News Release

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) announced today that 28 projects will receive funding through the Show-Me Entrepreneurial Grants for Agriculture (SEGA) program. The competitive grant program will provide nearly $4 million to Missouri farmers, small businesses and higher education institutions to add value to agricultural products or provide educational opportunities to those seeking to do so.

“Adding value to our agricultural products is a huge opportunity to grow Missouri’s top economic driver,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “Funds awarded through the SEGA program will kick-start ideas across our state and help our farmers and small business owners create more opportunity.”

SEGA grants are funded by an appropriation from the Missouri General Assembly to encourage value-added agriculture in the state.

“At MASBDA, we are fortunate to see agricultural innovation happening across our state every day,” said Jill Wood, Executive Director of MASBDA. “The General Assembly showed that it sees tremendous value in our long-term vision to grow value-added agriculture. We are excited to see these awardees make use of this funding as they develop new products and opportunities.”

The grant program was developed to address recommendations of the Missouri Food, Beverage, and Forest Products Manufacturing Task Force, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe in 2019. Lt. Gov. Kehoe continues to provide leadership for the state’s value-added agricultural initiatives.

“Growing Missouri’s agricultural economy is incredibly important for our state’s future,” said Lt. Gov. Kehoe. “Missouri farmers and small business owners have many outstanding ideas for how to start and expand value-added opportunities for their products, and these funds will help unleash that creativity as producers take their enterprises to new levels.”

The SEGA program consists of five separate parts:

• Innovation Grant Program: provides grants for the development of Missouri businesses that add value to agricultural products.
• Institutional Grant Program: provides grants to Missouri institutions of higher education for the creation and implementation of unique learning opportunities for Missouri producers and businesses interested in increasing value-added agriculture.
• Technical Assistance Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to producers or businesses for technical assistance related to the creation and expansion of Missouri businesses that add value to agriculture products.
• Workforce Development Grant Program: provides reimbursement of expenses to Missouri producers or businesses associated with hiring, training and certifying new and/or current employees of an entity that is adding value to an agriculture product.
• Fee Offset Program: a non-competitive program that provides cost offsets to Missouri value-added agricultural enterprises associated with food processing and food safety laboratory services, including nutritional facts labeling, pH, water activity, microbiological services, and process authority review.

The following projects have been contingently approved for awards in the four competitive grant programs, pending completion of grant contracts and acceptance of terms and conditions:

Innovation Grant Program

Adam Puchta & Son Wine Company Inc.
Bear Creek Meats LLC
Cuttin' Up Custom Meat Processing, LLC
Hemme Dairy, LLC
Hertzog Premium Beef, LLC dba Hertzog Meat Co.
Inland Cape Rice Company, LLC
McKaskle Family Farm LLC
Nadler's Meats and Catering LLC
Northwest Missouri State University
Peno Creek Farms
Rosier Farms Distilling Co., LLC, dba R/Farm Distilling Co.
Show Me HH Farms, LLC
James Winery, Inc.
Timber Ridge Millworks
Turner Processing, LLC
Westphalia Trading Co., LLC

Institutional Grant Program

Missouri State University & University of Central Missouri
The Curators of the University of Missouri
The Curators of the University of Missouri
The Curators of the University of Missouri

Technical Assistance Grant Program

Gold Crown Food Company of the Ozarks, Inc.
Jennings Premium Meats, Inc.
Kern Meat Co., Inc.
Lane Conderman
The Farm Table, LLC

Workforce Development Grant Program

Fulton Wurst Haus & Butchery, LLC
Hermann Wurst Haus, LLC
ICF Holdings, LLC

Numerous industry and academic partners continue to be engaged in supporting these awardees and all Missourians pursuing value-added agriculture, including with the newly formed Missouri Agriculture, Food and Forestry Innovation Center (MAFFIC). MAFFIC offers resources and technical assistance to help Missouri agricultural producers successfully pursue value-added agricultural production and marketing.

For more information about the SEGA program and financial assistance offered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority, please visit www.masbda.com or contact the MASBDA team by email at masbda@mda.mo.gov or by phone at (573) 751-2129.

For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.