Local farm and food businesses receive infrastructure grants
Published 4:28 pm Monday, July 27, 2026
SPRINGFIELD — Two businesses in Hancock and Pike counties are among dozens of Illinois farms, food producers, and organizations receiving grant funding from the state to expand local food infrastructure, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced.
Carthage Quality Meats, based in Hancock County, was awarded $56,250, while The Witty Farmer’s Pittsfield location, in Pike County, received $25,000.
The awards are part of nearly $4 million distributed statewide through the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which the department said is intended to strengthen the ability of Illinois producers and food businesses to store, process, package, aggregate, and distribute locally grown products. In all, 64 grant recipients across the state were selected, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 and collaborative project awards reaching as high as $250,000.
“Illinois continues to make critical investments that support the local farmers and food businesses that feed our state,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement announcing the awards. “Illinoisans deserve fresh, nourishing food that was grown close to home, and these grants will help producers statewide expand access to locally grown products in their own communities.”
The funding distributed this round represents two years of state appropriations, combining $2 million allocated in fiscal year 2025 with another $2 million from fiscal year 2026. The Illinois General Assembly approved an additional $2 million for the program in the fiscal year 2027 budget passed earlier this month, according to the department.
“The Local Food Infrastructure Grant reflects our commitment to supporting Illinois agriculture,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II. “These awards will help farmers, food businesses, and community partners expand their capacity and reach new markets. When we invest in local food infrastructure, we are creating economic opportunity for businesses while ensuring Illinois residents have greater access to fresh, locally grown foods.”
State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, and state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, who chairs the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee, both sponsored the funding in the General Assembly. Harper said the grants are meant to help address a long-standing gap for small producers.
“For too long, many of Illinois’ small farmers and local food businesses had the passion and the products but lacked the infrastructure to grow,” Harper said. “This investment helps close that gap by funding the cold storage, equipment, processing, transportation, and other tools that allow producers to build sustainable businesses, reach new markets, and feed more Illinois families.”
To be eligible, applicants had to be Illinois-based entities with fewer than 50 employees involved in producing, processing, or distributing value-added agricultural products. The Department of Agriculture said awardees will use the funding for infrastructure such as cold storage, processing equipment, transportation, and aggregation facilities.
