UNL $25 Million USDA Grant

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USDA awards $25 million to UNL team, regional partners focused on better access to fresh food

Aaron Sanderford
Rural and urban residents who struggle to find fresh and healthy food close to home could soon get help from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with the help of $25 million from federal taxpayers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $25 million cooperative agreement award to UNL to improve local supply chains by connecting regional buyers and sellers of fresh food.

UNL will lead this effort with partner organizations and producers in a five-state region. UNL will focus on building out digital tools and traditional outreach to local farmers growing vegetables, fruits and more, working with nearby distributors, wholesalers and retailers.

One of 12 new regional food centers
The new Heartland Regional Foods Business Center, which will be housed in an existing building on UNL’s East Campus, will serve Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma. It’s one of a dozen such centers USDA is funding nationally.

Mary Emery directs Rural Prosperity Nebraska, the UNL group that will lead the five-state center and coordinate with 30 public and private partners, including university extension offices in other states.

This is one of the biggest in the system's history, matching the federal funding received last year for establishing a robotics tech cluster for the region.