Heartland Center Performance Data

The Heartland Regional Food Business Center’s team of 32 business support organizations have been busy since the program’s 2023 start. They have been serving clients across the region and working to build a strong and sustainable network dedicated to building the local and regional food economy.

The Heartland Center is one of 12 regional food business centers across the country now working to establish more robust business support systems for local and regional enterprises through the new USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service program.

The USDA-AMS investment comes in part as a response to global food supply chain challenges that the 2020-2022 Covid-19 pandemic exposed. It focuses on building new and needed local and regional links in food supply chains for greater system resilience and community responsiveness.

First 18 Months

From July 2023 through December 2024, Heartland Center accomplishments include:

• A shared web-based platform for coordination and communication among Heartland Center technical assistance providers across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas.
• A democratic governance structure for transparent and sustainable collaboration among 14 Key Partners and their collaborators. 
• Establishment of the new $12 million Business Builder Subaward grant program (currently on hold pursuant to a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture review of the USDA-AMS regional food business centers program).
• Significant progress for small and mid-size food and farm businesses now receiving more assistance focused on their particular types of enterprises and opportunities:
  • 1,330 people have received technical assistance
  • 239 have increased revenue
  • 39 new businesses have been established
  • 241 business have increased knowledge
  • 68 partnerships the Heartland Center has established to coordinate resources with other organizations.

Continued support for Regional Food Business Center funding will ensure that farmers, food businesses, and entrepreneurs have access to the resources and market connections they need to grow.

Communities across the Heartland Center’s region will benefit from local commerce and jobs, farmland preservation, availability of fresh and nutrient-dense local foods, and greater food security among other gains.