The USDA has announced the availability of approximately $26 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program to help local and regional food entities develop.
The funds will help build, coordinate and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises, according to a news release.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is accepting applications for the grant program until May 14. Additionally, AMS has added to the suite of resources available to support communities and practitioners in local and regional food systems development, the release said.
“The Local Agriculture Market Program funnels funding directly to projects in local and regional food systems where farmers are able to retain more of the food system dollar allowing their communities to prosper,” USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the release. “This year, we are also offering new tools to help stakeholders navigate USDA programs for local and regional food systems, that also showcase the significant impacts of those investments.”
Local Agriculture Market Program, or LAMP, funds projects that increase the availability of locally grown food and develop new markets for local and regional food system stakeholders, farmers markets and food hubs, the release said. The program includes the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Local Food Promotion Program, and Regional Food System Partnerships.
Two of LAMP’s funding opportunities, the Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Local Food Promotion Program, seek to develop, coordinate and expand local and regional food systems, the release said. The Farmers Market Promotion Program supports producer-to-consumer markets such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture programs, and online sales. Local Food Promotion Program grants support local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing, according to the release.
This year, USDA says it again offers a streamlined grants process for applicants applying for marketing and promotion focused projects and is adding an additional streamlined option for training and recruitment projects, the release said. The turnkey project type was designed to lift the burden of grant applicants applying for funding for this focal area, USDA said.
Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 14, according to the agency.
