The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority announced that 28 projects will receive funding through the Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture (SEGA) program. The competitive grant program will provide nearly $4 million to Missouri farmers, small businesses, and higher education institutions to add value to agricultural products or provide educational opportunities to those seeking to do so.
SEGA grants are funded by an appropriation from the Missouri General Assembly to encourage value-added agriculture in the state.
The grant program was developed to address recommendations of the Missouri Food, Beverage, and Forest Products Manufacturing Task Force, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe in 2019. Lt. Gov. Kehoe continues to provide leadership for the state’s value-added agricultural initiatives.
The SEGA program consists of five separate parts:
- Innovation Grant Program: provides grants for the development of Missouri businesses that add value to agricultural products.
- Institutional Grant Program: provides grants to Missouri institutions of higher education for the creation and implementation of unique learning opportunities for Missouri producers and businesses interested in increasing value-added agriculture.
- Technical Assistance Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to producers or businesses for technical assistance related to the creation and expansion of Missouri businesses that add value to agriculture products.
- Workforce Development Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to Missouri producers or businesses associated with hiring, training and certifying new and/or current employees of an entity that is adding value to an agriculture product.
- Fee Offset Program: a non-competitive program that provides cost offsets to Missouri value-added agricultural enterprises associated with food processing and food safety laboratory services, including nutritional facts labeling, pH, water activity, microbiological services, and process authority review.
The following projects have been contingently approved for awards in the four competitive grant programs, pending completion of grant contracts and acceptance of terms and conditions:
Innovation Grant Program
- Adam Puchta & Son Wine Company Inc.
- Bear Creek Meats LLC
- Cuttin’ Up Custom Meat Processing, LLC
- Hemme Dairy, LLC
- Hertzog Premium Beef, LLC dba Hertzog Meat Co.
- Inland Cape Rice Company, LLC
- McKaskle Family Farm LLC
- Nadler’s Meats and Catering LLC
- Northwest Missouri State University
- Peno Creek Farms
- Rosier Farms Distilling Co., LLC, dba R/Farm Distilling Co.
- Show Me HH Farms, LLC
- St. James Winery, Inc.
- Timber Ridge Millworks
- Turner Processing, LLC
- Westphalia Trading Co., LLC
Institutional Grant Program
- Missouri State University & University of Central Missouri
- The Curators of the University of Missouri
- The Curators of the University of Missouri
- The Curators of the University of Missouri
Technical Assistance Grant Program
- Gold Crown Food Company of the Ozarks, Inc.
- Jennings Premium Meats, Inc.
- Kern Meat Co., Inc.
- Lane Conderman
- The Farm Table, LLC
Workforce Development Grant Program
- Fulton Wurst Haus & Butchery, LLC
- Hermann Wurst Haus, LLC
- ICF Holdings, LLC
Numerous industry and academic partners continue to be engaged in supporting these awardees and all Missourians pursuing value-added agriculture, including the newly formed Missouri Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Innovation Center. MAFFIC offers resources and technical assistance to help Missouri agricultural producers successfully pursue value-added agricultural production and marketing.
