Grants awarded to indoor ag start-up in Americus
Sanford Bishop
File PhotoFrom staff reports
AMERICUS — Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga., the Democratic leader of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food & Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, announced last week $90 million in loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Hardee Fresh for its new facility, Americus Fresh, in Sumter County. The funds will be used to help build and operate an approximately 350,000-square-foot indoor agricultural facility in Americus.
“This USDA investment will help a Georgia business build a facility that will produce and package fresh produce locally — expanding access to affordable food — as well as create over 100 permanent jobs,” Bishop said in a news release. “Today is yet another demonstration of how USDA Rural Development continues to be a reliable partner and resource for rural businesses.
“This is why I will continue to use my leadership position on the House Appropriations Committee to ensure Congress protects funding for these crucial programs.”
“Our goal is to improve the way millions of Americans eat by providing the healthiest, safest, highest-quality organic leafy greens in the country,” Halton Peters, president and co-founder of Hardee Fresh, said. “At the same time, we want to do this by promoting sustainability at every level, from the energy efficiency of our farming operations to the investment we make in job training and professional development of our employees, more than 100 of whom will work at this new Americus facility on a permanent basis.
“The realization of this vision has been made possible by the USDA, the Development Authority of Sumter County and our many supporters throughout south Georgia.”
This development became reality through multiple USDA Rural Development programs. The project was awarded $25 million through the USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantees program, which promises lender-made loans to rural businesses to enhance the economic health of their communities. The application period for the program is currently open.
The project also received $25 million in USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program funding. This program helps agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resiliency of their operations. Funding made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act has helped more farmers enroll more acres in the program.
Finally, the project received $40 million in loans — the maximum allowed — through the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program, which provides guaranteed loans to qualified lenders to finance food systems projects, specifically for the start-up or expansion of activities in the middle of the food supply chain. The program supported new investments in infrastructure for food aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution to increase capacity and create a more resilient, diverse, and secure U.S. food supply chain.
This program was fully funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
In November 2023, USDA Rural Development awarded Value Added Producer Grants to White Oak Pastures in Bluffton ($250,000) to expand cattle and poultry processing and packaging, and Pecan Nation LLC in Fort Valley ($250,000) to expand its shelling and product range which also will support its efforts to broaden market outreach for its goods.
In September 2023, USDA Rural Development awarded more than $265,000 in REAP grants to businesses in Crawford, Early, Peach and Thomas counties. The projects supported will allow those businesses to produce electricity on site, reducing their energy costs.
Last month, USDA Rural Development granted the city of Leslie $25,000 to be used to purchase a new patrol car for its police department.
Learn about these and other USDA Rural Development programs for businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local governments — including eligibility and how to apply — by visiting https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services.
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