USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced it awarded $32 million in grants to expand and strengthen local and regional food systems and increase the availability of locally grown agricultural products.
The grants will be distributed through the Local Agriculture Market Program’s Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs (FMLFPP) and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant program.
“These grant programs support local and regional food producers by broadening marketing opportunities, such as farmers markets, local food hubs, and farm-to-institution programs,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “Not only do these channels provide consistent and profitable revenue streams to farmers, they also increase consumer access to fresh, locally sourced foods across the nation.”
Over 80 grants were awarded through FMLFPP to support producer-to-consumer markets and local and regional food businesses that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing. Through RFSP, funds will support 10 partnerships to increase locally sourced food in institutions such as cafeterias, schools, hospitals and governments.
