The Wyoming Department of Family Services and Food Works Group are pleased to announce that nine Wyoming organizations have been awarded grant funds through the Wyoming Aggregation and Distribution Grant Program to strengthen local food infrastructure and food access across the state. The program is part of the $2.4 million Food Security System Implementation Project to strengthen food access in Wyoming by distributing funds and providing technical assistance to food system contributors in the state.

This program received a total of 21 applications requesting $2,959,946 in funding. After careful review, $1,042,142 in funds have been awarded to nine entities. These selections were made by a six-person committee of food systems experts, then reviewed and finalized by the Wyoming Food Insecurity System Implementation Steering Committee.

Awarded Entities

The Aggregation and Distribution Grant Program awarded funds to the following nine organizations to support cold storage, distribution infrastructure, and aggregation capacity that connect Wyoming producers with food security service organizations:

1. Bear Mountain Beef — Torrington

2. Edible Prairie Project — Gillette

3. Moorcroft Interfaith Community Food Pantry — Moorcroft

4. Slow Food in the Tetons — Jackson

5. Squire Farms — Afton

6. The Farm Jackson Hole — Jackson

7. Western Variety Farm — Sheridan

8. Woody Farm and Ranch — Riverton

9. Young’s Family Farm — Parkman

Implementing Recommendations of the Wyoming Food Systems Assessment

The Wyoming Department of Family Services awarded a contract to Food Works Group (FWG), a nationally focused advisory firm that supports local and regional food systems, to administer this program and distribute funds throughout the state of Wyoming. FWG is implementing three statewide recommendations from the Wyoming Food Systems Assessment, which include future purchase agreements, capacity building via grants, and connection.

Throughout the project, FWG is working closely with the Wyoming Food Coalition, a key leader in the Wyoming food system. Wyoming Food Coalition has been selected to implement the fourth recommendation of the Wyoming Food Systems Assessment, which is coordination and collaboration.

Past Food Systems Grants

Wyoming food systems have benefited from several grants in the past few years. Learn more on the DFS website at this link.

• May 2026: Eight Wyoming organizations were awarded pilot grant funds to strengthen food production and food access in the state.

• April 2026: The Forward Contract Grant Program awarded funds to 24 organizations to support forward purchasing agreements, infrastructure investments, and planning activities that connect Wyoming producers with food security service organizations:

Learn More

To learn more about the project and awarded entities, please visit this link.

This project is paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 and the Infrastructure and Jobs Act. The Wyoming Legislature allocated the ARPA funding to implement the recommendations identified in the Wyoming Food Systems Assessment, completed in Spring 2024.

Wyoming Department of Family Services

The Wyoming Department of Family Services’ work centers around three values: 1) Safe at home, 2) Opportunities for success, and 3) Supporting the people who support the families. DFS achieves this vision by giving families opportunities for success throughout their interactions with the department. Families come in contact with the department for many reasons, including but not limited to, child abuse and neglect services, adult protection services, juvenile justice services, child care licensing, and assistance with food or child care. DFS’ goals reflect the department’s desire to improve upon the practice and service delivery that enhance families’ abilities to be successful and remain safe at home. More information can be found in the department’s SFY 2024-2026 Three-Year Strategic Plan.

Food Works Group

Food Works Group (FWG) is a nationally focused, women-owned advisory firm that measures, strategizes, and supports equitable and sustainable progress across the food system. Our work helps clients solve operational challenges with a goal towards accelerating success, maximizing impact, and adapting to the fast-paced evolution of regional food systems. We advise clients on a range of topics, including: agriculture and food related business operations and planning, asset mapping and needs assessments, food banking and food hub program operations and evaluation, workshop development and stakeholder engagement, facility and financial modeling, and project and program implementation across the food system.

Wyoming Food Coalition

Until December 2019, Wyoming was the only state without any form of food policy council. However, numerous producers, local food networks, food security and justice collaborations, institutions of higher education, and other food system leaders had been working for years to address challenges across the state. In late 2019, leaders from these sectors met and combined decades of experience to form the Wyoming Food Coalition. Its mission is to strengthen local food systems by connecting stakeholders and amplifying their voices so that Wyoming producers, consumers, and environments thrive.