Published 10:28 am Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Expanding a Farm to School Program in Washington state, creating value-added seafood products in Oregon and promoting a Native American tribe’s farm in California were among the projects that have received USDA Agricultural Marketing Service grants.
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On Oct. 30, more than $32 million in awards were announced to strengthen local and regional food systems. Here’s a look at West Coast recipients.
•The NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101 in Spokane received a $998,000 grant (with $275,000 match required) to expand its efforts and replicate Regional Farm to School Program models in additional areas of the state.
•The Whatcom Community Foundation in Bellingham received $250,000 ($64,000 match) to design a farm-to-freezer production program to anchor a local food campus.
•The Swinomish Tribe of La Conner received $99,000 ($26,000 match) to solidify Swinomish Shellfish Co.’s presence in the regional shellfish industry.
•Washington State University in Pullman received $77,000 ($19,700 match) to conduct a local food distribution assessment of Kitsap County.
•The Central Coast Food Web in Newport received a $376,000 grant ($102,000 match) to connect sustainable, value-added seafood products to consumers.
The organization provides affordable shared space and equipment to seafood businesses for value-added production of their catch, and funding will boost its capacity.
•Friends of Family Farmers in Junction City received $211,000 ($53,000 match) to create more opportunities for small, highly diversified local market farmers.
•Pacific Northwest Community Supported Agriculture Coalition of Portland received $100,000 ($25,000 match) to increase opportunities for CSA farmers.
•Community partners in Los Angeles will receive $851,000 ($222,000 match) to establish Good Food Purchasing: California, an organization that seeks to advance values-aligned food purchasing by institutions.
“Good food” is a term to describe food produced and procured to promote communities, good jobs, local producers, environmental stewardship and animal welfare.
•Rumiano Cheese Company of Willows received $750,000 ($188,000 match) to build capacity in the Northern California food system to boost sales of value-added organic dairy products to school districts.
•The Public Health Alliance of Southern California in San Diego received $742,000 ($188,000 match) to establish contracts between farms and institutions, including healthcare organizations as part of the food as medicine movement.
•The Agricultural Institute of Marin in San Rafael received $500,000 ($125,000 match) to improve the viability of small-scale and socially disadvantaged producers participating in its farmers markets, making healthy food more accessible to multilingual populations who have not traditionally shopped at the events.
•Fresh Approach of Concord received $425,000 ($108,000 match) to boost sales at farmers markets by making them more inclusive for recipients of nutrition assistance programs.
•The California chapter of Emerald Cities Collaborative received $250,000 ($62,500 match) to meet the increasing processing demand for locally grown, value-added food products in Northern California.
•Jesus Provides Our Daily Bread in Chico received $250,000 ($65,000 match) to address food insecurity in Butte County with a CSA program where produce is cultivated by individuals experiencing homelessness.
•Cuesta College of San Luis Obispo received $207,000 ($52,000 match) to expand education access through a new farmers market.
•Riverside County Office of Economic Development received $181,000 ($45,000 match) to develop a farmers market to help ag producers and residents of the Blythe and Palo Verde Valley areas.
•18 Reasons, a San Francisco nonprofit, received $176,000 ($68,000 match) for a new teaching kitchen and food hub to provide job training, employment, food access and food education.
•Sierra Kings Health Care District of Reedley received $115,000 ($70,000 match) to create a wellness farmers market.
•San Mateo Resource Conservation District of Half Moon Bay received $112,000 ($28,000 match) to continue the development of a food hub.
•Mesa Grande Business Development Corporation of Ramona received $100,000 ($25,000 match) to market the Mesa Grande’s tribally grown produce at the Golden Eagle Farm.
