USDA and Reinvestment Fund Invest $150,000 in Las Vegas Food Hub to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Foods in Nevada
Funding Will Help Provide Healthy Food Options to Underserved Communities
CARSON CITY, Nev., Nov. 1, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and USDA Rural Development State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad announced today that USDA is partnering with Reinvestment Fund to invest $150,000 in the University of Nevada, Reno Extension to establish the first-ever Las Vegas food hub.
This investment is part of a nationwide announcement of nearly $6 million to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities across the country.
The investments are being made through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Planning Grant Program, which provides grants to organizations for healthy food retail or food retail supply chain projects in early-stage planning and predevelopment phases.
“No matter where you live in our country, you should be able to get affordable, fresh, and healthy food close to home,” Deputy Secretary Torres Small said. “Through the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is working with farmers and ranchers, food retailers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the local and regional food systems we all count on. Reinvestment Fund has been a key partner to USDA in these efforts and today’s investments will ensure more communities get the nutritious food we all deserve.”
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has worked diligently to provide rural Nevadans with safe and affordable housing, power, infrastructure, and much more,” said State Director Ingvoldstad. “Today, we continue that commitment to rural prosperity in every aspect of day-to-day life by investing in a food hub that will ensure families have nutritious food without high costs. The University of Nevada, Reno Extension has been a critical partner in our work to address food insecurity in Nevada, and we look forward to this landmark achievement in addressing local needs.”
This investment will support in the establishing of the first-ever Las Vegas food hub, based on preliminary research into exemplary food hubs backed by strong community engagement, which strongly advocates for the dire need for food security, high agricultural and consumer demand for access to fresh food, and great economic benefits of a food hub. This project builds on planning and development analysis by regional government officials, success of the exclusively local retail market, stakeholder engagement, and insights from previous food hubs. The goal is to leverage these foundations for a sustainable impactful food hub addressing local food security and supporting the regional economy.
This announcement is part of USDA’s comprehensive set of efforts, bolstered by funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, to create more and better markets that benefit both producers and American consumers.
HFFI is designed to support new and expanded markets for a diversity of growers while helping people across the nation access affordable, healthy foods.
Background
Many low-income communities lack adequate, affordable access to healthy food. HFFI provides grants and loans to entities that offer healthy foods in communities that are underserved by grocery stores and other food retailers. The program increases access to healthy foods, provides new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers, stabilizes small and independent retailers, and creates good-paying jobs and economic opportunity in low-income communities.
Through HFFI, USDA partners with Reinvestment Fund to bring healthy food options to underserved rural, urban and Tribal communities. Reinvestment Fund serves as the National Fund Manager for USDA. It raises capital; provides financial and technical assistance to regional, state and local partnerships; and helps fund projects to improve access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved areas.
In August 2023, Reinvestment Fund expanded America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative to include the new HFFI Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program.
In June 2024, the Reinvestment Fund expanded the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to include the Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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