Michigan awards $1.8 million to produce processors for advancements

A score of food-processing projects in Michigan will be awarded funds under a competitive grant program.

The $1.8 million in grants for the 20 projects will leverage more than $12 million in private investments, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The majority of the 20 processing projects seemed to involve fruit and vegetables. Here are some of those grants, as announced by Director Gary McDowell:

• Allen Market Place, operated by Allen Neighborhood Center (Lansing) — $79,216. Expanding the Veggie Box Program and Shared-Use Kitchens to Strengthen Mid-Michigan’s Food System.
• Fluffy Bottom Farms (Chelsea) — $73,000. Equipment Improvement and Market Expansion Proposal.
• Food Entrepreneur Accelerator & Startup Terminal LLC (d.b.a. FEAST Detroit) (Inkster) — $120,000. Modified Atmosphere Packaging Line for Contract Manufacturing Refrigerated Entrees and Condiments in HPP Ready Containers.
• Gallagher’s Vineyard & Winery (d.b.a. Rove Estate) (Traverse City) — $125,000. Gallagher’s Vineyard & Winery Corp (d.b.a. Rove Estate) Production Facility.
• JNelson Farms (Hope) — $40,390. Expanding Permanent and Mobile Frozen Storage.
• Lazy Ballerina Winery (Saint Joseph) — $30,000. Winery Production Expansion to Process Michigan Grapes and Fruit.
• McClure’s Pickles (Detroit) — $90,000. Increase Pickle Production in Southeast Michigan.
• Next Phase Enterprises (Hillman) — $94,800. Establish Commercial Dry Bean and Hemp Flour Production Line to Expand Markets for Michigan Crops.
• North Bay Produce (Traverse City) — $125,000. Purchase Compostable Packaging Equipment for Blueberries.
• North River Distillery LLC (Jackson) — $18,600. Increase Efficiencies to Make North River potato vodka production more economically feasible. (See Produce Processing’s story on North River Vodka)
• Oomen Brothers Inc. (Hart) — $100,000. Install Broccoli Floret Process Line to Meet Market for Domestic Frozen Product.
• Superior Sales Inc. (Hudsonville) — $125,000. Superior Sales Celery Processing Project.
• TCB Food Processing (Bangor) — $125,000. Increase and Expand Processing and Co-Packing Capacity.
• TCWC LLC, d.b.a. Traverse City Whiskey Company (Traverse City) — $125,000. Purchase Equipment for Improving Value-Added Production of Michigan Cherries and Spirits.