 USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production has $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. USDA is accepting proposals for planning and implementation projects. These grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture. USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until July 30, 2021.
On May 5, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced the availability of $92.2 million in competitive grant funding for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs (FMLFPP) and Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) program to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises, and value-added agricultural products.
 On June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new technical assistance to help 13 communities develop local food system and placemaking strategies. The assistance is provided through Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP), a federal initiative sponsored by the USDA and the EPA that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life for all residents as they develop the local food economy.
Each selected community will work with a team of federal, state, and regional experts to address local agricultural, environmental, public health, economic development and equity issues. Together, they will develop a community-led action plan to strengthen the local food system and spur revitalization of often-overlooked neighborhoods in the community.
Since its launch in 2014, LFLP has assisted more than 125 communities across the country to develop local food enterprises, such as farmers markets, community gardens, cooperative grocery stores, and food hubs that improve environmental, economic, and health outcomes. The 13 partner communities were selected from 97 applicants. The communities are:
- New Bedford, MA
- Jersey City, NJ
- Culebra, PR
- Norfolk, VA
- Chattanooga, TN
- East St. Louis, IL
- Wyandotte, OK
- Tulsa, OK
- Jefferson City, MO
- Fort Collins, CO
- Las Vegas, NV
- Sacramento, CA
USDA is seeking comments on a Department-wide effort to improve and reimagine the supply chains for the production, processing and distribution of agricultural commodities and food products.
USDA is taking this action in response to Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains, and will use the comments to prepare a report for the White House.
USDA is looking for your input on the critical factors, risks, and strategies needed to support resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains and ensure U.S. economic prosperity, national security, and nutrition security for all Americans.
New Innovation Brief Highlights Pivots in Indigenous Food Systems
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated long standing challenges to the economic and public health of tribal communities. Local producers lost access to markets and saw significantly decreased revenue that put many out of business. During the pandemic, 53% reported either partial or full closure of their businesses.
As sovereign nations, tribal governments have both the legal authority and ability to respond to crisis situations, both immediately and in the long-term. Tribal nations collaborated through coordinating entities, such as the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) to expand livestock processing facilities, leverage CARES Act resources, and reconfigure food aid and distribution programs for elders and children.
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Next Steps to Support Local and Regional Food Systems During Pandemic Recovery
AMS partnered with University Kentucky, Penn State, and Colorado State University to host a webinar series exploring common themes related to COVID-19 disruptions. The last webinar in this series covers USDA’s perspective on local and regional food systems’ role in COVID-19 recovery. The conversation features USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Mae Wu, who highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on open communication and partnership with researchers and practitioners. This project has proven that relationships among networks and within communities are foundations of resilience.
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A Quality Management System (QMS) helps businesses manage operations. Though every industry has its own nuances, each uses tailored management systems based upon internationally recognized best practices established by the International Organization of Standardization and laid out in industry-specific QMS manuals. The food and farming industry is a relative newcomer to QMS; however, food and farm operations across the country are increasingly utilizing QMS as a management tool for food safety, production, inventory, and operational management. While there are many notable examples of farmer groups and food businesses utilizing QMS, there are few manuals or guidance documents written for these specific applications. Through a cooperative agreement with AMS, the Wallace Center at Winrock International developed a guide that provides an overview of the basic components of a QMS, along with several examples.
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Each month we’re highlighting the work of Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion grant recipients.
 CommonWealth Kitchen (CWK) is a non-profit organization in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts and the only food business incubator and integrated small batch manufacturer in the Boston area. CWK found that small local producers were having difficulty competing for market share alongside large national companies. CWK received a 2016 Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant to provide education and training on the complexity of building and growing a food business. Funds were also used to forge strategic partnerships with local colleges and hospitals, which created reliable, high-volume outlets for CWK’s member companies, as well as for value-added products developed by CWK using surplus produce from regional farm partners. During the project CWK:
- Increased gross market sales 79%.
- Directly employed six full-time staff in the production process, generating over $500,000 in contract revenue for this service.
- Expanded their operation and programming to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses and scale up to access to retail, wholesale, and food service markets.
Farm Commons is a nonprofit focused on providing legal resources to empower agricultural communities to resolve their own legal vulnerabilities. Their programs include legal workshops, a library of legal resources covering topics from food safety to insurance to business structures, and a community to connect farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals with other businesses navigating similar challenges.
Farm Commons received a 2016 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant for $228,224 to provide direct to consumer farmers with accurate, expert legal education and training that addresses their unique needs and experiences. Farm Commons believes that when farmers understand how the law affects them, they can farm more confidently. Legal education can inform farmers' decisions about expansion and new markets, help them hire with an understanding labor rules, and provide tips for avoiding liability by having insurance in place to protect against unexpected damage or injuries. Legal education often frees up time for farmers to focus on farming and marketing.
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