The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program is to build resilience across the middle of the state’s food supply chain for food crops. For this program, "middle of the food supply chain" refers to activities and operations that occur in between post-harvesting of food crops and before food goods are being sold at a store or market, excluding the marketing of food products or services.

The RFSI program will offer two grant types, “Equipment-Only” and “Infrastructure” grants, to eligible entities to support the expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will prioritize grant applications that benefit the following:

• Historically Underserved farmers and ranchers;
• New and beginning farmers or ranchers;
• Veteran producers;
• Processors and other middle-of-the-supply businesses owned by individuals that qualify under Small Business Administration (SBA) defined categories. *
  *Additional details will be defined in the Official Request for Grant Applications document

• Agricultural producers or processors or groups of producers/processors
• Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities
• Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities
• Tribal government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities
• Institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or invest in equipment that will benefit multiple producers.
• For-profit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities that meet SBA definitions.

Please refer to our RFSI Overview Page and Fact Sheet for more detailed information.