Press Releases
Pingree says millions of dollars in grant funding available to invest in local foodGrants available to support local economy because of local food bill Pingree wrote
Washington, DC,
March 17, 2015
Millions of dollars in grant funding to invest in initiatives that create and support local agriculture jobs has just become available thanks to programs contained in a local food bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. "This is money that is going to help the local food economy grow and expand in Maine and around the country," Pingree said. "And every dollar that is spent locally is a dollar that support jobs in our communities and gives consumers more access to quality, sustainably grown food." Pingree says a number of grant programs have been opened up through the US Department of Agriculture to support a range of activities, from getting more local food in schools to promoting farmers markets. The grant programs were all contained in Pingree's Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act and were later included in the Farm Bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. "The farm economy in Maine is alive and well and growing," Pingree said. "It's grown by almost 25% over five years. And just look at the growth of organic farming, which increased by over 50% in five years.” In 2007 organic products generated $23.3 million in sales in Maine, by 2012 that number had increased to $36.4 million. And Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) arrangements, where consumers pay a fixed price for a share of a farm's output, are more popular in Maine than almost anywhere else in the country, with Maine ranking third in the number of farms participating in CSAs. Starting this week, applications for federal grants will be accepted for a number of programs, including: The Farmers Market Promotion Program In addition to helping promote farmers markets, this program will help local producers by supporting projects like community kitchen facilities, where food can be processed, stored and transported. Grants can also be used to help farmers markets obtain the technology to process EBT cards for consumers who use food stamps. Over 5,000 farmers markets now accept EBT cards, and SNAP redemption at farmers markets nationwide rose from $4 million in 2009 to over $18 million in 2014. Deadline May 14. More info is here. The Local Food Promotion Program These grants support projects for direct farmer-to-consumer marketing projects such as farmers markets, community-supported agricultureprograms, roadside stands, and agritourism. Deadline May 14. More info is here. Farm to School Program Four different kinds of grants are available: planning grants for schools just getting started on farm to school activities, implementation grants for schools that already have programs in place, support services tohelp grow existing programs, and training and technical assistance grants to help schools learn about buying local, food safety and culinary education. Deadline May 19. More info is here. Specialty Crop Block Grant Program This program is administered through state agriculture departments and helps farmers increase the value of fruits and vegetables grown and sold in the state. In the past, these grants have supported maple syrup marketing assistance, research into honeybees and potato pest management. More info here. |