PEORIA – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $789,299 in federal funding across Illinois to assist agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the process or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Value Added Producer Grants, will provide assistance to benefit businesses in four counties: Bond, Boone, DeKalb, and Stephenson.
“This funding will help boost small agricultural businesses across Illinois, creating jobs and providing opportunities for expansion,” said Durbin. “I will continue working to ensure that Illinois’ agricultural industry has access to the critical federal investments that drive economic growth.”
Under today’s announcement, the following businesses will receive USDA funding:
- Bond County: $248,000 in funding for Rolling Lawns Farm, LLC, which will be used as working capital to assist this family-owned dairy farm in processing, bottling, and selling their raw milk from their cattle herd.
- Boone County: $250,000 in funding for Moragra PJ Farms, which will assist the farming operation with the handling, verification, sales, marketing and other working capital expenses for their identity-preserved, non-GMO corn production business.
- DeKalb County: $250,000 in funding for Whiskey Acres Distilling Company, which will address working capital expenses for this farm-based distilling business.
- Stephenson County: $41,299 for Gretta’s Goat Milk Soap Inc., which will be used for day-to-day operating expenses associated with this farm-based goat milk soap and cheese production business.
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