Transportation and Marketing

Local Food Promotion Program

Fiscal Year 2022 

Description of Funded Projects

Number of Grants Awarded: 94

Amount of Funds Awarded: $31,857,406.10

For more information, please visit the grant program's website: 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/lfpp 

NOTE: The below project descriptions were provided by the grant recipients.

Alaska

Recipient: Alaska Food Policy Council, Homer, AK

District: AK-001 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $99,790.00

Match Amount: $24,972.00

Total Project Amount: $124,762.00

Alaska Food System Research and Knowledge Sharing: Growing Connections for Local Food

Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC) will facilitate food system research and educational opportunities, to 

increase viable and sustainable local food production and distribution through a network for Alaskan 

Food Hubs. AFPC will convene a Food Working Group with a focus of improving, supporting, and 

connecting food hub operations statewide and within regions. Through a comprehensive assessment 

and review of food hub best practices, the working group will inform the production of a Food Hub 

Working Group and Recommendations Report and Operations Manual. We will provide professional 

development opportunities to build new skills and facilitate additional information sharing between 

food hub operators and producers at the Fall 2023 Alaska Food Festival & Conference.

Arizona

Recipient: AZ Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

District: AZ-009 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $95,290.04

Match Amount: $24,987.00

Total Project Amount: $120,277.04
Enhancing Hawaiʻi’s Food Security through Aquaculture

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing vulnerabilities in Hawai‘i’s food system, evidenced by 

increased reliance on public food assistance. Researchers at Arizona State University will oversee market 

analysis and feasibility study of aquaculture in the Hawaiian islands aimed to improve income and 

economic opportunities for both traditional and contemporary aquaculture producers through 1) 

conducting market research on species that have market potential, 2) identifying gaps and solutions for 

needed aquaculture supply-chain infrastructure, and 3) developing a brand / trademark with production 

standards attached to it to promote seafood grown in traditional native Hawaiian aquaculture systems. 

This project will assess current production levels, research how consumer preferences might be shifted 

towards farmed fish including tilapia and traditional fishpond-raised species and identify how 

aquaculture producers can be supported through supply chain development.

Recipient: Cattlemen's Processing, LLC., Arlington, AZ

District: AZ-003

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $76,500.00

Match Amount: $20,159.00

Total Project Amount: $96,659.00

Assessing How to Best Expand Cattlemen’s Processing to Meet the Processing Needs of Local 

Arizona Ranchers

With the support of USDA funds, Cattlemen’s Processing will increase opportunities for local ranchers by 

expanding their local processing capacity. The purpose of this planning project is to: conduct a feasibility 

study to determine best practices for direct-to-customer processing in highly rural settings and the 

subsequent expanded business plan based upon feasibility study findings in order to process on behalf 

of additional ranches in the community. The feasibility study will identify needed facility upgrades, 

direct-to-consumer strategies, and financial requirements. The study will help Cattlemen’s Processing 

meet the local ranching community’s needs, ensuring that more ranchers are able to sell directly to 

customers.

Recipient: Sun Produce Cooperative, Phoenix, AZ

District: AZ-006

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $25,000.00

Total Project Amount: $125,000.00

Growing the Impact of Fresh, Locally Grown Food in Arizona’s Communities and Economy

Co-op members and community partners have identified a need for expanded collaborative activities to 

keep smaller-scale agriculture alive, and to get more healthy local food to communities around the 

state. The purpose of this planning grant is to advance public awareness of and viability for Arizona’s 

smaller-acreage local food producers and distributors, through a two-pronged approach: 1) Developing 

a feasibility study and business plan for an Arizona Food and Farm Sustainability Center that provides a 
shared facility and resources where small-acreage farms can leverage infrastructure and economies of 

scale, offers technical and business assistance to new and continuing agricultural producers, strengthens 

partnerships among organizations from all aspects of the state’s food system and creates a community 

gathering place in which to celebrate local food and farms; 2) Developing a marketing strategy and 

brand for the Co-op that elevates local farms, coordinates outreach efforts to producers and customers 

alike, and promotes community wellness.

California

Recipient: AG Link, Incorporated, Ballico, CA

District: CA-016 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Match Amount: $129,500.00

Total Project Amount: $629,500.00

Ag Link’s Farm 2 School New Provisions Project - Adding locally-made, clean-label products to 

school meals by networking school food service buyers with producers and providing supply 

chain solutions.

The purpose of this grant is to improve and expand the consumption of and access to locally made, 

clean-label products to school food service agencies and the communities they serve. The goals of this 

grant are to network, educate and inform school food service buyers about local products; provide 

supply chain solutions for producers and schools; improve distribution logistic efficiencies and 

compliance for Ag Link, a local food aggregator/distributor. This will directly benefit the local producers 

it buys from as well as school food service agencies it sells to and the millions of school children they 

feed daily. The expected outcomes of this project are that domestic consumption of and access to 

locally made products will increase by improving and expanding a local and regional food business that 

functions as an intermediary between producers and buyers as an aggregator and distributor. 

Recipient: Fiery Ginger Farm, LLC., West Sacramento, CA

District: CA-006 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $625,000.00

Spork Food Hub: A farmer-owned solution to sustain the livelihood of local producers and the 

health of the Sacramento region’s youth

Fiery Ginger Farm, LLC was established in West Sacramento, CA in 2015. From the beginning, their intent 

has been to grow the highest quality produce for school kitchens. Small farmers recognize firsthand the 

benefits of stable institutional markets. The grant will use the knowledge and relationships that have 

been built over the last seven years to continue to open the door for other small farmers to gain access 

to institutional markets. The grant will continue to develop market connections and forward contracts 
while also providing logistical support, technical assistance, and training for both farmers and food 

service personnel. Over the next three years, Spork Food Hub will work with 15 new school districts that 

serve 70,000 students receiving free and reduced-price school meals. The grant will onboard 30 farms 

(20 of which will be historically underserved). These efforts will lead to $900,000 of produce procured 

from farmers over the next three years. By the end of this project, the grant will generate sufficient 

revenue to hire three new full- time employees who will continue meeting the project outcomes once 

funding expires.

Recipient: North Coast Growers' Association, Arcata, CA

District: CA-002

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $410,722.00

Match Amount: $102,830.00

Total Project Amount: $513,552.00

Implementing a regional food hub to better serve institutions by aggregating and distributing 

locally grown foods, and helping local/regional farmers access institutional buyers.

North Coast Growers’ Association (NCGA) will work with local/regional food producers to implement a 

distribution hub that will make it possible for producers to market and distribute their food more 

efficiently and economically while retaining brand and location identity. “Harvest Hub” will increase 

market access for producers, supporting their economic vitality by linking them with institutional buyers 

and other wholesale markets, as well as assessing and addressing producer needs in terms of 

technology, marketing, and infrastructure for storage, packaging, and distribution to facilitate their 

participation in wholesale markets. NCGA will engage Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) to 

transition their local food purchasing to the Harvest Hub. New systems for ordering and distribution will 

be developed and piloted so that Harvest Hub will procure local food for Humboldt County school 

districts’ meal purchasing programs. NCGA will work with Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH), a CA State University 

campus, to identify barriers to their local food purchasing goals. Funds from this grant will be used to 

map needs and barriers of CPH, collaboratively create a plan to update policies and standard operating 

procedures to overcome these barriers and begin to source locally grown and raised food to help meet 

their local purchasing goals. The Harvest Hub will benefit local farmers and students. Farmers will be 

able to increase their markets without increasing costs or workload. Students will have more access to 

nutrient dense produce throughout the school year to connect them more deeply with their local food 

system.
Recipient: Old Grove Orange, Inc., Redlands, CA

District: CA-031

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $432,873.00

Match Amount: $108,857.00

Total Project Amount: $541,730.00

Old Grove Orange Food Hub: Expanding Local Food Systems in the Inland Empire

Old Grove Orange’s Expanding Local Food Systems project aims to increase economic opportunity for 

local farmers, including new/beginning and BIPOC farmers, by connecting them to a growing network of 

institutional markets in the Inland Empire, a geographic area inland and adjacent to coastal Southern 

California. As the farmer-pioneer of California’s Farm to School movement, Old Grove Orange (OGO), a 

farmer-led food hub, has over 16 years of experience connecting a roster of 40+ local farmers to a Farm 

to School market of 200,000+ students. This project will allow OGO to upgrade its infrastructure and 

enhance the processing, aggregation, distribution, and the development of the value-added agricultural 

products requested for by its institutional clients; to broaden OGO’s customer base by developing new 

institutional markets for local food products; and to recruit, support, and provide more local farmers 

with access to institutional buyers. By investing in these three areas, OGO will be able to support at least 

10 new farmers, increase sales of local agricultural products by 35%, and develop 10 new markets in the 

form of K-12 public school districts, university cafeterias, and local restaurants.

Recipient: Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA

District: CA-020

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $441,500.00

Match Amount: $112,600.00

Total Project Amount: $554,100.00

Beginning, Organic, Latino, Diversified Producers Locally Access New markets (BOLD PLAN)

ALBA will strengthen training capacity, improving beginning, organic, latino diversified (BOLD) farms’ 

readiness to enter markets. ALBA will partner with Kitchen Table Consultants to revise ALBA’s marketing 

training program, create new case studies, IT training, mentoring, and creating a buffer in between 

farms and the reality of market conditions. ALBA will expand partnership with a for-profit food hub 

(Coke Farm) to strengthen coordination of product mix, and forecasting, streamline transport logistics, 

and establish profitable local marketing channels. ALBA will diversify marketing channels by identifying 

and onboarding alternative clients (other than Coke) on the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area, to 

which BOLD farms can supply directly. ALBA will leverage the networks of prominent community 

partners, the Blue Zones Project and Slow Money Monterey Bay which share common values and have 

extensive regional food system contacts. In addition, Taste for Profit Marketing will help develop a 

promotional campaign to attract buyers. The project builds on ALBA’s 21 years of providing incubation 

and marketing assistance to underserved producers, and Coke Farm’s 41 years of experience marketing 

organic produce.
Recipient: Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs' Activities League, San Leandro, CA

District: CA-015

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,798.09

Match Amount: $129,532.60

Total Project Amount: $629,330.69

ALL IN Eats Food Entrepreneur Collaborative

The ALL IN Eats Food Entrepreneur Collaborative (“the Collaborative”), led by the Alameda County 

Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL) and its social enterprise, Dig Deep Farms (DDF), will strengthen 

the Alameda County food system and food economy by strengthening the middle-tier of the farm to 

table food chain. Low-income, BIPOC food entrepreneurs will be recruited to form the Collaborative and 

receive business planning, food handling training, and marketing support from in-house and contracted 

marketing and small business experts to grow their businesses through new contracts with local 

businesses, large institutions, and the new direct-to-consumer ALL IN Eats web portal and app. An 

Institutional Buying Coordinator will work to secure long-term procurement contracts with small local 

farms and supply contracts with large County institutions. A Small Business Liaison will connect the 

Collaborative to the Chamber of Commerce and other local business networks. The team members, 

along with web development and marketing experts, will support the Collaborative in providing directto-consumer food delivery through the ALL IN Eats app. The project’s goals are to increase the 

profitability of local food entrepreneurs the number of local food producers able to secure institutional 

contracts, and the amount of local produce consumed in the County. By the end of this two-year grant, 

at least 20 formerly low-income Alameda County food entrepreneurs will be engaged in the 

Collaborative, increasing their revenue through new contracts.

Recipient: Center for Land-Based Learning, Woodland, CA

District: CA-003

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $395,053.00

Match Amount: $100,042.00

Total Project Amount: $495,095.00

Mobile Farmers Markets, Transformative Tools to Support Local Food Systems While 

Addressing Food Deserts

The Center for Land-Based Learning will improve and expand its Mobile Farmers Market operations in 

West Sacramento and into Woodland CA. All produce sold on the Mobile Market comes from local 

growers. The Mobile Market supports 31 local, small-scale, producers, 30% of which are disadvantaged, 

by developing new markets in low-income, low-access neighborhoods. To efficiently operate the mobile 

market, additional food hub facility infrastructure to support processing, aggregation, and storage of 

local produce is now needed. The food hub will provide a place for farmers to deliver produce, access 

cold storage, and perform light processing including peeling, chopping, and packing to create valueadded products in the form of ready-to-use produce. By offering light processing capacity, produce that 

would otherwise not be accepted at market due to imperfections can be sold at added value and 

convenience to low-income customers strapped for time and culinary knowledge on produce 
preparation. Providing pre-peeled and chopped produce vastly increases the ability of our target 

demographic to consume them. Low-income seniors and residents affected by diet-related illness often 

experience physical challenges wielding knives to perform tasks such as cubing winter squash. Offering 

ready-to-use fresh produce via Mobile Markets opens market opportunities in targeted low-income lowaccess communities that were otherwise unavailable.

Recipient: FarmShoppr, Inc., Corona, CA

District: CA-042

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,999.70

Match Amount: $125,010.45

Total Project Amount: $625,010.15

2022 FarmShoppr Inc.: A Scalable Online Shopping and Delivery Solution for Local Food 

Producers

The purpose of the FarmShoppr project is to facilitate regional food chain coordination and increase 

capacity for 102 local producers in Southern California. Farmers and ranchers, who often have little time 

or technical capability, will benefit by increasing their ability to market and sell local agricultural 

products online. The FarmShoppr project will: launch a marketing campaign, process online sales, 

aggregate customer orders, facilitate farmers market or farm curbside pickup, deliver local agricultural 

products directly to customers’ homes, expand number of producers served, train producers on 

processes, and use feedback to refine the FarmShoppr platform, operational systems, and procedures.

Beneficiaries include four hundred consumers, six farmers markets and two non-market family farms in 

the tri-county area of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles, California. In order to improve user 

experience, producer/consumer surveys will be conducted, and listening sessions will be hosted by 

subawardee World Be Well. Expected outcomes include increased sales, viability, and technological 

capacity of local/regional producers and increased consumer consumption and purchasing of 

local/regional agricultural products. Long term goals are to build a scalable platform where 

technology/delivery barriers are removed for producers/farmers markets, and any local producer can 

market and sell their products online directly to consumers. 

Recipient: Healthy Oceans Seafood Company, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA

District: CA-020

Project Type: Implementation 

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $125,000

Total Project Amount: $625,000

Healthy Oceans Seafood Company: Increasing the Processing, and Sale of California 

Harvested and Processed, Shelf Stable Packaged Seafood

United Stated (U.S.) fisheries are among the largest and most sustainable globally, yet 90%+ of seafood 

consumed annually is imported. An over-reliance on imports leads to food system instability, high 

carbon footprint, traceability challenges, and a high percentage of illegal, unreported, and unregulated 
fish entering markets. Aging infrastructure, weak supply chains, and lack of access to shoreside facilities 

all present barriers to domestic markets for U.S. seafood. Healthy Oceans Seafood Company invests in 

licensed shoreside facilities that address the absence of middle supply chain participants capable of 

adding value to primary harvested seafood products. The Pescavore brand provides innovative, shelfstable products on-trend with the global food industry and associated premium market segments. 

Pescavore markets traceability directly to U.S. fisherman and promotes broad based consumer 

education related to the value and sustainability of U.S. fisheries resources. The brand provides local 

fishermen access to new and urgently needed, high- value retail markets. Grant funding will support 

expansion of marketing and distribution functions to grow to 520 California retail outlets thus increasing 

purchase and consumption of California harvested seafood while more broadly developing the market 

for undervalued and poorly marketed domestic fisheries resources.

Recipient: Paratransit, Inc., Sacramento, CA

District: CA-006

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $172,737.00

Match Amount: $58,996.00

Total Project Amount: $231,733.00

Farmers' Market Accessibility Program

Paratransit, Inc. intends to operate two shuttles every Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. In partnership 

with Meals on Wheels by ACC and Alchemist Community Development Corporation, these shuttles will 

provide round trip pickups and drop-offs from the Pannell Meadowview Community Center to the Florin 

Road Farmers’ Market. The Farmers’ Market Accessibility Program connects seniors and persons with 

disabilities in the underserved and disadvantaged community of South Sacramento to the local Farmers’ 

Market on Florin Road. This enables community members to obtain the much-needed transportation to 

purchase fresh produce and dairy, thus assisting with these individuals' food insecurity challenges and 

assisting the community in having access to healthier food choices. Partner organization, Meals on 

Wheels by ACC, serves 300 seniors and persons with disabilities every Thursday at Pannell Meadowview 

Community Center. The grant projects 64 passengers weekly, which will continue to be cyclical 

throughout the three-year project term. The partners are prepared to conduct outreach and marketing 

strategies based on an inclusive program serving those in direct need of Paratransit, Inc.'s shuttle 

services. 
Recipient: R & D Butler, Inc. dba Wagon Wheel Market, Oroville, CA

District: CA-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $177,530

Total Project Amount: $677,530

Expanding the Processing Capacity of a Northern Californian Local Meat Business to Meet 

Producer Demand

Rural Northern California livestock producers face local supply chain challenges, crippling their ability to 

meet market demands for their meat. There is not enough capacity to process, package, and store meat, 

causing deep losses and lost revenue opportunities for producers that threatens their viability. Wagon 

Wheel Market, a local meat processor and butcher shop, seeks to remedy this dire need by expanding 

its intermediary business operations as a meat processing, packaging, and storage facility. The purpose 

of this project is to expand the processing and storage capacity for locally and regionally produced meat 

and to encourage the development of value-added products that can be sold from local and regional 

livestock producers. The project goal is to expand Wagon Wheel Market’s local meat processing facility 

through the purchase of special purpose equipment, with the expected outcome of providing critical 

access to meat processing and storage services to an additional 40 producers in the rural Northern 

California region, contributing to an additional 600,000 pounds of meat processed and sold into local 

markets during the project period, directly benefitting local and regional meat producers served by this 

project. Letters of commitment from 22 local producers and partners commit 254,000 pounds of meat 

for processing through this project. Project partners include the California State University, Chico Meats 

Lab; Community Action Agency of Butte County; The Salvation Army; and Superior Farms, among others.

Recipient: San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center, San Diego, CA

District: CA-052

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $323,442.00

Match Amount: $84,538.00

Total Project Amount: $407,980.00

Creating Opportunities for San Diego Fishermen via the Fishermen’s Marketing Association

The San Diego Policy & Innovation Center and the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group, along with a 

network of partners, is working to strengthen and shorten the local supply chain to increase local fish 

purchasing, grow the percentage of profits captured by the fishermen, and raise the profile of this 

community for years to come. To accomplish this goal, San Diego Policy & Innovation Center will revive 

the Fishermen’s Marketing Association, to better coordinate restaurant outreach and consumer 

marketing. This will include collaborative events, one-on-one engagement with restaurants and chefs, 

and coordination of a web-based sales platform open to all fishing vessels. In addition, this proposal 

would include the launch of an annual “Local Fish, Global Flavor” festival where local fish would be 

highlighted in global and fusion dishes by local chefs to at least 1000 attendees. Support from LFPP will 

create the necessary support structure for the community, to coalesce the fishing community around a 
shared vision and marketing strategy, setting it up as critical component of the San Diego food economy 

for decades.

Recipient: Equation Collaborative, Corp., Encinitas, CA

District: CA-049

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $99,543.95

Match Amount: $37,700.80

Total Project Amount: $137,244.75

+BOX CONNECT Feasibility Study: Increasing access to and availability of locally grown 

produce to low-income/low access communities.

Most American farmers struggle to generate enough revenue to turn a profit, let alone make a living. 

Meanwhile, more than 1 million people in San Diego County are nutrition insecure and don’t have 

enough food to meet their basic needs. Almost 250,000 of them are children. To address these 

challenges, Equation Collaborative will assess the feasibility of strengthening secondary market 

opportunities for local farmers by integrating local produce into the existing nutrition security program, 

called +BOX, in a way that creates value for all stakeholders, including local farmers, nutrition insecure 

families, and school district distribution partners. This grant will partner with the Community Health 

Improvement Partners’ Farm to Institution Center to develop a network of local farmers to participate in 

the feasibility study by providing expertise and feedback on proposed market opportunities. This grant 

will then partner with Dualboot Partners, a software development company, to assess the feasibility of 

expanding the market opportunity for local farmers by expanding the +BOX program to additional 

households through +BOX Connect, a software application that will piggyback existing technology 

systems in partner school districts to increase participation among low-income families and connect 

them to nutrition resources, including increased access to local produce. This grant will pilot test +BOX 

Connect with Bella Mente Academy, a K-8 charter school, to determine the likelihood that +BOX 

Connect will increase participation in nutrition security programs, like +BOX, among low-income 

households, while simultaneously creating a vibrant market for local farmers that increases revenue and 

the opportunity to reach profitability.

Recipient: Veggielution, San Jose, CA

District: CA-019

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $55,000.00

Total Project Amount: $155,000.00

Santa Clara County Community Food Hub Feasibility Plan

Veggielution will research and create a Santa Clara County (California) Food Hub Feasibility Plan (the 

Plan) that will discuss and address county-wide food insecurity; food swamps, where low-income 

residents lack access to culturally relevant healthy, organic food; opportunities for food entrepreneurs 

and employment; and limited channels for smaller and/or BIPOC regional organic growers to market 
products. The Plan will recommend a best practice model for a San Jose Food Hub by investigating 

potential solutions and how Veggielution and local stakeholders can play a part in actualizing those 

solutions. For this project, Veggielution will contract with New Venture Advisors, an independent 

business consultant versed in the food systems landscape in San Jose, California and regionally, to

develop the Plan. During an assessment and discovery phase, New Venture Advisors will conduct 

exhaustive literature reviews; interviews with and surveys of food systems stakeholders, partners, 

growers, farmers, grocers, leaders, residents, and others; and a business analysis of Veggielution to 

determine the benefit of Veggielution serving as San Jose’s Food Hub. Veggielution anticipates the Plan 

will suggest strategic recommendations for a San Jose / Santa Clara County Food Hub model, including 

whether or not Veggielution can best operate the Food Hub. Veggielution also expects the Plan will 

highlight solutions to apparent and discovered food system problems, issues, and barriers. These 

recommendations will benefit low-income residents, food entrepreneurs and workers, and smaller, 

disadvantaged farmers.

Colorado

Recipient: Mountain Roots Food Project, Gunnison, CO

District: CO-003 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,997.00

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $624,997.00

Southwest Colorado Local Food Hub-and-Node Connectivity Project

This Project is a collaboration of five nonprofits and five food hubs covering one-quarter of the state 

that will increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The 

project will: 1) expand and connect the infrastructure of five mid-tier value chain enterprises (food hubs) 

by (a) establishing a new food hub facility in Gunnison, and (b) expanding four hub-to-hub distribution 

routes to meet increased demand with greater efficiency, frequency, consistency, and reliability; and 2) 

developing the wholesale market for local/regional farmers through a 3-year regional marketing, 

education, and outreach campaign; an annual series of agritourism (farm tours) events; and five speeddating events between chefs/buyers and producers in the region. These integrated activities address 

supply-side and demand-side issues simultaneously. Producers across the region who want to scale up 

their businesses will gain reliable pathways to new, wider markets. New and existing markets will gain 

access to a wider number of producers and products, along with reliable, frequent, and consistent 

deliveries. 
Florida

Recipient: Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc., Gainesville, FL

District: FL-003 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $428,989.00

Match Amount: $107,246.00

Total Project Amount: $536,235.00

The Florida Local Food Project – Creating and building connections among local food actors to 

establish stronger relationships and increasing local foods in our communities

Increase the availability, consumption, and sale of local foods throughout Florida by identifying key local 

food system actors to connect and build stronger relationships in the food system by gathering 

information such as needs and barriers to develop tools and support, network opportunities and 

trainings. The expectation is that efforts will serve as a model for other communities to replicate not 

only in Florida, but around the country. 

Recipient: Sereia Films, Inc., Miami Beach, FL

District: FL-027 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $131,866.80 

Match Amount: $33,250.00

Total Project Amount: $165,116.80 

Sustainable Seafood Stories of the Florida – Connecting Producers to Consumers

Consumers have questions about how wild seafood is harvested from the oceans, but find farmed 

seafood even more mysterious. This project aims help demystify these processes, enhancing interest in 

and sales of locally produced Florida seafood. Videos address the need for increased consumer 

awareness of sustainable, local seafood, including Florida’s diverse aquaculture products. We will create 

four, 15-minute long videos showcasing Florida seafood producers, stimulating market development for 

these local foods to be showcased at local screenings and be freely available online. We want 

consumers to value their local seafood.
Recipient: Star of the Sea Foundation, Inc., Key West, FL

District: FL-026 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,581.00

Match Amount: $185,981.00

Total Project Amount: $685,562.00

Expanding Markets and Eliminating Distribution Barriers: A Year-Round Local Produce 

Solution for South Florida

This project aims to create new distribution channels and expand market demand for Florida-grown 

agricultural products, thereby increasing sales of local fresh produce and proteins in Monroe and south 

Miami-Dade Counties. This project will benefit more than thirty farmers of the South Florida Farmers 

Coalition by (1) Increasing sales of local produce and proteins through the expansion of institutional and 

direct-to-consumer contracts for freshly prepared, then frozen, meals and frozen produce; (2) 

Establishing contracts between Coalition farmers and food retailers, including restaurants and grocery 

stores; and (3) Implementing targeted marketing and education initiatives to ensure sustainable market 

demand for South Florida farmers.

Georgia

Recipient: West Georgia Farmers Cooperative, Hamilton, GA

District: GA-003 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $370,770.00

Match Amount: $92,528.00

Total Project Amount: $463,298.00

Community Food Nation Expanding A Rural Cooperative Food Hub

West Georgia Farmers Cooperative’s project purpose is to expand its food hub/distribution services in a 

local income/low access area serving rural west Georgia and Atlanta. The primary objective is to expand 

the current food hub’s customers and revenue. Planned activities include attracting new business and 

clients, creating value-added products from current fresh products (fruits, vegetables, seafood) and 

attaining GAP certification for food hub and the cooperative’s farmer members.
Recipient: Concrete Jungle, Inc., East Point, GA

District: GA-005

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $96,270.00

Match Amount: $25,300.00

Total Project Amount: $121,570.00

Produce social enterprise pilot supporting Georgia farmers and increasing fresh food access in 

food-insecure communities

Concrete Jungle, Inc. (CJ) will engage in business planning and conduct a feasibility study to increase 

purchases of surplus produce from Georgia farmers and diversify the markets we sell to. CJ will 

complete a feasibility study to determine how to increase sales and support distribution to small hunger 

relief agencies that have limited resources to distribute fresh produce. CJ will evaluate key last-mile 

food safety, packaging and logistics challenges, use iterative business planning to find new farmers with 

surplus produce, and to expand our markets to commercial and institutional buyers.

Recipient: Quality Care for Children, Atlanta, GA

District: GA-005

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $98,754.00

Match Amount: $23,223.00

Total Project Amount: $121,977.00

To develop a value chain coordination plan that increases access to and availability of locally 

produced agricultural products in child care programs, particularly those participating in 

USDA/CACFP.

Early Care and Education (ECE) providers operate child care programs that serve children ages zero to 

five years old, and often older children through afterschool programs. ECE providers have consistent 

food needs throughout the year and can be a good customer for smaller local farms who can prepare 

smaller order quantities, compared to larger institutional purchasers. Currently, Quality Care for 

Children (QCC) connects ECE providers with local farmers through one-to-one match making which is 

time consuming and not scalable. QCC, in partnership with an experienced consultant, the Georgia Farm 

to ECE Coalition, local farmers, ECE providers, the GA Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) 

and other stakeholders will research and develop a value chain coordination model that enables locally 

grown foods to be easily purchased by ECE programs. The model report will include an analysis of 

existing value chain coordination models, identification of a feasible model for Georgia, and 

recommendations for management, financing, and utilization of USDA CACFP funding for local 

purchases. QCC will also host farmer and ECE provider networking events to facilitate relationship 

building and identify potential pilot sites for the model.
Hawaii

Recipient: Common Ground Collective, Haiku, HI

District: HI-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $437,668.00

Match Amount: $110,218.00

Total Project Amount: $547,886.00

Common Ground Collective: Expanding Food Distribution on Maui to Create a More Resilient 

Island Food System

The need for a sustainable food system infrastructure is critical to the successful future of Hawaii. 

Despite the unique challenges that this region faces, Common Ground Collective (CGC) and its partners 

are working to create food security and economic opportunity on Maui. Through field work and 

research, CGC has discovered that Maui has a significant amount of agricultural-zoned lands that are 

vastly underutilized, allowing for the creation of a new backyard-to-market supply chain that could 

drastically increase the amount of food provided to Maui residents. CGC recognizes the benefits and 

necessity of building strong network connections to support positive market growth in the agricultural 

sector and strengthen the community. With this project, CGC and partnering organizations will decrease 

Maui’s reliance on imported goods by enhancing the local food system, supporting local agricultural 

producers by providing distribution assistance to new local growers, and expanding the capacity of local 

food businesses to contribute to the regional food system and those in need. A working model of the 

project will be shared with other rural communities as this project paves the way for a more sustainable 

food system and thriving global economy.

Recipient: Hawaii Good Food Alliance, Honolulu, HI

District: HI-001 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $473,935.00

Match Amount: $153,674.00

Total Project Amount: $627,609.00

Hawaii Food Hub Hui: Increasing Local Food Sales through Capacity Building and Value-Chain 

Coordination

When COVID-19 hit, Hawaiian supply chains were severely disrupted, resulting in empty store shelves. 

Residents became acutely aware of the need to re-establish resilient and secure local food systems 

across the Hawaiian Islands. During the pandemic, food hubs stepped in to flexibly fill voids in each 

locality and demonstrated competence and value to the community and members of the food value 

chain. Thus, the Hawaii Food Hub Hui, in partnership with the Hawaii Good Food Alliance, is building 

individual and collective capacity in Hawaii’s food hubs to ensure maximum sales for Hawaii’s numerous 

small and mid-size farmers and producers, and equitable access to fresh, healthy, local food for all. The 

primary project goal is to increase local food sales via Hawaii’s food hubs. This project aims to maximize 

the replicability of the proposed project in other regions, communities, and agricultural systems by 1) 
improving individual food hubs’ economic viability by supporting processing, aggregation, and 

distribution of local food products that are marketed throughout Hawaii; 2) strengthening relationships 

and cooperation within the Hawaii Food Hub Hui by facilitating regional value chain coordination; and 3) 

promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to increase public awareness of 

Hawaii’s food hubs.

Recipient: Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Honolulu, HI

District: HI-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $248,257.63

Match Amount: $80,646.00

Total Project Amount: $328,903.63

Roots Food Hub Online

The Roots Food Hub Online project will create an online sales and marketing application to expand the 

Hub’s customer base, increase marketing through photographs and stories, and create new sales 

opportunities that will support local farmers to build sustainable businesses. Roots will use social media 

with links to the online platform to expand marketing. The project coincides with the re-launch of the 

Roots Food Hub mobile market, which will provide additional in-person sales venues and provide pickup locations for online buyers. Project activities include the following, 1) design and develop a web 

application for customers to purchase locally grown farm products through the Roots Food Hub, 2) build 

out the Roots website to include stories and photographs of local farms who sell their goods through the 

Food Hub, 3) integrate the web portal with the Food Hub POS to ensure accurate inventory and tracking 

of sales, 4) expand Instagram and other social media posting to link to the new web application, and 5) 

launch Mobile Market with designated pick-up areas and times for online orders. Deliverables include an 

online sales portal, social media marketing plan, and physical marketing with signage and flyers. 

Outcomes include increase in sales revenue for local farm products, increase in EBT sales revenue, and 

retention of farm suppliers each year. Intended beneficiaries include Food Hub local farm suppliers (25 

in 2022) and customers in Kalihi and surrounding neighborhoods on Island of Oahu.

Recipient: Olohana, Inc., Paauilo, HI

District: HI-002

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $101,491.63

Match Amount: $25,373.00

Total Project Amount: $126,864.63

Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruits: Adding Value for Shared Abundance

The Hawaiian islands lack adequate food processing infrastructure for increased food self-sufficiency 

and food security for residents and visitors alike. Meanwhile, Hawa'ii’s small farmers (66% of farms are 

under 9 acres in size) struggle to make a profit, facing the highest production costs in the US. The 

purpose of this project is to address these twin challenges of lack of food processing capacity for local 

crops, and increasing profits for small farmers through adding value to local crops. The Olohana 
Foundation recently acquired legacy industrial juicing equipment which we wish to put into operation 

once again, providing a valuable option to local farmers for adding value to their tropical fruit crops and 

reducing on-farm food waste. In collaboration with local fruit producers, this project will pilot the 

production of two new local value-added fruit products utilizing food processing equipment. These final 

food products will be routed directly into the local food system via the Food Basket: Hawai’i Island’s 

food bank, and Hawai’i Farm to Car farmers market. By developing these two new fruit products, this 

project will be directly growing the mid-tier value chain infrastructure for Hawai’i Island (the Big Island) 

and beyond, increasing local capacity for aggregation, processing and distribution. An estimated 33 local 

fruit producers will benefit from this new market for their crops, including B grade crops, which will help 

to reduce on-farm food waste. Additionally, this project will reach an estimated 452 local consumers, 

providing an affordable, local and healthy food option.

Illinois

Recipient: Board of Trustees of Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

District: IL-018 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $442,273.60 

Match Amount: $114,954.00

Total Project Amount: $557,227.60 

ReFED Project: Creating a Regional Food Economic Development Program

The purpose of this project is to establish a department at Western Illinois University that will assist 

farmers and ranchers in Illinois with technical assistance in the form of business planning, local food 

webinars on best business practices, and local food stakeholder networking in Illinois. This project will 

subcontract with FoodWorks in Southern Illinois to help create a curriculum, and provide small business 

technical assistance to FarmWorks clients as needed. The project anticipates the creation of 80 jobs, and 

support 64 new farmer operations, 2 new meat processing facilities, 1 food hub business, and 12 locally 

owned grocery stores in expanding local food purchases in the state of Illinois over the 3-year funding 

period. At least 3 case studies will be created to share information with other TA providers. This project 

will also focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of minority rural groups, in particular the large African 

American population in Southern Illinois. This grant will focus solely on the business aspects of local food 

farming and the techniques of selling to intermediaries such as food hubs, institutions, and retail outlets.
Recipient: Star Farm Chicago, Chicago, IL

District: IL-007

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $264,605.00

Match Amount: $66,926.00

Total Project Amount: $331,531.00

Star Farm Chicago: Building Growers Toward a Resilient Local Food System in Illinois

This project takes a multi-dimensional approach to building capacity in the Chicago local food system 

through business support for urban and rural farmers, earned income opportunities and access to a 

variety of sales channels including wholesale purchasing, direct to consumer sales, institutional 

purchasing, and optimizing the visibility and distribution of local produce by building upon Star Farm’s 

existing community relationships and institutional partnerships. This project will forge new pathways 

for purchasing, troubleshooting and streamlining the farmer and institutional partner relations, and 

creatively promoting the consumption of local produce through existing programs such as the Star Farm 

Mobile Market, the Star Farm Fresh Market and Shared Kitchen. Making local produce accessible and 

culturally relevant to influence the long-term shopping patterns of individual consumers and 

institutional purchasers will be Star Farm’s position as the liaison between making sure farmers have 

support to build capacity and deliver high-quality, food-safe products and ensuring that partners and 

their clients are having their produce needs met and are incorporating the value of local produce into 

their programs and delivery of services.

Recipient: Faith in Place, Chicago, IL

District: IL-001

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $45,555.58

Match Amount: $11,465.79

Total Project Amount: $57,021.37

Southern Illinois Community Mobile Market Feasibility Study

The Southern Illinois Community Mobile Market Feasibility Study will assess the proposed mobile 

market as a new intermediary food channel to increase regional access to locally produced, healthy 

food. The project benefits small farmers and hyper-local producers, as well as food-insecure 

communities. In cooperation with subaward partners Food Works, the Little Egypt Alliance of Farmers, 

and the Salvation Army of Southern Illinois, Faith in Place will convene diverse regional stakeholders to 

inform a consultant assessment study of the mobile market model feasibility and identify an optimal 

implementation strategy. The study will identify regional consumer knowledge gaps, community needs, 

and hyper-local producers, as well as the feasibility and strategic recommendations for optimal 

implementation of a mobile market, including most efficient routes to connect producers and 

consumers.
Kansas

Recipient: Kansas Rural Center, Wichita, KS

District: KS-004 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,828.77

Match Amount: $125,088.00

Total Project Amount: $624,916.77

Building the Central Kansas Food Corridor: Creating a Food Hub and Delivery Network to 

Serve Communities Along Interstate 135 in Kansas and Increase Food Access

This project will connect farmers and food distribution partners in a twelve-county corridor in Kansas 

defined by Interstate 135, anchored by the population centers of Wichita in the south and Salina in the 

north. This project will achieve three objectives. First, creating a farmer led food hub in the region and 

providing technical assistance to farmers looking to move into wholesale markets. Second, Kansas Rural 

Center’s value chain coordinator will work to connect the food hub and other farmers in the region to 

mid-tier market channels including restaurants, grocery stores, schools and other institutions. Third, 

project partners, Common Ground Producers and Growers, St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church and 

Kansas Wesleyan University will work to develop mobile markets to improve access to local foods in 

communities with low access to fresh, nutritious food. It will simultaneously help farmers in the region 

who have production geared towards local markets access new market channels and increase access to 

fresh, local food for consumers across the region, with a special attention towards areas that currently 

have limited access.

Kentucky

Recipient: God's Pantry Food Bank, Inc., Lexington, KY

District: KY-006 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $465,658.56

Match Amount: $122,414.64

Total Project Amount: $588,073.20 

SE KY Health and Education Farm-to-Institution Program

With team partners Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) and Kentucky Educational Development 

Corporation (KEDC), God’s Pantry Food Bank (GPFB) is coordinating efforts to increase farm to 

institution distribution in southeast Kentucky, anchored by the food warehouse GPFB is developing in 

Hazard. GPFB’s planned facility will serve as a satellite distribution facility to improve food supply to 

member pantries in the distressed seven-county area. This facility will also provide supply chain 

infrastructure supporting farm-to-institution initiatives currently underway at ARH and KEDC. Anchoring 

efforts to supply more fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods from local and regional sources, this 

facility will improve nutrition for patients, students, employees, and the community at large. GPFB’s 

food warehouse, with dry and cold storage, will fill an important gap in the regional food system, 

currently served by facilities located up to 230 miles away. 
Recipient: 863 Wilkinson, LLC., Frankfort, KY

District: KY-006

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $402,300.00

Match Amount: $111,860.00

Total Project Amount: $514,160.00

The Grocery Box: A CSA-inspired program to increase access to locally produced, nutrient rich 

products in Low Income/Low Access Neighborhoods.

The mission of Locals Food Hub and Pizza Pub is to provide fresh, locally produced, nutrient rich foods to 

those that have been traditionally underserved, while increasing the economic health and long-term 

viability of small, often family-owned Kentucky producers. The food hub, which is in a Low Income/Low 

Access area, offers eggs, cheeses, fresh breads, meat, dairy, greens, veggies, local fruits, staples, artisan 

foods and more. This program will support the aggregation, processing, packaging, storage, and 

distribution of local and regional food products, including value-added agricultural products, that are 

marketed locally to low- income low access neighborhoods through creation and implementation of the 

Locals Box program; developing marketing strategies for products from local and regional food 

producers to increase awareness and sales at our food hub location; and to facilitate regional food chain 

coordination and mid-tier value chain development through the lease of a refrigerated truck to deliver 

the Local Boxes and to improve transportation from producers to the food hub location.

Recipient: City of Frankfort, Frankfort, KY

District: KY-006

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $92,645.20

Match Amount: $23,161.30

Total Project Amount: $115,806.5

Growing Frankfort’s Local Food Economy with a Community Kitchen

In partnership with the Franklin County Farmers Market and Franklin Center for Innovation, Frankfort 

will conduct a feasibility study for a community kitchen, potentially co-located with a farmers’ market. 

Project partners will engage in a site selection, design, and business planning process to develop the 

community kitchen. This kitchen will support the local farm to institution supply chains, activate the City 

Strategic Plan for Economic Development through providing food entrepreneurs a food processing 

facility to rent at affordable rates, and preserve abundant harvests for later use by restaurants, 

institutions, food access organizations, and individual households. Through on-site programming and 

educational classes, the community kitchen will build skills and enthusiasm for processing, preparing, 

and consuming healthy foods. There will be a particular focus on meeting the needs of community 

members with limited income and access to fresh foods and entrepreneurial opportunities. Frankfort 

has made a commitment to mitigate climate change through clean energy/renewable electricity 

resolution, and this project will incorporate green design, renewable energy, and reduction of food 

waste into community kitchen design to reduce its climate footprint.
Recipient: Creation Gardens, Inc., Louisville, KY

District: KY-003 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $27,000.00

Total Project Amount: $127,000.00

"Farm to Corporate" —Planning a New Stage for Local and Regional Food

Local Food Connection, founded as an independent food hub, now housed as a department within the 

multi-state distributor Creation Gardens, will study feasibility of “farm to corporate” as a new market 

category for regional food by utilizing “third-party produce management companies” within the 

traditional food system. These companies exist to ease the processes and manage costs for produce and 

other food categories for multi-unit, multi-geographic (“corporate”) restaurants and foodservice. In 

partnership with Food Works Group, a women-owned strategic advisory firm, Local Food Connection 

will collaboratively size the supply of and demand for regional food for a potential farm-to-corporate 

program. This project will inventory key stakeholders, from “third parties” to local producers, creating 

access points for producers of diverse types and backgrounds. The project rely on stakeholder 

interviews, qualitative data, and information about existing resources and gaps. A roadmap will be 

created to implement and scale this new market category plus develop metrics to use for future 

decision-making. Project outcomes will detail how to assist foods systems in moving the needle toward 

more corporate, multi-unit buyers conducting regional food purchasing programs.

Louisiana

Recipient: Iverstine Farms Butcher, LLC., Baton Rouge, LA 

District: LA-006 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $453,924.00

Match Amount: $117,210.00

Total Project Amount: $571,134.00

Expanding Market Opportunities for Iverstine Farms’ Local Meat Producers through 

Infrastructure Expansion

This project will expand the availability of local meat subscriptions, creating more direct to consumer 

opportunities in Louisiana. Iverstine Farms Butcher, LLC (IFB) will partner with Coastal Plains Meat 

Company, a veteran-owned, USDA inspected processor to allow for customer purchasing of whole 

animals. The project will enable participating producers to diversify product lines, adding value to harder 

to market cuts. The project will also enable diversification of market channels, targeting larger entities 

with the capacity for consistent purchasing, increasing delivery operations reach and scale. Through the 

creation of media assets and a promotional campaign centered on farmer’s stories, consumers will have 

a greater understanding of the region’s farm community and be empowered to connect with and 

support local ranching operations.
Massachusetts 

Recipient: Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Greenfield, MA

District: MA-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $494,575.00

Match Amount: $145,025.00

Total Project Amount: $639,600.00

Supporting the Wholesale Trajectory for New Food and Farm Businesses

The Western MA Food Processing Center (WMFPC), a program of The Franklin County Community 

Development Corporation (FCCDC), supports food and farm businesses as they launch value-added 

products into the marketplace. Many of the food businesses are sourcing ingredients from local 

growers. The FCCDC team provides technical support to businesses to start and grow. The FCCDC will 

expand its impact and deepen connections among food producers by launching a Food Business 

Incubator Program that will provide businesses with the tools, information, and resources needed to 

scale production and make positive impacts in the local food system. The FCCDC team will partner with 

the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts to formalize an incubator model that FCCDC has 

piloted during the first part of 2022. The 6-month incubator program will serve farms and local food 

businesses as they develop marketing strategies, explore distribution opportunities, and improve food 

safety practices. Graduates of the program will have more distribution opportunities, will implement 

food safety strategies and understand relevant federal regulations, and will enter new markets by 

implementing new marketing plans. Additionally, the FCCDC will support growing businesses by 

providing ongoing technical support and by fostering connections between producers and essential 

resources; including wholesale buyers, investors, and potential customers; at an annual New Venture 

Pitch event.

Maryland

Recipient: B-More Kitchen, Baltimore, MD

District: MD-003 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $625,000.00

The Philadelphia Shared Commercial Kitchen project will create opportunities for the 

development and sales of new value-added agricultural products and increased 

implementation of food safety plans.

The B-More Kitchen has operated a shared commercial kitchen in Maryland, since 2016. In that time, 

the organization has worked with over 100 small food businesses and entrepreneurs to provide them 

with access to commercial kitchen space as well as guidance on building their businesses. Recent 

expansion in the Philadelphia area includes the rental of a new commercial kitchen space. The
Philadelphia Shared Commercial Kitchen will launch in the summer of 2022. The proposed project will

dedicate a portion of this kitchen’s operations and associated benefits to local farms, ranches, 

processors, and producers. This project will funds to subsidize the lease of this kitchen space for the first 

three years of operation as well as to dedicate a portion of our General Manager’s time to identifying, 

onboarding, and working closely with farms, ranches, processors, and producers to develop value-added 

agricultural products in our shared commercial kitchen. The expected outcomes include expansion of

the market access knowledge base of stakeholders, development and sale of new value-added 

agricultural products, and the development and implementation of food safety plans. 

Recipient: Flavors, LLC., Hyattsville, MD

District: MD-004 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $497,400.00

Match Amount: $132,276.00

Total Project Amount: $767,496.00

Flavors Technical Training Incubator Program & E-Learning Platform Implementation

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have historically experienced significant barriers to 

entrepreneurship and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly widened those barriers. With the support of 

the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), Flavors LLC., will support 150 BIPOC local growers, farmers,

and food business enterprises in the greater Prince George’s County region by launching a hybrid 12-

week culinary micro-enterprise program. This program will, 1) improve business development 

knowledge and growth strategies to help grow and scale a profitable agriculture and culinary business 

through weekly workshops led by field experts, 2) provide equitable access to local growers, farmers, 

and culinary business advisors and funding opportunities through collaborative community partnerships, 

and 3) develop and launch the Flavors web and app-based virtual education platform for program 

delivery to local growers, farmers, and BIPOC food business enterprises to connect, network, and 

expand their business opportunities with food and beverage entrepreneurs, industry leaders, capital and 

investment resources, and service providers nationwide.

Maine

Recipient: Smithereen Farm, Pembroke, ME 

District: ME-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $370,482.00

Match Amount: $94,656.00

Total Project Amount: $465,138.00

Harnessing Maine’s Local Farming & Fishing Economy through the Minke Kitchen Food Hub

Smithereen Farm, a certified organic farm located in Pembroke, Maine, in collaboration with the 

nonprofit organization Greenhorns and other key community partners in the Downeast Maine region 

will create a comprehensive local food hub, culminating in the Minke Kitchen site. The farm, retail, 
agritourism and food hub project includes plans for a robust full service farmstand featuring products 

from Maine farms and food businesses, a destination with overnight capacity for visitors, and 

community programming space. Every facet of this site stacks upon one another to create multiple 

business and marketing channels for local food businesses to grow. Increased capacity to purchase 

locally-grown foods is part of a growing movement that supports area farmers and increases quality, 

variety, and accessibility of local products. This project also honors the historical agricultural products 

and character of our region with specific infrastructure to process the Maine blueberries and seafood 

products that have defined Downeast Maine for generations. 

Michigan

Recipient: Eastern Market Corporation, Detroit, MI

District: MI-013 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $310,542.00

Match Amount: $79,160.00

Total Project Amount: $389,702.00

Growing Local Food Access in Detroit and Southeast Michigan

Eastern Market Corporation will expand its Food Access programs in Detroit and southeast Michigan. 

Grow Eastern Market (a cross-dock distribution point for Michigan small farms and food businesses to 

sell to restaurants, institutions, processors, and retail grocers) will add more value-added food products 

and expand to serve more customers. The Eastern Market online sales platform (http://eastern.market), 

which features a multi-farm Michigan CSA produce box, will also add more value-added food products, 

and expand to serve more customers. This project will establish distribution sites, including 

neighborhood-level community markets and other neighborhood assets (recreation centers, schools).

Each of these programs already exist and are well positioned to grow but are constrained by capacity in 

their current arrangements. Grant funds will support the rental of a 2,000 square foot facility, 

significantly expanding capacity, while also lessening the burden of some supply costs. The goal of this 

project is to expand access to and consumption of locally grown-produce and value-added food 

products – and, in doing so, to increase revenues of these programs sufficiently that they cover these 

expenses beyond the grant period. Project beneficiaries include farmers serving local markets, valueadded producers, consumers, neighborhood-level Detroit Community Market network members, 

restaurants, hospitals, schools, institutions, and frontline healthcare workers.

Minnesota

Recipient: TC Farm, Inc., Minnetonka, MN

District: MN-003 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $461,216.80 

Match Amount: $115,304.20 

Total Project Amount: $576,521.00
Expanding revenue of BIPOC and women owned direct to consumer beginning farms by 

providing access to storage, distribution, e-commerce and a collaborative virtual farmer 

marketplace.

This project will create a mid-tier Regional Food System that provides farmers access to critical 

aggregation and distribution infrastructure. This will enable Direct to Consumer farmers to significantly 

increase per-customer revenue through collaboration with other farms and value-add producers. An 

initial group of ten beginning farmers who are BIPOC or women-owned will be provided the benefits of a 

traditional food hub, aggregation and delivery services while allowing the farmer to maintain ownership 

of their customers. Each farm will be provided a branded ecommerce website, marketing support, 

training, order picking and delivery services. Subsequently, services will be expanded, with the project 

anticipating providing support to 130 farms. In addition, training will be provided to three traditional 

food hubs to incorporate project best practices.

Recipient: Land Stewardship Project, Minneapolis, MN

District: MN-005 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $99,680.23

Match Amount: $28,783.15

Total Project Amount: $128,463.38

Building Community for Local Food System Resiliency

This project will bring together a diverse set of stakeholders to coordinate the expansion of the regional 

food system. The project will analyze existing commercial networks operating in the region, identify 

gaps, and explore new opportunities for connection. The project will convene specialized working 

groups around increasing sales of local food and build new partnerships to facilitate stronger regional 

food chain coordination. A diverse team of stakeholders including farmers, consumers, food businesses, 

food banks, Economic Development Authority staff, and food system researchers are committed to 

collaborating to achieve the project goals. The project will generate data that stakeholders can use to 

strengthen local food value chains and increase sales of local foods.

Mississippi 

Recipient: Up in Farms, LLC., Jackson, MS

District: MS-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,958.00

Match Amount: $140,005.00

Total Project Amount: $639,963.00

Quality Management and Marketing Tool for Small, Limited Resource, and Historically 

Underserved Farmers

Small, limited resource, and historically underserved farmers are well behind the adoption curve for 

quality management systems (QMS) and technologies that improve production planning, monitoring, 
food safety, and marketing. Quality systems and technology currently available target high volume 

production, focusing on users with high-end computing hardware and peripherals. This is where the ag 

technology money is. Up In Farms, focused on the Mississippi Delta, is fielding an alternative QMS, 

deployed on smart phones and tablets, that farmers can implement at minimal up-front and operating 

cost: Farm QMS. With a light, responsive front end and intuitive user interface, Farm QMS is a digital 

gateway for capturing harvest and food safety data at the point of production. Once this information is 

entered, Farm QMS supports “digital twin” food tracking as products moves from harvest through the 

mid-tier value chain and on to end points such as grocers, institutions, food service, and consumers. Up 

In Farms’ deployment strategy is to establish core functions that serve farmers’ immediate needs, 

getting them started as users. Funds from this LFPP grant will add features that facilitate regional food 

chain coordination, mid-tier value chain development, tracking and marketing to reduce on-farm food 

waste, and indirect producer-to-consumer marketing, meeting several LFPP objectives.

Montana

Recipient: Lake County Community Development Corporation, Ronan, MT

District: MT-001 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $491,701.55

Match Amount: $124,693.00

Total Project Amount: $616,394.55

Farm to Institution- Building the capacity of the NW Food Hub Network in development of 

mid-tier value chains that build regional food system processing infrastructure and supply 

chain resiliency

Institutional markets are increasingly seeking out local and responsibly grown food to add to their food 

service menus. The Northwest Food Hub Network (NWFHN), a collaboration between three food hubs in 

Montana and Washington, was created to help respond to these institutional market demands by 

providing one ordering platform in which institutions can access large quantities of local and regional 

products. However, the food processing capacity within the Network is limited, and institutions are 

continuing to ask for value-added food products that are easily integrated into their food operations. 

This project builds on the success of the Northwest Food Hub Network by increasing the processing 

capacity for the NWFHN, identifying and creating value-added food products for the institutional 

marketplace, creating effective marketing materials for the developed products, and providing 

necessary technical assistance and trainings for local and regional food processors. Mission West will 

work collaboratively with partners including Kitchen Sync Strategies and Montana State University Food 

Lab to complete these project objectives. This project will lead to increased sales for the NWFHN, which 

will ultimately benefit the 211 small to mid-size family farms that are connected to the Network, and will 

develop best practices for processing and product development that will be shared with interested 

organizations nationwide.
Recipient: Livingston Food Resource Center, Livingston, MT

District: MT-001

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $300,000.00

Match Amount: $75,000.00

Total Project Amount: $375,000.00

Expanding the Local Food System for Park County through the Livingston Food Resource 

Center

Livingston Food Resource Center (LFRC) project will promote and support Park County, Montana’s local 

food system through expanding access to and availability of locally produced foods for regional 

residents. As a leader in the community, LFRC has the ability to promote and support the local food 

system by increasing aggregation, processing, and distribution of local produce by: 1) expanding LFRC’s 

aggregation of local and regional food products to support local food systems; 2) creating value-added 

agricultural products through the processing of local produce for distribution through the LFRC; 3)

increasing the distribution of agricultural products and value-added products by increasing the capacity 

of the LFRC’s current programs; 4) utilizing LFRC’s Community Bakery and Community Kitchen to 

connect and strengthen the relationships between local producers and local food entrepreneurs to

support the inclusion of local food products in institutional settings to create growth in the local retail 

food market and economy; 5) and supporting new and established farmers and ranchers to help keep 

produce local. 

Recipient: Hopa Mountain, Inc., Bozeman, MT

District: MT-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $125,437

Total Project Amount: $625,437

Local Food for Local Families: An Innovative Network Supporting Producers and Food Hubs 

while Increasing the Consumption of Agricultural Products in Montana’s Rural and Tribal 

Communities

Local Food for Local Families, an innovative network organized by Hopa Mountain, Mission West 

Community Development Partners, Local Food Marketplace, Livingston Food Resource Center, 

Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC), Western Montana Growers Cooperative, Great 

Northern Development Corporation (GNDC), and the Montana Food Bank Network, will support the 

development, coordination, and expansion of rural and tribal food hubs to increase access to Montana 

produced agricultural products. Project partners will provide training and support to producers, 

cooperatives, and food hubs to utilize a new business-to-business interconnected Local Food 

Marketplace software, offering these local food businesses expanded real-time options to sell food to 

one another and to grocers, food pantries, and institutions. This initiative builds upon lessons learned 

from our individual organizations’ COVID-19 response efforts as each entity worked to meet the needs 

of Montana producers, processors, and food pantries. Partners will focus on increasing the marketing 

capacity of rural farmers and ranchers along with the development of food hubs with shared-use 
kitchens in underserved communities. Hopa Mountain, Mission West, GNDC and CFAC will coordinate 

peer-to-peer producer and cooperative training to share successful local marketing efforts. Existing food 

hubs and cooperatives, such as the Livingston Food Resource Center and the Western Montana Growers 

Cooperative, will provide technical assistance to support the expansion of new food hubs and 

cooperatives. By working together, the Local Food for Local Families initiative will invest in food 

businesses and local economies while realizing a distributed food system that benefits local producers, 

businesses, food hubs and families.

Recipient: Old Salt Co-op, LLC., Helena, MT

District: MT-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $422,180.00

Match Amount: $105,546.00

Total Project Amount: $527,726.00

Improving the resilience of local meat producers & processors in Montana through Old Salt 

Co-op’s Meat Share and Outreach Program

Old Salt Co-op provides meat with integrity sourced from Montana landscapes its customers care about. 

The Co-op is owned directly by the ranchers that supply it and by butchers, chefs, and creatives who run 

it. As processing has been consolidated, the independent ranch has been squeezed to the point were

breaking even is the goal. With funding from LFPP, Old Salt will launch a meat share program that 

includes evaluation of the ecological outcomes and ranch traceability. This project will grow this 

program to directly work with 10 ranchers in the first two years and service no less than 4,000 

subscribers. A robust marketing effort will grow interest in local meat that is from animals raised “with 

integrity.” This project aims to support independent ranchers in Montana that can thrive and connect 

with their local market.

Recipient: Yellowstone Valley Food Hub, Billings, MT

District: MT-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $159,387.00

Match Amount: $41,347.00

Total Project Amount: $200,734.00

Expanding Yellowstone Valley Food Hub’s Mid-Tier Distribution Network to Benefit Montana 

Farmers and Wholesale Buyers

This project seeks to expand the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub's wholesale market capabilities through 

the purchase of supplies and software, hiring of an additional staff person, and rental of a warehouse 

space. The Yellowstone Valley Food Hub (YVFH) is a cooperatively owned food hub in Billings, MT whose 

mission is to connect local farmers and ranchers to local consumers. The cooperative owners are the 

farmers, ranchers, bakers, and makers themselves. These cooperative owners will also be the primary 

beneficiaries of this project. Currently the YVFH serves consumers of central and eastern Montana 

through a direct-to-consumer online ordering platform. Through this project the YVFH will be able to 
begin cultivating relationships with grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, and other wholesale buyers. 

This expansion will strengthen the regional food system, provide direct economic benefit to farmers and 

ranchers, increase community access to local food, streamline chef and grocery store manager's ability 

to access local food, and bolster Central and Eastern Montana's rural agriculture economy.

Recipient: Daniels Gourmet Meats, Inc., Bozeman, MT

District: MT-001 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $95,450.00

Match Amount: $25,000.00

Total Project Amount: $120,450.00

Facilitation of the distribution of locally grown and processed meat thru electronic commerce 

and existing logistics infrastructure.

The project purpose is to create a business development plan to process, add value, market, and sell 

meat from local producers facilitated by eCommerce. The comprehensive plan will include: 1) market 

research (e.g. results of market information, market segmentation, market trends, SWOT and PEST 

analyses); 2) food safety research (e.g. packaging insulation capabilities such as sealing material, boxtypes, box- liners, all-in-one insulated packaging, comparisons between fully recyclable and nonrecyclable package components, and varying temperature conditions), and; 3) an eCommerce platform 

and a logistical pathway to deliver locally sourced products to consumers. This plan will outline steps to 

implement and sustain local meat products for up to 36 months for $500,000 or less. Intended 

beneficiaries of this project’s implementation are local ranchers and their surrounding local customer 

base that have harder access to direct procurement of locally sourced meat products.

North Carolina

Recipient: Farmer Foodshare, Durham, NC

District: NC-004 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $499,949.20 

Match Amount: $169,985.960 

Total Project Amount: $669,935.16

Farmer Foodshare: Post-Pandemic Food Hub Program Revitalization, Diversification, & 

Expansion Project

Farmer Foodshare will grow, diversify, and expand its Food Hub by executing a post-pandemic 

revitalization project aimed at the development, coordination, and expansion of local and regional food 

business enterprises to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural 

products in the rapidly growing and agriculturally productive “Research Triangle” region of North 

Carolina. Project activities include: a marketing and outreach campaign; optimizing internal operations; 

identifying and adopting new software; food safety technical assistance to producers; intentional 

relationship-building with our farmers; broad partnerships with area food system service providers and 
institutional buyers; and extensive data collection, evaluation and dissemination. 75 farm businesses will 

benefit, with an estimated $2.7 M returned to them in sales. 75 institutional buyers will benefit through

$3.9 M in local food procurement to serve their clients and customers. Clients and customers will 

benefit through increased access to locally and regionally grown food products. Additionally, these 

activities will set Farmer Foodshare up to be sustainable in the long run, continuing to support 

stakeholders for years to come.

Recipient: SinnovaTek, Inc., Wake, NC

District: NC-002

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $125,000

Total Project Amount: $625,000

Food accelerator program to enable precision-scale processing of high quality, shelf-stable 

liquid food products for entrepreneurs, growers, and innovators.

Currently, high quality aseptic food processing is only available to large companies who have the 

finances and resources available to develop and launch products with high minimum order quantities 

with significant financial risk. SinnovaTek has right-sized its thermal processing systems in order to 

construct a pathway for entrepreneurs and small companies to have access to advanced aseptic 

processing technologies as a pathway to creating value-added food products. Its subsidiary, FirstWave, 

exists as a small scale aseptic copacker to enable product launches with no minimum order quantities. 

Even in this scenario, many small brands do not have the expertise or resources to properly move 

through the commercialization process. They are often limited in knowledge of the commercialization 

steps including product definition, formulation, and testing and often do not have the finances available 

to handle these costs. With this grant opportunity, SinnovaTek will create a commercialization and 

training accelerator for these small, local brands to move through this process. The outcome will be a 

product commercialization for 12 small companies, split into 4 cohorts, that will utilize local food 

ingredients. Through this accelerator, these companies will be trained in thermal processing, food 

safety, and the entrepreneurial path to store shelves. They’ll develop products alongside industry

proven resources to prepare their products for commercial launch with sales samples in hand. The 

selected participants will come out of this program with a product ready for commercial success and the 

knowledge to repeat the process and sustainably grow their business.
Recipient: Watauga Meats and Butchery, LLC., Watauga, NC

District: NC-005

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $125,000

Total Project Amount: $625,000

Local Food Market and Value-Add Meat Hub

The goal of this project is to assist local meat farmers through expanded value-added agricultural 

product availability, producer-to-consumer marketing programs and sales outlets, and reduced food 

waste through value-added processing, all coordinated through a new Food Market and Meat Hub in a 

repurposed facility. Watauga Meats and Butchery is a specialty foods business in Western NC with two 

divisions: Watauga Butchery, a USDA-inspected local meat processing facility; and Shipley Farms, a 150-

year-old family cattle farm and pasture-raised meats business. We will lease and repurpose part of the 

old Sugar Grove Country Hams facility in nearby Zionville, NC to benefit the local agricultural 

community, with input from Cooperative Extension, NC Choices, and the High Country Food Hub to help 

understand needs of farmers, producers, and the local market. The 8,000 square foot Ham House will be 

upfitted and repurposed to meet our special use requirements and divided into 3 areas: a cold storage 

facility, a commercial value-added smokehouse, and a local farm market selling products from local 

farmers, producers, artisans, and other North Carolina-based companies including meats processed in 

the smokehouse, particularly those struggling to recover from the fallout from the COVID pandemic. 

Funds will be used to launch programs for cold storage access, value-added USDA inspected processing, 

promoting and scaling availability of value-added products, creating new value-add products to reduce 

food waste, and improving infrastructure in the facility to meet USDA and other requirements for the 

special use of the facility.

Recipient: Working Landscapes, Warrenton, NC

District: NC-001

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $499,951.00

Match Amount: $125,797.00

Total Project Amount: $625,748

Ready to cook, heat, and eat: improving lifelong access to local food

This project represents an unprecedented collaboration between five mission-driven food processors, 

seven food hubs, and 75 farmers and fishermen. Together, these partners will supply 41 North Carolina 

institutions with a wider array of value-added, locally- sourced foods than they have previously been 

able to purchase. Each of the 24 products developed and marketed, including fresh-cut produce; 

pasture-raised chicken, pork, and beef; seafood; and heat-and-serve meals, will be designed for ease of 

use in institutional kitchens. A subaward will support the development and production of shelf-stable 

fruit jerky, a wholesome, locally-sourced alternative to the unhealthy snacks offered through afterschool programs, summer meals, and other institutional programs.
Nebraska

Recipient: Center For Rural Affairs, Lyons, NE

District: NE-001 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $198,469.00

Match Amount: $49,576.00

Total Project Amount: $248,045.00

Building Capacity for Indigenous Local Foods with Nebraska Tribes

The goal of “Building Capacity for Indigenous Local Foods with Nebraska Tribes” is to support farm-toinstitution sourcing in the Omaha and Santee Sioux communities as part of sovereign, healthy food 

systems. This project will: increase capacity of local growers to sell direct to institutions; increase 

business skills for farmers through small business coaching, food safety education, and value-added 

production; and support sustainable sourcing connections within Nebraska Tribes. The outcomes of this 

project will include training 300 growers to increase their capacity for local direct sales. Of these, the 

project will result in 250 growers engaging in direct sales to 50 institutions, reaching 2,500 people with 

fresh, healthy, local food. In addition, the project will connect four Nebraska Tribes to create an 

Intertribal Food Council to examine issues, define solutions, and improve the food system.

Recipient: Omaha Permaculture, Omaha, NE

District: NE-002 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $50,737.50 

Match Amount: $12,775.00

Total Project Amount: $63,512.5

Omaha Community Urban Farm Hub - Development of a Feasibility, Infrastructure and 

Marketing Plan

To address the need for food security, employment and business opportunities in a low income, low 

access region of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha Permaculture will develop a comprehensive plan for the 

Omaha Community Urban Farm Hub (OCUFH). To be located on a newly acquired 8 acre site in a densely 

populated region of north east Omaha, this site will provide an opportunity for community farmers to 

grow, process and market their products in their own neighborhood. The plan has 4 objectives: 1) to 

determine project feasibility using a survey instrument to understand community food needs, gauge 

interest of local urban farmers and through this effort to raise awareness of the OCUFH; 2) to hire an 

expert in the field of commercial food processing to develop a plan to convert a 3500 sq ft building 

located on-site into a USDA certified food handling facility; 3) to hire a food safety expert to develop a 

comprehensive food handling and processing safety plan from field to shelf; and 4) to hire a food 

marketing expert to develop a marketing template that the OCUFH farmers can use to market their 

products to the community. The OCUFH will provide local farmers with expert assistance, materials and 

infrastructure to facilitate quality and safe production and processing of their products. The Omaha 
community will benefit from this food hub by having locally produced, healthy products available for 

consumption. 

New Hampshire 

Recipient: University System of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 

District: NH-001

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $351,053.00

Match Amount: $88,735.00

Total Project Amount: $439,788.00

Multiple Pathways to Achieve Farm to Institution Goals in New Hampshire

To increase farm sales to institutions, a variety of approaches will create opportunities and programs for 

farms, food hubs and institutions to more easily develop buying/selling relationships. The project 

leverages opportunities like the new NH Food Hub Network, the Seacoast School Buying Group and 

interest in value added product development by two New Hampshire businesses. The NH Food Hub 

Network coordinator will assist in coordinating farm to institution sales. This project will also build on 

the established NH Harvest of the Month (HoM) program by increasing the variety of monthly offerings 

making it easier for more farms and institutions to adopt the program, developing appropriate 

educational and marketing materials for all types of institutions and making the program relevant to the 

refugee and immigrant populations. Expected outcomes include an increase in availability of local food 

products on institutional menus through expansion of HoM and school buying group bids, develop, 

market, and distribute locally produced value added products for the institutional market and increase 

demand for locally produced foods by institutions working towards state and regional targets for 

institutional purchasing and farm production.

Recipient: Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, Manchester, NH

District: NH-001 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $625,000.00

Developing Sustainable Markets for Locally and Regionally Produced Agriculture in New 

England: Growing the Fresh Start Food Hub Program

The Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS), located in Manchester, NH, proposes a 

program to expand and improve opportunities for efficient and profitable channels for local and regional 

agricultural products prioritizing refugee and immigrant farmers in New England. The Fresh Start Food 

Hub Program, which consists of the brick-and-mortar Fresh Start Market, the FarmShare CSA Program, 

and wholesale distribution, has been developed through the guidance of a 2019 LFPP Planning Grant to 

support the sale of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program builds on farmer 

training and incubation provided by ORIS that prioritizes refugee and immigrant farmers who earn 
income from mixed vegetable and fruit selling. These farmers sell their products under the shared 

brand, Fresh Start Farms (FSF), and early program results have demonstrated the potential for a 

successful and sustainable program for future sales. The proposed project is designed to improve these

opportunities through: (1) increasing sales of locally and regionally produced agricultural products 

through the Fresh Start Food Hub’s sales channels, including its brick-and-mortar retail space the “Fresh 

Start Market”; (2) improving the operational sales efficiency and financial productivity of Fresh Start 

Farms’ incubator farmers and the Fresh Start Farms Food Hub, including wholesale sales and its 

FarmShare CSA program; and (3) disseminating the results of the Fresh Start Food Hub program and 

refugee and immigrant farmer training program to a national audience. 

New Jersey

Recipient: New Brunswick Tomorrow, New Brunswick, NJ

District: NJ-006 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $38,197.00

Total Project Amount: $138,197.00

New Brunswick Planning Grant: Connecting Farmers to Community Food Facility

New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) will use this planning grant to explore opportunities to support local

agricultural producers in the operations of a proposed community facility in a low-income, Latinomajority neighborhood in New Brunswick, NJ. NBT and partners will devise a comprehensive plan to

leverage the facility and its various functions to deepen farmer connections to the community and the

local food ecosystem. This will include two phases of planning. The first will be a feasibility study to

analyze the potential for the facility to benefit local agricultural producers and grow urban agriculture

activities in the local community, for example through sourcing, storage, and retail opportunities. The

second phase will focus on the development of a multi-faceted business plan, including a facility

operations plan and an incubator program curriculum with a dual focus on supporting low- and

moderate-income, largely Latino food entrepreneurs and local agricultural producers. This planning will

set the stage for the successful launch and implementation of this facility and its food-related

programming including a shared-use kitchen, an incubator program for aspiring food entrepreneurs, a

food hall, small retail market, cold and dry storage, and other flexible community spaces. 

New York 

Recipient: Hawthorne Valley Association, Inc., Ghent, NY

District: NY-019 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $423,351.00

Match Amount: $110,640.00

Total Project Amount: $533,991.00
2022 Rolling Grocer 19: A Fair Food Project

This project aims to increase accessibility for low-income residents of Hudson, New York and 

surrounding rural areas of Columbia County to high-quality, locally-produced products, and to provide 

expanded market opportunities for local producers. Rolling Grocer 19 (RG19) will achieve this goal 

through four main objectives: 1) expanding and promoting offerings of local foods in a unique discount 

grocery store which offers subsidized pricing tiers and market match incentives; 2) expanding a newlyestablished Rural Access Delivery Program which brings healthy local foods to low-income, low- access 

seniors and others in rural areas; 3) increasing exposure to and purchases of locally-produced products 

through the development of a new value-added offering of prepared foods, providing a healthy 

convenience food option; 4) creating new and expanded market opportunities for local farmers and 

ranchers to sell their products to the Hudson community through the above initiatives. Promotion 

efforts will raise awareness of local food offerings by RG19 throughout the Hudson Valley area, with 

10,000 people gaining knowledge about local foods. 

Recipient: The Crop Project, LLC., Brooklyn, NY

District: NY-012

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $444,225.00

Match Amount: $112,307.00

Total Project Amount: $556,532.00

Improving Economic Outcomes for New England Harvesters by Building the Local Kelp Supply 

Chain

Ocean farmers currently lack expertise in kelp farming and efficient pathways to market. This project will 

improve economic outcomes for ocean-based farmers in New England by creating efficient pathways to 

scale and facilitating the market for kelp-based value-added products. To accomplish this goal, this 

project will recruit and train new kelp farmers, increase the efficiency of processing the raw material 

into a high-quality, shelf-stable dry powder, and promote the use of kelp in a diverse set of end 

products. The project will be assisted by GreenWave, a non-profit with the goal of increasing 

regenerative coastal farming, leading processor Inland Seafood, R&D and supply chain experts JPG 

Resources, , and a number of early-adopting kelp farmers. This project will improve the kelp drying 

efficiency for preservation and processing for customers, and the project will seek new customers for 

kelp products. The project will test products from two new species of kelp, Rockweed and Dulse with 

the goal of understanding the most valuable uses. As part of this work, a market analysis will help guide 

future product development and chart a path for broader kelp uptake. The project will develop the 

necessary infrastructure to support a sustainable market for kelp products, thus incentivizing coastal 

harvesters to begin farming to increase and diversify revenues.
Recipient: The Hub, Tupper Lake, NY

District: NY-021

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $394,549.48

Match Amount: $100,000.00

Total Project Amount: $494,549.48

Empowering Low Income Producers and Low Access Consumers through Analysis, Education, 

Aggregation, Processing, Distribution and Marketing

The Hub is a farmer-owned local food aggregation site with a market and eatery in Tupper Lake, NY 

selling product from over 39 area farms, marketing both raw and processed products directly to 

consumers since 2017. The goal of this project is to support and expand the local food economy by 

providing institutions with analytical assistance and logistical support, increasing aggregation and 

distribution efficiencies, supporting market venues, enabling microprocessor startups through an

incubator kitchen and support team, preserving product value from excess harvest during glut, bringing 

new value-added products to market and educating consumers. The goal is to increase value-added 

processing that serves institutions, retail, wholesale, food service and individuals. By year two the goal is 

to operate a full-scale kitchen facility enabling co-packing in a business incubator environment. In three 

years, the project plans to handle local produce from over 80 small family farms in low-income areas 

and incubate a minimum of ten new value-added food processing businesses. The funding will allow 

purchase of specialty processing equipment and labor for analysis, coordination, and support.

Recipient: Northeast Community Council, Inc., Millerton, NY

District: NY-019

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $82,383.00

Match Amount: $20,625.00

Total Project Amount: $103,008.00

Planning the Tri-Corner Fair Food Initiative

This planning project will produce a feasibility study for a fair food pricing and local food distribution 

initiative in the tri-corner region of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The plan would outline 

the feasibility of a community-based initiative to increase local food purchasing by households meeting 

the United Way ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) criteria and expand the market for 

regional growers practicing sustainable farming methods. The study includes assessment of the 

marketplace, technology and infrastructure needs and limitations, marketing strategies, farmer 

recruitment, staffing requirements, partnership potential and financial projections. Outputs will include 

a financial model assessing the overall earnings gap to afford local food and a proposed sliding scale 

program with recommendations for how the program can be funded, implemented and administered. 

The project is led by the North East Community Center (NECC), a regional resource with a history of local 

food system work. NECC will partner with Q Farms, a local agricultural producer focused on sustainable 

livestock production and regional agricultural development. The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and 

Farming will provide consultation support. At the end of the 18-month program period, NECC Food 

Program staff will present the feasibility study at a meeting of the Hudson Valley Food System Coalition. 
If the feasibility study yields positive results, it will be used to develop a business plan and to apply for 

program funding.

Recipient: Norwich Meadows Farm, LLC., Norwich, NY

District: NY-022

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $65,680.00

Total Project Amount: $165,680.00

Norwich Meadows Farm Upstate New York to Northeastern Cities Food Hub: Planning

Norwich Meadows Farm LLC will lead a planning process for the establishment of a unique specialty 

food hub, with both brick-and-mortar and virtual components, centered in Chenango County in Central 

New York. The proposed hub will be distinguished by its strategic location and its emphasis on 

sustainability, diversity, flavor, and accessibility for both smaller producers and underserved consumers. 

This project brings together partners including Farm Credit East and Baldor Specialty Foods to conduct a 

feasibility study and to plan for the launch of a successful new enterprise. The hub’s strategic location 

will connect producers in upstate New York to major metropolitan markets with significant unmet 

demand for local food. The hub will be designed to efficiently address the unique needs of small-scale, 

organic and sustainable farms and to reach consumers in underserved communities. Accessibility will be 

a guiding principle of the hub, with a participatory organizational structure ensuring that it meets the 

needs of farmers, and efficient handling and distribution processes keeping costs down. The hub will 

commit to waste minimization, energy efficiency and climate-friendly practices across the supply chain 

as well as charitable actions built on a long history of such work by Norwich Meadows Farm and its 

partners.

Recipient: Refugee and Immigrant Self Empowerment, Syracuse, NY

District: NY-024

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $97,600.00

Match Amount: $24,400.00

Total Project Amount: $122,000.00

Supporting Refugees and Immigrants through Regional Farming: Development of RISE Food 

Hub and Farmer Support

This three-phase project will assess the feasibility of Refugee and Immigrant Self Empowerment (RISE) to 

1) create a local food hub to promote the farm businesses of the participating refugee and immigrant 

farmers; 2) create business plans for the current farmers and for farmers recruited in the future; 3)

create a hub logistical plan. All three phases will be completed in partnership with Food Works Group, a 

professional food systems consultancy. If feasible, a food hub will be created to aggregate, store, 

market, and distribute produce grown locally by the refugee and immigrant community. The resulting 

model will allow farmers to sell directly to the food hub, provide a new source of local food to the 

greater Syracuse area, and provide farmers with the stability necessary for utilizing their time and 
resources to sustainably increase income and production. Farmers will be extensively trained to scale 

production appropriately and follow careful guidelines to meet mandatory safety standards. The project 

outcomes include agricultural product diversification, farmer empowerment, and revenue generation 

for the 15 farmers in the program and refugee and immigrant farmers recruited to join the program in 

the future.

Ohio

Recipient: Economic and Community Development Institute, Inc., Columbus, OH

District: OH-003 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $97,406.80 

Match Amount: $24,468.20 

Total Project Amount: $121,875.00

Leveraging Economies of Scale to Incubate and Grow Farm Businesses in Southern Ohio

Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI), in partnership with farmers in southwest Ohio, 

will conduct a feasibility study for a farmer-led processing and distribution center and farm business 

incubator located in the Highland County area. ECDI will leverage its experience funding, incubating, and 

supporting food-based businesses to partner with a group of small farmers in southwest Ohio to design 

a regional food hub with the facilities and programs necessary to strengthen the local and regional food 

economy. The vision is to combine an increase in processing, marketing, and distribution capacity 

centered around the pasture-raised egg enterprises that are already present and successful on many 

farms, with the expansion and support of the population of small farmers in the area through incubator 

programs. Aggregating, processing, marketing, and distributing pastured eggs from small farms presents 

an opportunity to access commercial and institutional buyers as well as direct-to-consumer sales 

channels through an aggregated CSA model. 

Oklahoma 

Recipient: Healthy Oklahoma Nutrition Alliance (HONA), Broken Arrow, OK

District: OK-001 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,998.13

Match Amount: $126,625.00

Total Project Amount: $626,623.13

Expanding Food Access and Supporting Local Producers through Central Oklahoma Online 

Marketplace, Aggregation & Distribution

This project will stand up an online market pilot to serve as the starting point for the incubation of 

central Oklahoma’s first local food hub. The project aims to simplify the procurement process on behalf 

of local farmers and retailers, and to increase access to wholesale and non-profit markets. The project’s 

coordinated systems-approach will provide the quantitative understanding of supply and demand trends 

for Oklahoma’s local foods, which will be used to incubate and refine a new mid-tier local food 
distribution center. The project will be guided by a diverse advisory board of partners across farmers, 

extension agents, business development professionals, local food purchasers and other support 

organizations, who will work together to improve access to and procurement of local food by 

streamlining product through one centralized ordering platform.

Oregon 

Recipient: North Coast Food Web, Astoria, OR

District: OR-001 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $496,036.00

Match Amount: $124,818.00

Total Project Amount: $620,854.00

Expanding market access and business support services for local producers on the North Coast

On the north coast of Oregon, local producers continue to seek new ways to sustain and grow their 

operations, while consumers are increasingly looking to connect and interact with their food system. 

Over 100 small-scale farmers, ranchers, foragers, and fishers provide food for rural North Coast Oregon

and Southwest Washington. This project focuses on developing the infrastructure for small farms and 

food businesses to service customers within 100 miles of Astoria, OR. The project will work to ensure 

farmers and food businesses have the comprehensive support they need to serve their communities. 

This will be achieved through formalization of comprehensive food business support services to provide 

training, technical assistance, and one-on-one support for these emerging operations. A kitchen 

incubator will grow to help those interested in value-added production, upgrade and expand offerings, 

and restart a delivery program via an online farmers market to draw in new customers. This project will

formalize and expand the programs of the North Coast Food Web, create a more resilient food system 

increasing profitability and reduce risk for local farm and food businesses.

Recipient: Open Food Network USA, Portland, OR

District: OR-003

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $231,680

Match Amount: $57,920

Total Project Amount: $289,600

Won't you be my neighbor? Building, growing, and sustaining equitable food systems with 

community-centered online markets and Community/Workplace partnerships.

This project will increase access to local food in workplaces and neighborhoods, build equitable access 

and distribution infrastructure, and support food sovereignty and economic development for 

underserved communities in three different geographies in the United States. Social barriers, wealth 

disparity, knowledge gaps, and lack of coordination in the regional value chain can result in limited 

access to local food markets for members of disadvantaged communities and for the employees of 

workplaces and institutions in the same city or geography. Our approach is to facilitate a shared online 
market model serving both workplaces and surrounding communities, built on the unique strengths and 

interdependencies of each community’s local food system and using a powerful, proven, purpose-built 

open source platform solution. In this project, Open Food Network USA will partner with organizations 

from three historically excluded or underserved communities who will receive subawards to implement 

online food hubs that support food access and food businesses, center culture and relationships in 

supply chain operations and wealth creation, include institutions and nearby workplaces in supporting 

community food infrastructure, and improve health outcomes for everyone, while capturing knowledge 

and best practices for the benefit of other communities doing similar work. Project beneficiaries include 

small scale producers and local aggregators, community members, workplace employees in or near 

subject communities, and community-based organizations who will participate in the accomplishment of 

the project’s four goals: expanded local market participation; new businesses; technology support; and 

evaluation, learning, and reproducibility.

Pennsylvania

Recipient: The Meetinghouse on Atherton DBA Taproot Community Kitchen, State College, PA

District: PA-012 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $473,314.01

Match Amount: $145,648.16

Total Project Amount: $618,610.32

The Taproot Community Kitchen and Seconds Market - A Direct Producer-To-Consumer 

Initiative

Taproot Kitchen has an established culinary venture that provides adults with autism and intellectual 

disabilities critical job training while also utilizing fresh food gleaned from local farms. The proposed 

project will formally partner with local/regional agriculture producers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, 

and human services agencies to implement a Community Kitchen and Seconds Market. At the center of 

the project are the local farmers and producers, who will be providing the community with access to 

fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and meats. The Taproot Community Kitchen will provide access to 

an equipped commercial kitchen that will support the creation of value-added products, the 

preservation, and storage of agricultural products. The Seconds Market (less than perfect and surplus 

goods) will provide producers with access to new partnership markets for sell of their “seconds” and 

surplus produce. Funds received through the Local Food Promotion Program will be used to hire an 

Operations Manager and Kitchen Manager, who will establish a Seconds Market by May 2023 and 

develop a fully equipped, managed and operational shared Taproot Community Kitchen by Oct 2023. 

The overarching goal is to create a sustainable food system in this rural, agriculturally rich region. The 

objectives outlined will focus on the development of a shared responsibility for the production, supply, 

and consumption of safe and nutritious food grown locally.
Recipient: Chester County Economic Development Foundation, Exton, PA

District: PA-006 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $25,819.00

Total Project Amount: $125,819.00

Exploring Local Farm and Food Product Delivery in Southeastern PA

This project will conduct a feasibility study in late 2022 to determine cost-effective and timely delivery 

routes of farm and food products from Berks and Chester Counties to Greater Philadelphia area grocers 

and restaurants. At least one new distribution model will be recommended that meets the delivery 

needs of at least 15 producers, and ensures profitability of the farmers and artisans is preserved. The 

model will increase the market opportunities, sales, and profitability of farmers and food artisans in the

region, and serve as a blueprint for a future project that builds the business plan for the delivery 

network. Partners, the Chester County Ag Development Council and the Berks County Department of 

Agriculture, will assist in marketing the network and recruiting farmers and artisans to the project. 

Rhode Island

Recipient: Red Tomato, Inc., Providence, RI

District: RI-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $380,359.10 

Match Amount: $95,119.00

Total Project Amount: $475,478.10 

Adding Value Through Co-Branding and Co-Marketing: The Power of Local, Sustainable 

Partnerships

This project will work to add value through co-branding and co-marketing of Eco-certified fruit, a 

collaborative program among growers, agricultural scientists and extension, and mission driven 

marketers, to differentiate local and sustainably grown fruit in the Northeast region by building trust in 

the environmental, economic, and cultural care of regional growers. Objectives include: 1) investigate, 

identify, and leverage the co-branding/co-marketing opportunities held by small and midsized fruit 

growers in the Northeast that will reach and connect with eaters; 2) develop & deploy marketing tools, 

resources, and opportunities in partnership with growers, processors, and other institutional partners as 

a part of a larger strategy that allows Red Tomato to reach beyond retailers and connect with eaters and 

consumers, building a connected and engaged community that supports and purchases local and 

regional products; and 3) grow and measure the impact of the Eco Program and co-branding strategy on 

the eating community through sales and social media metrics. 
Recipient: RI Food Policy Council, Providence, RI

District: RI-001

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $498,394.00

Match Amount: $128,815.00

Total Project Amount: $627,209.00

Serving the Food Insecure Market: Connecting Rhode Island Farmers and Fishermen with Our 

Emergency Feeding Network

This LFPP implementation project builds on a successful 2020 LFPP planning grant which piloted 

connections between 25+ Rhode Island farmers/fishermen and emergency food buyers to chart a path 

for significant market expansion. Objectives include: 1) implement a Sustainability Advisory Group to 

identify pathways to financial viability; 2) enhance and grow the wholesale market for 50+ locally-grown 

agricultural products in the emergency food system; 3) enhance and grow the growing wholesale 

market for 30+ locally-harvested, wild-caught seafood in the emergency food system; 4)

measure/evaluate project impacts, using findings to continually improve program operations. The 

project involves core implementation partners: (1) Farm Fresh RI; (2) Southside Community Land Trust; 

and Commercial Fisheries Center of RI. Deliverables include expansion of/entry into wholesale sales to 

emergency food system customers by 80+ farmers and fishermen. The primary outcome of this project 

is increased sales for local farmers and fishermen via expanded sales to the state’s emergency food 

buyers. The local emergency feeding system will become a larger, more reliable wholesale market for 

local producers and harvesters while also becoming more resilient to supply chain shocks from 

pandemics and climate-related impacts.

Recipient: Town Made, LLC., Wakefield, RI

District: RI-002

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $482,076.00

Match Amount: $120,442.00

Total Project Amount: $602,518.00

Implementation of local food hub, commercial kitchen facility, and scholarship program -

integrating sourcing, processing, marketing and sales for food producers and farmers.

Town Made serves as a food processing, aggregation, and marketing hub, serving Washington County 

Rhode Island and beyond. This LFPP project will implement a scholarship fund to foster access to its 

commercial kitchen facilities to under-served communities, expand its food processing operational 

capabilities, and provide business and marketing support to assist local food entrepreneurs in bringing 

their products to market. Local farmers will have the opportunity to sell their produce and 

products to the food production makers in the space.
South Carolina 

Recipient: Catawba Farm and Food Coalition, Chester, SC

District: SC-005 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $323,080.00

Match Amount: $127,937.12

Total Project Amount: $451,017.12

Expanding and Creating New Retail and Wholesale Opportunities for Rural Farmers Through 

the Use of E-Commerce and a Mobile Market

This project will support the expansion of sales opportunities for local farmers in rural areas and create 

more local, healthy food access for consumers located in food deserts. This project will connect local 

farmers to an already developed and implemented online farmers market and year-round brick-andmortar farmers market store, both of which are designed and working to increase product sales for local 

South Carolina farmers. It will also create access to a new mobile fresh food market utilizing the 

refrigerated van owned by the coalition. Through working in rural areas with partners, this project will 

also allow greater access to local food in food deserts throughout the Upstate and Piedmont Regions of 

South Carolina. Funding will allow the Catawba Farm and Food Coalition to expand on current delivery 

routes and product pick up routes through the counties of Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, York and 

the Catawba Indian Nation. The expected outcome of this project is to increase product sales for local 

South Carolina farmers through multiple market avenues and to increase access to local healthy food 

products through direct producer-to-consumer sales and producer-to-retail connections. 

Recipient: Low Country Fresh, LLC., Bluffton, SC

District: SC-001 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $625,000.00

Grocery and cafe whose mission is to support farmers, fishermen and other producers within 

a 250 mile radius of the store.

The goal of this project is to balance the scales of economic opportunity for those have been historically 

underserved. To do so, the aim of the store is to provide a market channel for local growers and 

producers while providing an opportunity for team members to utilize their talents in a positive 

environment and bring the benefits of locally grown product to the community. The store will tangibly 

and sustainably benefit these three constituencies while serving as an example for others. This project

will use grant funds provided to raise awareness in nearby communities of product offerings and making 

them more accessible in the store. By elevating customer traffic, this project will reach a breakeven sales 

point and become a self-sustained enterprise. 
Recipient: Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery, Greenville, SC

District: SC-004 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $409,575.84

Match Amount: $208,706.29

Total Project Amount: $618,282.13

The Business of Farming: Building Capacity for New and Existing Farmers at Swamp Rabbit 

Café and Grocery

The Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery (SRCG) will provide intentional support to new, beginning, small, 

and historically underserved farmers, including guidance on packaging, food safety, and marketing. With 

additional staffing and a promotion plan that highlights local farmers, SRCG will promote local farmers 

and food to consumers. By the end of the 3-year project period, the SRCG will increase the number of 

local producers from whom it purchases, and increase the amount of local produce purchased from local 

producers. SRCG will also increase its base of customers buying local food. An existing and future 

network of farmers will benefit from increased purchases of their products from SRCG. Small, beginning 

and historically underservedfarmers who need additional support to bring their products to market will 

benefit from the services provided by SRCG and partner organizations. All producers selling products to 

the SRCG will benefit from the increased marketing, advertising, and promotion by the SRCG, enabling 

them to increase sales and their customer base.

Tennessee 

Recipient: Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association, Maynardville, TN

District: TN-03

Project Type: Implention 

Award Amount: $500,000

Match Amount: $125,000

Total Project Amount: $625,000

The Appalachian Region Winery Incubator, a value chain facility, will create and expand 

businesses and provide education and training for those wishing to enter the Wine and Grape 

Industry.

The Appalachian Region Winery Incubator, a value chain facility, will create and expand businesses and 

provide education and training for those wishing to enter the Wine and Grape Industry. The Facility will 

provide co-working space, in-demand skills training, entrepreneurship and business support growing the 

regional Industry. In the target region, the Nine Lakes of Eastern Tennessee American Viticultural Area 

(AVA), there are currently 232 acres of vineyards and 29 wineries. There are vineyards in every county 

and wineries in all but two of the fourteen counties. According to the Tennessee Farm Winegrowers 

Alliance, with moderate industry growth an anticipated 1,000 acres of vineyards could be needed in the 

next 5 – 8 years supporting an estimated 50 wineries and satellite facilities. According to the 

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee, the total variable cost for 

a winery producing 10,000 gallons on an annual basis was estimated at $911,895.00, annual fixed cost 

was estimated at $178,260.00 and annual debt service payment was estimated to be $80,928.00. These 
are insurmountable costs for many who wish to enter the industry. A value chain incubator facility is a 

critical resource for equitable growth. The grant funds will be used to equip and operate a newly 

constructed complex to serve as a winery incubator.

Texas

Recipient: HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, Harlingen, TX

District: TX-034 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,704.00

Match Amount: $137,015.00

Total Project Amount: $636,719.00

Multi-Region Logistics for Year-Round Wholesale of Texas-Grown Farm Products

This project will establish a regional food system that connects nonprofit organizations and small-scale 

farmers and ranchers for the success of wholesale purchase via transportation between food hubs. By 

joining the Texas Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas, the Upper Gulf Coast of Texas, and North Texas, this 

project will create a food network that bridges the gap between small farmers that lack access to 

markets and organizations or markets in urban areas that lack locally produced farm products. HOPE 

proposes to establish a logistics, storage, and transportation system. HOPE will establish and manage a 

logistics system to safely transport products to storage HUBS in Harlingen, TX, Central Texas, Houston, 

TX, in order to connect with the Dallas Farmers’ Market for wholesale. Nonprofit community food 

suppliers in Central Texas and the Houston-area will also purchase available wholesale products. The

project includes technical assistance to support the growers including: wholesale sales training, product 

tracing practices, safe handling, labeling, packing, and transporting value-added product development 

and financial management. A online sales portal featuring product content will enable the project to 

market products to wholesale buyers. The project will connect small-scale, disadvantaged producers, 

nonprofit organizations, and the community for year-round production availability of vegetable, meat, 

and value-added farm products. 

Recipient: Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, Waelder, TX

District: TX-027

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $96,700.00

Match Amount: $24,200.00

Total Project Amount: $120,900.00

Establishing Viability for Integrating Cultural Food Systems in South Central Texas

The project purpose is to establish data that will provide a greater understanding of the current health 

and food access needs specific to the Indigenous communities in South Central Texas. Reports from this 

feasibility study will inform future programming and services provided by the Texas Tribal Buffalo 

Project to develop innovative approaches to combating food insecurity and improving the overall health 

and wellbeing across the region within the Indigenous communities.
Utah 

Recipient: The International Rescue Committee, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT

District: UT-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,999.00

Match Amount: $132,420.00

Total Project Amount: $632,419.00

New American Farmers and Culinary Entrepreneurs Cultivating Local Value-Chains in Utah

Culinary Entrepreneurs Cultivating Local Value-Chains in Utah project will increase revenues and market 

options for local farmers and value-added and culinary (VA&C) businesses and increase access to locally 

grown food in Salt Lake County, Utah. This project will provide training and capacity building for refugee 

farmers in International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) SLC’s farm incubator and food-access program, New 

Roots (NR SLC) and entrepreneurs in its Spice Kitchen Incubator (SKI) culinary entrepreneurship 

program. The project will support other local farmers and VA&C businesses with the desire to utilize 

local produce. Refugee farmers and VA&C producers face barriers to value-chain entry and business 

expansion, including limited formal education, literacy, and English language skills. IRC SLC will use its 

extensive experience working with these populations to develop culturally relevant, linguistically 

accessible curricula and materials in the areas of food safety, certifications, marketing, and business 

strategies to navigate the value chain and reach a broader customer base. IRC SLC has been supporting 

beginning farmers and VA&C entrepreneurs for over 15 years, including extensive work in developing 

new markets and market linkages in both high-value markets and within low income/low access (LI/LA) 

neighborhoods throughout Salt Lake County. Partners on this project are Charcuterie Artisans, LLC. And 

its subsidiary Creminelli Fine Meats, New Roots in Salt Lake City Farmers, and Utah State University. 

Virginia 

Recipient: Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD), Duffield, VA

District: VA-009 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $429,946.85

Match Amount: $110,593.95

Total Project Amount: $540,540.80 

Building a Local Beef Value Chain in Central Appalachia

This project will initiate the aggregation and distribution of meat products via Appalachian Sustainable 

Development’s (ASD) Appalachian Harvest Food Hub, expanding existing markets in collaboration with 

current producers, existing facilities, and established collaborators. The market demand already exists 

through school systems and local retailers and is expected to grow as regenerative agriculture, animal 

welfare, healthier meats, and local/regional food system resilience become increasingly important to 

consumers. Project activities include expanding ASD training to include support for meat producers, 

including production practices, food safety, and meeting brand, product, packaging, and certification 

standards; building and managing markets for meat; and coordinating delivery logistics. This project will 
increase markets for regional beef producers, including those utilizing environmentally sustainable 

production practices such as grass-finishing and silvopasture. Expected project outcomes include 

increased regional food security and increased food hub sales volume, profit, and the number of yearround offerings, benefiting consumers, farmers, and the local economy. This project will also play a 

critical role in making deliveries to small rural purchasers (e.g., school systems and small retailers) 

financially viable, as it will increase the value and volume of each delivery, ensuring these mid-tier 

markets are serviceable over the long term. Another outcome of this project will be to lay the 

foundation for substantial expansion of regenerative agriculture practices and the premium pricing 

connected to them by end-use customers and major retailers. Documentation of this project will provide 

a template for other organizations to replicate and will include operational procedures and a Hazard 

Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.

Recipient: Conservation International Foundation, Arlington, VA

District: VA-008

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $239,252.00

Match Amount: $60,034.00

Total Project Amount: $299,286.00

Reducing Seafood Waste by Creating Innovative Value-Added Seafood Products in Hawaii

In Phase 1, this project will create a website to promote resources related to value-added seafood 

products, partner with a local university to support and train entrepreneurs and work with an 

established network of influential chefs and food producers to develop at least 15 new value-added 

seafood products with a focus on byproducts. In Phase 2, Conservation International Hawaii (CI Hawaii) 

will host 3 events during its statewide direct-to-consumer seafood marketing campaign to promote and 

enhance the value-chain links for the value-added products created in Phase 1 and will host a zerowaste fish workshop to strengthen knowledge around a diversity of value-added seafood products. This 

project will build on CI’s successful market-based model which will improve local and regional food 

systems to increase food security, create local food products, increase revenue streams for seafood 

producers and processors, reduce seafood waste, and create local economic opportunities.

Recipient: Southside Virginia Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association, Charlotte Courthouse, VA

District: VA-005

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $321,085.00

Match Amount: $105,150.00

Total Project Amount: $426,235.00

Increasing Cooperative Food Sales to Access New Markets in Southside Virginia

Southside Virginia Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association is a grassroots, farmer founded and 

operated growers association born out of the need of Southside Virginia farmers to have access to 

institutional buyers and shared equipment and facilities. The association is composed of producers from 

the following counties in Southside Virginia, which represent the project area: Appomattox, Brunswick, 
Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, and Prince Edward. The goal for this 

project is to aggregate and transport fruit and produce from local farmers to wholesale buyers across 

the Virginia. Expected benefits for the proposed project will be: increased sales for local farm 

businesses, expanded market opportunities, increased employment opportunities in economically 

distressed areas, and increased operational capacity, advancing farmer and community sustainability.

Vermont 

Recipient: Food Connects, Inc., Brattleboro, VT

District: VT-001 (At-Large Congressional district of Vermont)

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $286,280.00

Match Amount: $93,741.00

Total Project Amount: $380,021.00

Leveraging Farm To School to Increase Local Purchasing through Collaboration and 

Innovation in the Supply Chain

The overall goal of the project is to innovate in the supply chain to increase institutional, local food

purchasing in Food Connects’ tri-state central New England service area. Project activities include: 1) 

creating and printing marketing materials customized and co-branded to our customers' specifications, 

with the goal to more deeply support customers in their efforts to tell their local food sourcing story; 2)

developing a product catalog (print and digital) to improve conversion rate with prospective institutional 

customers, especially major institutions; 3) distribution of Annual Harvest of the Month calendars, 

posters, and other educational materials; 4) collaboration with regional partners to support states in 

developing and improving local purchasing incentive programs for K-12 schools; and 4) execution of a

comprehensive sales push across the current service area to onboard institutional accounts whose food 

safety requirements Food Connects will be prepared to meet as of Fall 2022. Food Connects will also 

onboard and serve new institutional customers on new, to-be-launched delivery routes to underserved 

areas across Southeastern VT, Central, and Eastern MA. 

Washington 

Recipient: Thurston Economic Development Council Center for Business & Innovation, Lacey, WA 

District: WA-010 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $498,654.00

Match Amount: $166,566.00

Total Project Amount: $665,220.00

Access through Community Collaboration, Workplace Wellness and Farm-to-School

This project will advance the Southwest Washington Food Hub in these five capacity areas and expand 

as a regional mid-tier value chain. To implement its hybrid growth strategy in intermediated and 

consumer direct markets, it will 1) cultivate drop site collaboration with area businesses, partner with 

local employers to deliver a workplace wellness “farmshare”, and build sales relationships with school 
and institutional buyers; 2) hire operations, sales and administrative managers to do so; 3) promote 

equity, working with BIPOC leaders and farmers, and include Spanish-language materials for producers 

and buyers; 4) train and build connectivity among food hub membership through peer mentoring and 

training that supports onboarding, operational efficiency, and safety; and 5) transfer administrative 

agency to the food hub and complete a strategic plan through administrative funding, organizational

development facilitation, and grower engagement. Through grant activities, food hub producer 

participation will increase farmer members and producer payments. Barriers to market access will be 

lowered for BIPOC and Spanish-speaking producers growing culturally-relevant crops. 

Wisconsin 

Recipient: Mad Local Food Group, LLC. dba Pasture and Plenty, Madison, WI

District: WI-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $493,748.20 

Match Amount: $150,000.00

Total Project Amount: $643,748.20 

Fueling the Local Food Engine: expanding access to local foods through equity-centered 

community programming and value added food manufacturing in Dane County, WI

This project will allow growth to meet the demand and reach more than 60 local farms and producers, 

increasing annual local food purchasing. This project will invest in the development of the Pasture and 

Plenty (P&P) Makeshop business incubator marketing and business resource programming. Expand 

capacity to aggregate, develop and manufacture local food products and innovate to grow wholesale 

and direct-to-customer markets, with a focus on purchase commitments to Black, Indigenous and 

Persons of Color (BIPOC) and beginning farmers. Increase the scale of P&P Community Eats Cooking 

Class and Events programming, focusing on the Youth Black Excellence Life Readiness Cooking Class 

Series and uplift BIPOC farmers, chefs and leaders. The proposed project reinforces the mid-tier value 

chain, driving growth in local jobs, food processing and sales capacity, and community classes/events 

that celebrate local foodways.

Recipient: Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Inc. aka Marbleseed, Spring Valley, WI

District: WI-003 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $76,064.93

Match Amount: $19,630.25

Total Project Amount: $95,695.18

Pasture, Process, Plenty: Studying a Local Meat Supply Chain

The project will convene all the stakeholders to identify and develop a comprehensive, holistic 

framework for solving the problem of insufficient meat processing options on a regional scale. The study 

will focus on solutions that emphasize collective ownership, equitable access, and widely shared benefit 

for farmers, processors, and workers. It will connect small meat processors and farmers to ensure access 
to processing facilities and financial sustainability for the meat supply chain in the region. It will explore 

alternative ownership structures for processors that are looking to retire including employee-owned 

structures and cooperatives. The outcomes will include designing a viable, detailed business model and 

necessary legal structure, determining the capital necessary to actualize the plan, and working with 

state agencies to address any regulatory barriers to implementation as a replicable model. It is the 

collaborators’ intent to make this feasibility study and resulting business plan and model widely 

available and adaptable beyond Northwest Wisconsin, as it addresses an urgent need for small, grassbased livestock producers nationally.

West Virginia 

Recipient: Yuraction Faction, LLC. DBA WV Harvest, Morgantown, WV

District: WV-001 

Project Type: Farm to Institution

Award Amount: $482,215.00

Match Amount: $120,533.80 

Total Project Amount: $602,748.80 

WV Harvest Farm to Institution Project

The WV Harvest Farm to Institution application will connect producers and growers with state 

institutions through collaborative partnerships that result in stronger local food system in West Virginia. 

WV Harvest will engage with the current growers, producers, and processors to begin the strategic 

aggregation of locally grown/raised/produced food products under the WV Harvest Brand. This includes 

creating an institution focused coordinated food chain and mid-tier value chain, purchasing locally 

grown/raised/processed products, and aggregating/storing locally grown/produced products in a central 

location. In addition, WV Harvest will expand on current work by informing the nutrition directors in K12 and purchasing managers at WV State Institutions about the large selection of fresh and value-added 

food products available for purchase. This includes developing strategies and action tools for key 

decision makers of state institutions to become more informed of locally available products through WV 

Harvest. WV Harvest will market the opportunities for job creation and community growth associated 

with purchasing locally raised/grow/produced food products to students and administrators to elevate 

the local food system in WV. This includes informational displays and marketing installations in schools 

and institutions of higher education. 
Recipient: West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, Inc., Charleston, WV

District: WV-002 

Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $499,980.93

Match Amount: $125,000.00

Total Project Amount: $624,980.93

Pop’s Pickles and Mamaw’s Molasses: Creating an Authentic Appalachian Brand for ValueAdded Makers in West Virginia

This project will create a comprehensive, value-added, regional Appalachian branding and marketing 

strategy allowing the state’s valued-added product makers to access additional markets in 10 MidAtlantic and southern metropolitan areas. Value-added makers can predict their exact ingredient needs, 

allowing farmers to complete production plans for guaranteed sales. The project will identify 50 

locations for value-added product sales outside of West Virginia while utilizing the Coalition’s WV Rural 

Grocer Network for sales within the state. Mamaw’s Molasses will provide support for both new and 

existing value-added makers with the creation of two shared use curriculums, build and market a valueadded product line, provide technical and marketing assistance to identified markets, and deliver West 

Virginia value-added products to regional markets in the MidAtlantic region. 

Recipient: Universal Schedule and Booking, LLC., Harpers Ferry, WV

District: WV-002 

Project Type: Planning

Award Amount: $100,000.00

Match Amount: $25,000.00

Total Project Amount: $125,000.00

Promoting Regional Fulfillment of Local Foods From Small and Mid-Size Farms Through 

Planning With New Marketing Technology and Distribution Strategies

This project will build upon several years of experience in researching local agricultural communities 

with a new planning project to determine the feasibility of a fulfillment platform that enables local and 

regional producers to promote and sell their products to consumers directly in a scalable, cost-efficient 

manner. This project will test business models based on proprietary technology to include utilization of 

value-added approaches to data and actionable datasets to support the platform commercially. The goal 

of this planning project is to build a case to develop a modern marketing, promotional, and fulfillment 

hub, supported through a scalable technology platform that curates local small and mid-size farm 

products in front of the modern consumer. We expect to see an increase in demand for local and 

regional food products, increase in opportunities to support future local food business development, 

and reduction in labor and costs associated with marketing.

Wyoming

Recipient: Action Resources International, Laramie, WY

District: WY-000 (At-Large Congressional District of Wyoming) 
Project Type: Implementation

Award Amount: $495,396.00

Match Amount: $128,849.00

Total Project Amount: $624,245.00

Satanka Food and Community Innovation Hub: contributing to a sustainable and equitable 

rural food system through development of a diverse local and regional farm to institution 

food supply chain.

The Satanka Food and Community Innovation Hub will fill a long-recognized gap in the local food system 

in Albany County, Wyoming by facilitating connections and between local food producers, farmers and 

ranchers, and community-based institutional purchasers. The Satanka Food Hub will start on a 

deliberately small scale, with close collaboration between producers, buyers, food hub management, 

and community stakeholders to ensure development that aligns with needs and capacities on all sides 

and meets the logistical and food safety requirements of food storage, transportation, aggregation, and 

delivery. Food hub operations will expand steadily, reaching 8 local/regional producers, 3 institutional 

buyers, and an expanding menu of products at increasing frequency in three years. Producers will 

benefit from expanded and stable sales outlets; institutional buyers will benefit from being able to add 

locally produced goods to their food service operations and supporting the local economy in the 

process. Ultimate beneficiaries include community members themselves, who will benefit from 

increased access to high quality locally produced food and a more local vibrant economy.