WHAT HAPPENED: On August 17, 2026, USDA announced $7.5 million in grant funding through the Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance Program (CCG). The program will fund cold chain equipment investments to help food assistance entities store, package, and distribute fresh, frozen, and minimally processed foods, including meat, eggs, dairy, and produce.
HOW IT WOULD WORK: Funded non-profit organizations will administer a subaward program supporting cold storage in the middle of the supply chain, providing consultation and subject matter expertise to sub-awardees for consumer-facing food assistance operations. Subawards will cover the cost of equipment purchases, delivery, and installation — up to $200,000 — with sub-awardees required to contribute a 10% cash cost share. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “With this funding opportunity we will see more cold storage and infrastructure to store homegrown proteins for all Americans to enjoy as we continue to Make America Healthy Again,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. HHS Secretary Robert L. Kennedy Jr. added that the funding “will give food banks the infrastructure to deliver more meat, eggs, dairy, produce, and other whole foods from American farmers and ranchers to families in need.”
WHY IT MATTERS: The grants align with the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Administration’s broader “Real Food”/Make America Healthy Again push to expand access to fresh and minimally processed proteins, including poultry, through the emergency food assistance system. Expanded cold chain infrastructure at food banks and assistance organizations could increase distribution capacity for perishable protein products, offering a potential channel for increased poultry movement into food assistance programs.
WHAT’S NEXT: Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 1, 2026.
Source: Central Texas Food Bank
