USDA Publicizes $33.5 Million in Grant Awards to Develop Native and Regional Meals Techniques – City Ag Information

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2024– The U.S. Division of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Advertising and marketing Service at the moment awarded over $33.5 million for 113 grant initiatives in 43 states and territories to increase and strengthen native and regional meals programs and improve the provision of domestically grown agricultural merchandise. The funding will likely be distributed via the Native Agriculture Market Program’s (LAMP) Farmers Market and Native Meals Promotion Applications (FMLFPP) and the Regional Meals System Partnerships (RFSP) grant program.

“The Native Agriculture Market Program is a key piece of USDA’s efforts to strengthen native and regional meals programs with over $220 million awarded to 597 initiatives since 2021,” stated USDA Beneath Secretary for Advertising and marketing and Regulatory Applications Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The initiatives will increase market alternatives for small and mid-sized producers, permit more cash to remain inside native and rural economies, and construct resilience in our meals programs.”

FMLFPP is carried out via two grant packages, the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Native Meals Promotion Program (LFPP). The purpose of the packages is to strengthen native and regional meals companies via initiatives that assist farmers by way of the creation of focused advertising capabilities; coaching on subjects comparable to report conserving, truthful pricing, family-friendly advertising and agritourism actions; and new market improvement.

This yr, FMPP is awarding $14.2 million to 60 initiatives throughout 28 states and territories. This system funds initiatives that assist producer-to-consumer markets, comparable to farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism actions, community-supported agriculture packages, and on-line gross sales.

Challenge Spotlight:

• The College of Wisconsin is receiving an FMPP grant to coach and assist 100 direct-to-consumer farmers to raised perceive key enterprise administration programs that lead to elevated gross sales and profitability. Early-career and direct-to-consumer farmers will be taught monetary administration expertise and monetary acumen to diversify and increase their gross sales and foster peer-to-peer connections to enhance monetary and gross sales administration confidence.

LFPP is awarding $14.1 million in fiscal yr 2024 funding to 43 initiatives throughout 29 states and territories. This system helps native and regional meals companies that have interaction as intermediaries in oblique producer to shopper advertising. The awarded initiatives deal with actions, comparable to supporting the processing, aggregation, distribution, and storage of native and regional meals merchandise; creating value-added merchandise; and facilitating regional meals chain coordination.

Challenge Spotlight: 

• In Her Footwear, Inc. in Webb, Miss., is receiving a LFPP grant to reinforce the sustainability of small farms in addition to rural and underserved communities’ entry to contemporary produce within the Mississippi Delta. Their challenge will present assist and coaching to greater than 30 small, domestically owned and operated farm companies and construct a cellular produce market that connects farmers to different packages, comparable to USDA’s Native Meals Buy Help program.

RFSP is awarding $5.2 million to 10 partnerships throughout 10 states. This system helps the event of relationships between native and regional meals companies and establishments, comparable to colleges, hospitals, and governments to extend native and regional meals in institutional cafeterias and meal packages.

Challenge Spotlight:

• The Southeast Regional Cooperative in East Level, Ga. is receiving a RFSP grant to create a partnership that can have interaction meals and agriculture companies, non-profits, and universities to extend effectivity within the area’s charitable meals community. They’ll develop methods to enhance transportation administration, center of the availability chain logistics, value-added processing, and built-in information administration, all of which can culminate in a regional service heart.

LAMP and its accompanying grant packages are funded via the 2018 Farm Invoice and FY2024 annual appropriations.

AMS helps U.S. meals and agricultural product market alternatives, whereas growing shopper entry to contemporary, wholesome meals via utilized analysis, technical providers, and congressionally funded grants. These initiatives will assist the event, coordination and growth of direct producer-to-consumer advertising, native and regional meals markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural merchandise.

To be taught extra about AMS’s investments in enhancing and strengthening agricultural programs, go to www.ams.usda.gov/grants.

AMS administers packages that create home and worldwide advertising alternatives for U.S. producers of meals, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS additionally gives the agriculture trade with useful providers to make sure the standard and availability of healthful meals for shoppers throughout the nation and globally. AMS providers and its vital grant investments create alternatives by supporting American farmers, ranchers and companies throughout the availability chain, and drive financial improvement in small cities and rural communities.

USDA touches the lives of all People every day in so many constructive methods. Within the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is remodeling America’s meals system with a larger deal with extra resilient native and regional meals manufacturing, fairer markets for all producers, making certain entry to protected, wholesome and nutritious meals in all communities, constructing new markets and streams of revenue for farmers and producers utilizing local weather good meals and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clear vitality capabilities in rural America, and committing to fairness throughout the Division by eradicating systemic limitations and constructing a workforce extra consultant of America. To be taught extra, go to www.usda.gov.

Get the newest Agricultural Advertising and marketing Service information at www.ams.usda.gov/information.