1. Idaho project descriptions

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service partnered with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to award $5.5 million to 27 projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program.

Funded projects are “building strength and resilience in Idaho’s food system, diversifying agricultural markets, creating new revenue streams for small and mid-sized producers, and providing economic opportunities for local communities,” USDA marketing and regulatory programs undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said in an ISDA news release.

The money is part of $420 million available to help build capacity in the supply chain and support local and regional producers.

Idaho project awards include 21 equipment grants and six infrastructure grants.

Working with USDA presents a unique opportunity, state Department of Agriculture director Chanel Tewalt said. The department assessed applications by region, commodity and overall stakeholder impact.

“The diversity of our grant recipients — from small commercial kitchens in rural communities to some of Idaho’s most recognized ag businesses — reflects our commitment to advancing agricultural communities across Idaho,” she said.

Idaho grants

• AgriSource, Burley, $100,000. Increase capacity to transport wheat and barley from farms and elevators to flour millers, maltsters.

• Barbarian Brewing, Garden City, $35,500. Equipment acquisition to increase production.

• Bare Beans Foods, Rupert, $66,061. Automated X-ray equipment for food safety inspection.

• Caramel Kitchen, Post Falls, $92,442. Equipment to increase capacity, offer co-packing services.

•Bryce Crane dba Crane Cattle Co., Montpelier, $60,957. Equipment to clean grain, meet organic standards and increase sale of food-grade product.

• Farr Candy Co., Idaho Falls, $95,000. Equipment to increase ice cream manufacturing.

• Fish Processors Inc., Hagerman, $500,000. Improve equipment, increase capacity, enhance capabilities to purchase from other aquaculture producers.

• Homestead Produce, Bonners Ferry, $35,000. Egg washing and grading machine upgrade to increase capacity.

• Idaho Milk Products, Jerome, $1.25 million. New milk and cream pasteurizers to increase capacity.

• Kauffman Farm, Filer, $39,635. Equipment to increase grain cleaning, dry soup packaging efficiency, accuracy and volume.

• McIntyre Farms, Caldwell, $75,000. Equipment to improve egg processing efficiency, add freeze-dried products.

• Mountainland Apples, Caldwell, $130,000. Purchase and install advanced sorting equipment.

• Owyhee Produce, Parma, $348,297. Expand cold storage capacity, improve cold-chain management in packing and storage areas.

• Roots Chips, Aberdeen, $225,000. Expand packaging capacity, add products.

• Web2 LLC, a subsidiary of JC Watson Co., Parma, $1.55 million. Onion packing and rail facility improvement, expansion.

• N&H Foods, Kuna, $100,000. Dillys Pickled Veggies foodservice production line addition.

• Nature’s Indulgence Granola, Caldwell, $72,065. Equipment to expand capacity for value-added products, co-packaging.

• Northern Latitude Foods, Coeur d’Alene, $40,000. Wild rice packaging system to increase capacity, efficiency.

• Ronnigers Organics, Moyie Springs, $50,000. Pack line streamlining.

• Salmon Valley Stewardship, Salmon, $99,620. Community commercial kitchen for regional producers, food businesses.

• Split Rail Winery, Garden City, $24,000. Blending, cold stabilization tank to enable blending of larger lots.

• Symms Fruit Ranch, Caldwell, $100,000. Refrigerated delivery truck for cold processed juices, freeze-dried fruits.

• Telaya Wine Co., Garden City, $75,000. Equipment for bottling-related final filtration in-house and for client producers.

• Teton Valley Brands, Caldwell, $100,000. Potato chip optical sorter to increase consistency, capacity.

• 3100 Cellars, Eagle, $75,000. Sparkling wine bottling capacity, efficiency improvements.

• Villafana Farms, Wilder, $100,000. Piler for potato handing and loading to increase farm efficiency, capacity.

• Walters Produce 2.0, Newdale, $96,023. Potato line improvements to increase capacity.