Applications are open for Illinois’ new $1.5 million Farm to Food Bank Capacity-Building Grant Program, designed to strengthen the state’s local food system and expand access to fresh protein and produce.
“We’re looking for farmers, ag producers, food banks, food pantries and community partners all looking for help with infrastructure,” said Sharon Dodd, an administrator of the program, about who can apply for the grants of $1,000 to $100,000. The goal is to help farmers and food providers build the capacity they need to move more Illinois‑grown, raised or processed agricultural products to “neighbors” facing food insecurity, especially in underserved areas and communities.
The announcement came on the first day of the From Food to Flowers: Everything Local Conference Jan. 28 in Springfield. Specialty and conventional growers gathered at the three‑day event, along with state officials, food bank representatives and other stakeholders who could be part of the capacity grant program.
The set of grants is part of the Illinois Farm to Food Bank (IL‑F2FB) Program, supported by funding from the State of Illinois through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Originally developed through state legislation in 2017 and 2018, the program evolved into a statewide pilot by 2020 and laid the groundwork for partnerships that helped Illinois move surplus food from farms to food banks.
In its first three years, from 2020 to 2023, the program helped move 3 million pounds of food that otherwise might have gone to waste, according to Feeding Illinois, which partnered with the state and Illinois Farm Bureau during the pilot. Dodd said the effort proved farmers were willing to participate, but many lacked basic infrastructure needed to harvest, store, process or transport food destined for donation.
Those capacity gaps are what the new grants aim to address. Farmers in the pilot often struggled with cold storage, aggregation space or equipment to efficiently collect and move surplus goods. Food banks, for their part, relied on temporary systems that weren’t built for long-term use. Dodd said the new funding is meant to support permanent infrastructure, whether at a farm, a food pantry or elsewhere in the supply chain.
“Whoever gets the grant money will implement something that will last,” Dodd told FarmWeek. “It has to be sustainable.”
Eligible projects focus on infrastructure that improves the movement of Illinois‑grown food, including refrigerated vehicles or trailers, cold storage, racking, temperature‑monitoring systems, packaging equipment and scheduling or traceability tools that reduce waste and improve flow. Routine operating costs, debt repayment, land acquisition and fundraising or administrative expenses are not allowable.
Frequently asked questions and detailed guidelines can be found at feedingillinois.org/capacitygrant. Feeding Illinois will host three virtual office‑hour sessions on its social media channels from 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 11, 18 and 25, where participants can ask questions about the capacity‑grant process, eligibility, timelines and allowable costs. Additional questions may be directed to grants@feedingillinois.org.
The application for 2026 grants will be available on Feeding Illinois’ website through March 6, with awards announced April 10. Once awarded, grantees must pay eligible project costs upfront and will be reimbursed afterward.
Michelle Hansen with IDHS said although the application process can feel tedious, working through it and putting a detailed plan in place can ultimately benefit farms and other businesses in the long run. “You’re making sure you’re going to get this money in hope that the pounds you’re producing now will double or triple in the years to come,” she told FarmWeek.
A McLean County farmer attending the conference to learn more about the grants has been direct‑marketing meat for more than 20 years. James Toohill, who raises cattle and pigs, said it is “nice to finally see” a program like this becoming a priority.
“That’s awesome that there’s that much money being floated to this kind of stuff,” he said. “Whoever gets this grant is going to put it to some good use. That’s what farmers do.”