Local food producers eligible for $92.2 million in USDA grant funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $92.2 million in funding for local and regional food producers that have been affected by the pandemic — $57.3 million of which is classified as emergency funding.

The funding falls under the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), which was passed as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. The grants are funded through the Farmers Market Program, as part of the USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative, which was launched in March.

The initiative is focused on small and medium-size agricultural operations, as well as underserved producers and communities.

Aside from general support for local and regional food markets and businesses, the grants will be used for direct producer-to-consumer marketing and value-added agricultural products.

There will be $76.9 million going to the Farmers Market Promotion Program to support farmers markets, community-supported agriculture and other direct producer-to-consumer markets, and toward the Local Food Promotion Program for indirect-to-consumer markets.

To help build up robust regional food economies, the USDA will award $15.3 million to fund public-private partnerships that increase the availability of locally produced food products, and may go toward programs that plan, implement or expand those economies.

“We have an opportunity to transform our nation”™s food system with a greater focus on resilient, local and regional food systems,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These grants will help maximize opportunities for economic growth and ingenuity in local and regional food systems to kickstart this transformation. LAMP grants have a history of generating new income sources for small, beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and creating new market opportunities for value-added and niche products.”