North Central USDA
Regional Food Business Center
Minnesota
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North Dakota
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South Dakota
USDA Terminates Regional Food Business Center Programming
Operations ceased September 15th, 2025
We are disappointed to receive notice that the US Department of Agriculture has decided to terminate the Regional Food Business Center program. The North Central Regional Food Business Center, led by Region Five Development Commission and a large network of partners throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, concluded on September 15th, 2025. We are proud of the work that our team has accomplished and their dedication to farms and food businesses across the North Central region and beyond.
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After September 15th and until spring of 2026, we’ll turn our attention to our 15 Business Builder Subaward recipients to assist them in making their projects as impactful as possible. The sub-award program was able to distribute $607,100 in capacity-building funding to small and mid-sized food businesses in its first round. Details around those awards can be found HERE. We will continue to follow their stories and share more information about how their projects will positively impact our regional food system.
We will continue to provide this website as a resource to our partners and those working tirelessly in developing local food systems. We are so grateful for the passion and commitment to this work demonstrated by our Partners, the incredible local farms and food businesses throughout the region, and the dedicated staff at USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, who have been so supportive of our work.
With gratitude,
The North Central Regional Food Business Center team
Get to Know Us
The North Central USDA Regional Food Business Center focuses on expanding small and mid-sized agricultural value chains in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Center activities include technical assistance to create new value chain connections, expanding supply and demand to and from new and existing markets, improving viability and increasing market value of products, and boosting Upper Midwest regional food systems in response to supply chain weaknesses, small business challenges, and other difficulties exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.
Our goal is to transform a region that primarily focuses on commodity and large-scale agriculture into an area that also supports smaller, more resilient farm and food practices, specifically focusing on the development of critical infrastructure for small and mid-size livestock processing, fruit and vegetable processing, and warehouse space and storage operations.
The 12 USDA Regional Food Business Centers support all 50 U.S. States and Territories, and is inclusive of all types of agricultural products produced locally or regionally.
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Learn more about this initiative at https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/local-regional/rfbcp
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To contact the USDA Regional Food Business Center team email regionalfoodcenters@usda.gov
