The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has announced an award of $755,077 to Northwest Mills and Specialty Grains, also known as Cairnspring Mills, for a grain milling infrastructure project at Coyote Business Park. The business park is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).
This funding comes through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI), which is managed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). The RFSI program focuses on strengthening the middle part of the food supply chain, including processing, storage, aggregation, wholesaling, and distribution.
Coyote Business Park covers 170 acres east of Pendleton and offers ready-to-develop commercial and industrial sites. Its economic development team works with CTUIR to support businesses with planning, permitting, workforce recruitment, marketing, and other services.
The new funding will help build a regenerative flour mill that uses regionally grown grains. It will cover construction of a grain storage and milling facility, two grain silos, and a truck scale. This project aims to increase grain processing capacity in Eastern Oregon and improve regional food security.
Bill Tovey commented on behalf of CTUIR: “The CTUIR celebrates the ODA funding that will benefit the Tribe’s Farm Enterprise and local farmers. The grant to Northwest Mills and Specialty Grains will provide value added returns for the region.”
ODA administers these federal funds in Oregon. Previously, it selected 24 projects recommended by an advisory committee for a total investment of $4 million to support supply chain infrastructure.
Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, Director of ODA, said: “This is a win-win situation for both agriculture and the Umatilla Tribes. The grant will enable Northwest Mills and Specialty Grains to support local farmers, create markets for our unique grains, and reduce the distance between farmers and customers. At the same time, the Umatilla Tribe will benefit by seeing their Coyote Business Park flourish with successful businesses.”
The RFSI grant program is funded by $420 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Through this initiative, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies responsible for agriculture or food system activities across states or territories.
For more information about RFSI activities in Oregon or to view all funded projects visit ODA’s website on Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure.
