Rural Prosperity Nebraska, a university hub focused on advancing rural communities, is leading formation of the Heartland Regional Food Business Center. The center, an online platform aimed at connecting and strengthening locally grown food systems, brings together buyers, sellers, producers, processors and market managers. Funded by a $25 million cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – among the largest awards ever received by the university – the center will serve Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa. It is one of 12 such centers funded by the USDA, all designed to help historically underinvested communities in their respective regions.
