Last week, a total of 177 farms and 159 food processors were awarded $15 million in Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants to mitigate risks of the COVID-19 virus across the state’s food production industry, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced. Additionally, 124 small farms of less than 10 employees received $567,000 in grants for COVID-19 risk mitigation through the MEDC Small Farm Safety Grants.
“Michigan’s food and agriculture sector has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19, and through the Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant program, we were able to provide some relief to our farmers and food processors across the state while ensuring the safety of our agricultural workforce and food production,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This program puts federal funding to work for Michigan’s farms and builds on additional COVID-19 relief efforts led by MEDC and MDARD to create a strong foundation for Michigan’s long-term economic recovery.”
About the Agricultural Programs
Approved in July, the Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant program allocated $15 million of federal CARES Act funding to provide much-needed funding to Michigan’s agricultural processors and farms’ COVID-19 mitigation efforts in support of this critical industry in the state. Awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, the Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants helped to retain 26,003 jobs with 26 percent of grants being awarded in geographically disadvantaged areas. Total Agricultural Safety Grants were divided between agricultural processors and farms with 10 or more employees as follows:
- $10 million in grants to 159 processors statewide.
- $5 million in grants to 177 farms statewide.
“When Michigan was hit with one crisis after another, and when there were some troubling trends in food and agriculture nationally, we worked to ensure that Michigan’s food supply chain was safe and secure,” said MDARD Director Gary McDowell. “And we all understood this could not be done if our essential workers became ill or felt unsafe in the workplace. We’re incredibly thankful for the work of Governor Whitmer and our partners at MEDC and GreenStone not only for executing this program, but also for doing it quickly when Michigan businesses and residents needed it the most.”
As a result of high demand for the Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant program, and a clear need to help small farms mitigate risks of the COVID-19 virus in their operation, MEDC launched the MEDC Small Farm Safety Grant program on July 21, 2020. MEDC Small Farm Safety Grants were available to farms with less than 10 employees to fund COVID-19 mitigation costs.
Applications for both programs were processed by East Lansing-based GreenStone Farm Credit Services, one of America’s largest rural lenders, including 31 branches in Michigan. GreenStone has a 100-year track record providing financial services to the agricultural industry – including short, intermediate and long-term loans, equipment and building leases, life insurance, crop insurance, accounting and tax services. GreenStone completed initial screenings of all applications and supporting documentation and recommended applications to MEDC for final approval and disbursements of the grants awarded.
The Local Harvest
Locally, 47 farms and 20 processors received Michigan Agricultural Safety Grants totaling $3.1 million in support. An estimated 5,687 workers were impacted. With respect to small farms, an additional 17 local business were awarded grants adding up to $91,000 and helping to retain 81 jobs. With Southwest Michigan producing almost one-third of Michigan’s total agriculture sales, it comes as no surprise that our local producers received such strong support from the state, and we’re grateful as the sector employs 19,000 locally,” said Ron Kitchens, CEO and senior partner of local economic regional Southwest Michigan First. “And I can’t let the opportunity pass by to encourage everyone to support local during this fall harvest. There is no better time in Michigan than now to treat yourself and your family right by getting the freshest ingredients for your cooking and entertaining direct from a Southwest Michigan farm.”
A full list of awardees for both programs is available at michiganbusiness.org/agsafety with local recipients named below.
Michigan Agricultural Safety Grant Recipients
| Business Name | Grant Amount | Municipality | County | Projected Employees | Operation |
| A & B Costanza Farms LLC | $50,000 | Sodus | Berrien | 158 | Farming |
| Aaron Molter | $13,000 | Benton Harbor | Berrien | 13 | Farming |
| Adkin’s Blue Ribbon Packing Company, Inc. | $148,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 100 | Processing |
| Allan Overhiser | $16,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 16 | Farming |
| B & T Partnership | $10,000 | Vicksburg | Kalamazoo | 10 | Farming |
| Berrybrook Enterprises | $34,000 | Dowagiac | Cass | 34 | Farming |
| Clemens Food Group, LLC | $200,000 | Coldwater | Branch | 1,175 | Processing |
| Coloma Frozen Foods LLC | $50,000 | Coloma | Berrien | 63 | Processing |
| Corey Lake Orchards Operations LLC | $20,000 | Three Rivers | St. Joseph | 20 | Farming |
| Cornerstone Ag Holdings, LLC | $50,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 75 | Farming |
| DeGroot, Inc. | $46,000 | Coloma | Berrien | 46 | Farming |
| Flamm Pickle & Packing Co. Inc. | $21,000 | Eau Claire | Berrien | 21 | Processing |
| Fresh Solution Farms LLC | $49,000 | White Pigeon | St. Joseph | 49 | Processing |
| Gary F Bartley | $42,000 | Dowagiac | Cass | 42 | Farming |
| GLCC Co. | $24,000 | Paw | Van Buren | 26 | Processing |
| Golden Plain Farms, Inc. | $50,000 | Hartford | Van Buren | 133 | Farming |
| Gravity Vineyards and Winery, LLC | $30,000 | Baroda | Berrien | 30 | Farming |
| Green Gardens Farm, LLC | $10,000 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 10 | Farming |
| Halbert Dairy Farm LLC | $39,000 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 39 | Farming |
| Hamlin Farms | $53,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 118 | Processing |
| Harold Hamlin | $47,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 85 | Farming |
| Harris Blueberries LLC | $50,000 | Bloomingdale | Van Buren | 15 | Farming |
| Hawkeye Farms, LLC | $10,000 | St. Joseph | Berrien | 37 | Farming |
| Heritage Blueberries LLC | $32,000 | Bangor | Van Buren | 0 | Farming |
| Hidden Drive Greenhouse, Inc. | $11,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 11 | Farming |
| Jason Thomas | $17,000 | Grand Junction | Van Buren | 4 | Farming |
| Jeff Scherer Farms LLC | $50,000 | Bloomingdale | Van Buren | 50 | Farming |
| Joe Leduc | $200,000 | Paw | Van Buren | 206 | Processing |
| Jon Brian Hinkelman | $10,000 | Watervliet | Berrien | 12 | Farming |
| Jubilee Blueberry Farms, LLC | $50,000 | Grand Junction | Van Buren | 9 | Farming |
| Kalamazoo Specialty Plants, LLC | $50,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 56 | Farming |
| Kellogg Company | $200,000 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 1,080 | Processing |
| Kuehnle Farms LLC | $50,000 | Hartford | Van Buren | 90 | Farming |
| Lake Michigan Berry LLC | $20,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 20 | Farming |
| Larry Dean Westrate | $29,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 25 | Farming |
| Lehmans Orchard LLC | $12,000 | Niles | Berrien | 12 | Processing |
| Leitz Farms LLC | $50,000 | Sodus | Berrien | 225 | Farming |
| Lemon Creek Fruit Farm | $11,000 | Berrien Springs | Berrien | 11 | Farming |
| Lemon Creek Winery, Ltd. | $19,000 | Berrien Springs | Berrien | 19 | Processing |
| Lynn Mayer’s Great Lakes Glads, Inc. | $50,000 | Bronson | Branch | 118 | Farming |
| Meachum Family Farms LLC | $37,000 | Hartford | Van Buren | 85 | Farming |
| New Day Berry Farms LLC | $35,000 | South Haven | Van Buren | 25 | Farming |
| Oxley Bros. Farm LLC | $14,000 | Lawton | Van Buren | 14 | Farming |
| Packers Canning Company, Inc. | $111,000 | Lawton | Van Buren | 100 | Processing |
| Pero Family Farms Food Company, LLC | $87,000 | Benton Harbor | Berrien | 87 | Processing |
| Piedt Farms, LLC | $50,000 | Eau Claire | Berrien | 67 | Farming |
| Pineview Greenhouses Inc. | $40,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 40 | Farming |
| Plants Unlimited Inc. | $34,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 34 | Farming |
| Post Gardens of Battle Creek Inc. | $19,000 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 19 | Farming |
| Rajzer Farms LLC | $43,000 | Decatur | Van Buren | 43 | Farming |
| Ronald F. Richter | $15,000 | Decatur | Van Buren | 23 | Farming |
| Russell P. Costanza | $50,000 | Sodus | Berrien | 141 | Farming |
| SBFI, Inc. | $163,000 | Grand Junction | Van Buren | 150 | Processing |
| Schilling Family Farms, LLC | $40,000 | Saint Joseph | Berrien | 95 | Farming |
| Snackwerks of Michigan, LLC | $24,000 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 24 | Processing |
| Sparks Cedarlee Farm LLC | $23,000 | Cassopolis | Cass | 23 | Farming |
| Sportel Greenhouses, LLC | $26,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 25 | Farming |
| Stan Ouding Bedding Plants, Inc. | $10,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 18 | Farming |
| Streek’s Greenhouse | $21,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 21 | Farming |
| TCB Food Processing LLC | $14,000 | Bangor | Van Buren | 15 | Processing |
| The Bainbridge Beverage Company | $21,000 | Coloma | Berrien | 21 | Processing |
| The Mennel Milling Company of Michigan | $16,000 | Dowagiac | Cass | 18 | Processing |
| True Blue Processing, Inc. | $51,000 | Grand Junction | Van Buren | 59 | Processing |
| Wahmhoff Farms LLC | $21,000 | Gobles | Van Buren | 41 | Farming |
| Walther Farms LLC | $50,000 | Three Rivers | St. Joseph | 50 | Farming |
| Wenke Greenhouses Inc. | $125,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 120 | Processing |
| Williams Farms LLC | $50,000 | Benton Harbor | Berrien | 66 | Farming |
| TOTALS | $3,113,000 | 5,687 |
MEDC Small Farm Safety Grant Recipients
| Business Name | Grant Amount | City | County | Jobs Retained |
| Armando Arellano | $9,000 | Covert | Van Buren | 3 |
| Bryan Cronenwett | $9,000 | Lawton | Van Buren | 9 |
| Carlson Farms | $9,000 | Lawton | Van Buren | 9 |
| Double Eagle Farms II | $4,000 | Marshall | Calhoun | 4 |
| Douglas Tree Farm | $5,000 | Bloomingdale | Van Buren | 2 |
| Earth First Farms LLC | $2,000 | Berrien Center | Berrien | 2 |
| Epple Family Farms, LLC | $4,000 | Watervliet | Berrien | 4 |
| Gregg Micheal Stevens | $4,000 | Sturgis | St. Joseph | 4 |
| Harvest Best Farms LLC | $2,000 | Eau Claire | Berrien | 2 |
| J & A Koebel Farm LLC | $5,000 | Three Oaks | Berrien | 5 |
| Jay Brian Jollay | $6,000 | Coloma | Berrien | 6 |
| Kalamazoo Nature Center Inc. | $2,000 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 1 |
| Moss Funnel Farms | $9,000 | Bangor | Van Buren | 9 |
| Paul Thelen | $5,000 | Berrien Springs | Berrien | 5 |
| Roedger Bros. Farms LLC | $8,000 | Covert | Van Buren | 8 |
| Sauer Orchards, LLC | $7,000 | Bloomingdale | Van Buren | 7 |
| The Tradewind Co. LLC | $1,000 | Portage | Kalamazoo | 1 |
| TOTALS | $91,000 | 81 |
