The Healthy Food Financing Fund (HFFF) is a new grant-based program that offers between $20,000 and $100,000 to New Mexico food enterprises. A new round of application acceptance is open from October 16 until November 13, 2023.
HFFF grants aim to strengthen the local food system supply chain capacity and increase market opportunities for farmers and agricultural producers, manufacturers, and food enterprises. Money will directly support the capacity of small- and mid-scale food and agricultural enterprises to grow, raise, process, aggregate, transport, and distribute local, culturally preferred foods to meet current and increasing demand.
Eligible projects include:
- grocery store infrastructure upgrades proposed to improve the availability and quality of healthy food
- establishment/upgrades of farmers’ markets, farm stands, food cooperatives, community gardening projects and mobile food markets
- land-based food production and agricultural operations, controlled environment food production operations and value-added operations
- food aggregation, processing and distribution projects, including hub distribution projects proposed to benefit local food producers and to improve food retailer access to fresh produce and healthy food.
Examples of eligible expenditures include:
- Site acquisition and preparation;
- Equipment, fleet, supplies and furnishings
- Associated and relevant infrastructure
- Working capital for first-time inventory and start-up costs
- Business process/technology upgrades
- Brand development and marketing.