgGrants system via MiLogin. All application sections, including itemized project expenditure projections, must be completed and formally submitted through the online status menu by the designated 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time deadline. Selected grantees are required to provide financial documentation, submit regular written progress reports, and track project outcomes and supply chain impacts for up to three years following project completion.