Growing for Kane - Technical Assistance Helps Bring $152,500 in Outside Investments to Local Agriculture
Growing for Kane Technical Assistance Helps Bring $152,500 in Outside Investments to Local Agriculture
Ellen Kamps, Kane County Sustainable Agriculture Consultant
Kane County's Growing for Kane Food & Farm Technical Assistance initiative is demonstrating how strategic business support can help local farms attract new investment and strengthen the agricultural economy.
Earlier this year, the initiative provided one-on-one technical assistance to help farms identify funding opportunities, develop competitive projects, and prepare grant applications. Outreach resulted in three grant applications and three successful awards. Two Kane County farms secured a combined $152,500 through the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Grant and Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grant to support investments in food processing infrastructure, refrigerated transportation, and cold storage.
These results also highlight the lasting impact of Kane County's 2024 Food & Farm Resiliency Program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). While the program invested directly in strengthening local food and farm businesses, it also helped producers build the foundation needed to pursue future funding opportunities. Through business planning, infrastructure improvements, and operational investments, participating farms became better positioned to compete for competitive grant programs.
The Growing for Kane Technical Assistance initiative built on that foundation by providing individualized coaching to identify funding opportunities, refine project ideas, and prepare competitive grant applications. The combination of prior business investment and targeted technical assistance translated into successful grant awards that brought new state funding into Kane County.
Together, these programs demonstrate how economic development extends beyond a single grant. Strategic public investment can strengthen businesses, improve grant readiness, and help local producers compete for additional outside funding. As Growing for Kane continues to connect producers with technical assistance and funding opportunities, Kane County remains committed to supporting a resilient agricultural economy by helping local businesses build capacity, expand opportunities, and attract future investment.
