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Each month, the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Seeds of Success highlights accomplishments and lessons learned from Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) grant recipients. This month, we wanted to look back on several stories that showcase the impact of the grantees and their project.
 The Regional Environmental Council Inc. (REC) is a grassroots non-profit organization focused on bringing people together to create a just, sustainable, and equitable food system in Worcester, Massachusetts and beyond. To serve more people and grow their market capacity, REC applied for and received a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant in 2018 and expanded their mobile markets to two neighboring towns. This funding allowed them to provide fresh produce in more areas around Greater Worcester that include diverse, low-income, and food insecure communities. Their focus on fostering culturally appropriate and fulfilling food spaces also made them a pivotal organization for producing crops specific to ethnic foods and new farmer education.
National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) based in Virginia, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation, health, and wellness efforts. NRPA wanted to explore other ways of promoting healthy food access in parks and recreation areas and in 2018, they applied for and received a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant for $250,000 to work directly with two communities, Tunica County Parks & Recreation in Mississippi and Arkansas City Parks & Recreation in Kansas. Read more about their unique ways of utilizing parks and recreation spaces for food systems work in their new Seeds of Success feature.
Jonesborough Locally Grown started its first farmer’s market in 2008 and became a non-profit organization in 2013, expanding to two producer-only markets in the area. Over the years, JLG has worked to support over 200 farmers through marketing trainings for new and beginning farmers, community events like their annual Farm to Table Dinner, and more. To help increase foot traffic and sales through more events and marketing, JLG applied for and received a 2018 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant for $174,441. Read more about JLG’s strategies in their new Seeds of Success feature.
Barrio Bread and Barrio Grains are two organizations that turn grain from local farmers in the Tucson, Arizona, region into hearty sourdough loaves. Barrio Bread came first, but when the founder, Don Guerra, saw there was a demand for local grain and flour as well, he created Barrio Grains. When Don applied for a 2015 Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant, he was operating out of his garage. The grant allowed him to move from selling at the farmers market to setup a brick-and-mortar storefront. There, Don sells directly to community members and wholesale to local restaurants in Tucson.
 The Seeds of Success interactive map pinpoints the location of over 40 grant recipients that are featured on the platform. Learning how grant recipients are leveraging their grant funds may help prospective applicants or current grant recipients make connections and explore opportunities. These snapshots are a key way for AMS to share impacts and showcase the variety of ways FMLFPP grant funds are used to benefit local and regional food systems.Click to edit this placeholder text.
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Applications for the Community Food Systems Mentorship Program are now open! |
The Food System Leadership Network Mentorship Program strives to provide necessary space, structure, and support for the legacy work of passing food culture, knowledge, and resources between generations. Through participation in this program, leaders have an opportunity to cultivate deep, long-term, and intergenerational relationships that nourish their ability to contribute to their community food systems and build the resilience required to move through the challenges of social transformation work. In return, they can offer the wisdom of their own lived experiences with their mentors. The deadline for applications is February 5th, 2024.
January
Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems (Project SCALES) is part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative and led by the Center for School and Community Partnerships at Boise State University. These projects will increase the procurement of locally sourced foods by developing innovative partnerships between schools and producers; growers; and processors. In addition, schools will be supported in the preparation of the foods and promoting them to students. Project SCALES was awarded $16.1 million and will provide two cohorts with sub-grants of up to $150,000 each (70 total).
Application Deadline: Jan. 26
Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant Subawards (Agricultural Marketing Service): States and territories are partnering with USDA to competitively subaward Infrastructure Grants to projects that support infrastructure in the middle of the supply chain for domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities. Individual states and territories are opening their Request for Applications (RFA) as state plans become finalized. Interested applicants must apply through their state’s department of agriculture.
Various Deadlines, see https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/rfsi/rfsi-rfa-status
April
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (Rural Development): Will encourage regional, innovation-driven approaches to economic development by funding job accelerator partnerships in low-income and underserved rural communities. For fiscal year 2024, the program is making approximately $2 million available to partnerships of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities in rural areas. The funding may be used to support innovation centers and job accelerator programs that improve the ability of distressed rural communities to create high-wage jobs, form new businesses, and identify and maximize local assets.
Application Deadline: April 1
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