Rosemont Market receives $65,000 to double local food sales, and Somali Bantu Community receives $395,000 to reduce food insecurity
Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that Portland-based Rosemont Market will receive a $64,922 Local Food Promotion Grant from the USDA. The program is making $26.8 million in investments this year, thanks to Pingree’s successful efforts to triple its funding in the 2014 Farm Bill.
“There’s been so many terrific efforts to make healthy, locally sourced food available to Mainers, which is good for consumers, farmers, and the state’s economy. But the federal government simply wasn’t doing enough to support it,” said Pingree. “That’s why I pushed to triple funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs during the last reauthorization of the Farm Bill. These critical investments help farmers and other small businesses meet the growing demand for local food—and Rosemont Market is a terrific example.”
Rosemont Market is an independent grocery, bakery, and food hub that is a pioneer in Maine’s local food movement. The company estimates that nearly half its revenue is connected to locally sourced food. With a Local Food Promotion Program Grant, the company will develop a plan to double its local food sales in the next 3-5 years. A full summary of the project is online.
The USDA also released news today that Somali Bantu Community in Lewiston, in partnership with the Cumberland County Food Security Council, will receive a $394,851 Community Food Projects grant. Funding will support the community’s agricultural efforts to reconnect to its cultural heritage while reducing food insecurity. A full summary of the project is online.
In 2013, Pingree introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, comprehensive legislation to give more federal supports to small- and medium-sized farms in Maine and across the country. When President Obama signed the last Farm Bill in 2014, it contained numerous provisions from Pingree’s bill. One of those pieces was tripling funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.
Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, which oversees funding for the USDA.
