Business Builder Awards infuse $1.5M into food enterprises across Southwest

Submitted by pkanrice on September 2nd, 2025

Tracy B Celio

Two people plant seedlings into black plastic mulch in a hoop house — Nalwoodi Denzhone Community produces pasture-raised eggs, hair sheep and fruits and vegetables – including native Apache produce – for the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Gila, Arizona.

Southwest Regional Food Business Center awards 73 grants to growers, entrepreneurs in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah

Awards totaling approximately $1.5 million will empower farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs and strengthen local food systems and supply chain resiliency throughout the southwestern United States.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Southwest Regional Food Business Center are pleased to announce the first round of Business Builder Award grants to 73 small and mid-sized farm and food businesses across the Southwest region.

Man holds a box of leafy greens in the field — Barraza Farms is a small-scale organic farm growing mixed vegetables in Santa Cruz County.

The Business Builder Award Program is designed to build capacity for food producers and processors by supporting infrastructure, innovation and market access. Recipients include businesses working on:

Food safety equipment for egg processing, cleaning and grading for a pasture-raised flock, modernizing operations and improving efficiency
Grain mill for organic heirloom flour production, which will increase supply tenfold to meet growing demand from school districts
Meat inspection and processing equipment supporting cattle ranchers in Arizona, Nevada and Utah
Marketing and packing supplies for small food businesses to expand into new markets; examples include spice blends, baked goods, mobile markets, farmers and fish harvesters

“These projects reflect the diversity and ingenuity of our regional food producers,” said Tracy Celio, program manager for the Southwest Regional Food Business Center. “We are thrilled to distribute Business Builder awards across the Southwest in partnership with USDA, which will address the unique needs of farmers, ranchers and food producers while strengthening local food systems with lasting impact.”

The recipients include a small, Los Angeles-based spice company, which creates authentic flavors of West Africa.

“I’m so grateful to receive this grant for Gloria’s Shito,” said founder Gloria Allorbi, whose business creates authentic flavors of West Africa. “These funds will help elevate our shipping process, improve the unboxing experience, and reduce package damage. It’s a big step toward our mission of bringing the bold flavors to more tables and our vision of making the cuisine visible in mainstream grocery spaces; starting with our direct-to-consumer platforms while we grow into retail.”

Gloria Allorbi stands in a kitchen holding a bottle of Ghanaian vegan chili oil — Gloria Allorbi, whose business creates authentic flavors of West Africa, received a Business Builder Award to grow her business.

Another award recipient, Oatman Flats Ranch, is a farm in Arizona that aims to provide farm-to-fork regenerative, organic-certified food to schools, bakeries, restaurants and health-conscious consumers.

"We're thrilled to be an integral part of building local, regenerative and organic food network infrastructure with other local participants,” said Oatman Flats Ranch co-founder Dax Hansen. “This award helps us elevate the value chain with a walk-in freezer and refrigeration unit, improved packaging equipment, and sustainable logistics with local food hubs while supporting the integrity of the products for the community we serve."

A woman stands in a garden holding a bunch of collard greens — Pollinate Farm & Garden will use the grant to improve their postharvest practices to reduce spoilage and waste.

Part of a national system of USDA food centers, the Southwest Regional Food Business Center – managed by UC ANR alongside its partners – provides coordination, technical assistance and capacity building for food and farm businesses.

The center’s work across the Southwest is led by a coalition of partners including Utah State University Extension; Utah Department of Agriculture and Food; University of Nevada, Reno Extension; Nevada Department of Agriculture; UC Agriculture and Natural Resources; Valley Vision; UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology; California Department of Food and Agriculture; Occidental College; Local First Arizona; Arizona Department of Agriculture; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; California State University, Chico; Fresno State; Kitchen Table Advisors; and San Diego Food System Alliance.

“UC ANR is proud to be part of this transformative initiative, supporting food and farm businesses across the Southwest and helping build a more resilient, diverse and competitive regional food system,” Celio said.

For a full list of the 73 awardees and project descriptions, visit https://swfoodbiz.org/business-builder/. Updates on the progress of the projects will be posted on the website and on the SWfoodbiz Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

USDA has terminated the national Regional Food Business Center program, effective Sept. 15, eliminating direct funding and training for small farmers. Over the past two years, the Southwest Regional Food Business Center has directly assisted 2,181 individuals and over 1,850 farm and food organizations to grow new businesses and strengthen local and regional food systems.