Here at Farm 2 Facts, we support farmers markets in a multitude of ways, one of which is by helping markets secure grant funding through the USDA. The USDA is the biggest resource of funding for agriculture producers in the United States. In 2021, F2F successfully assisted in obtaining four USDA grants to help farmers markets become more accessible, increase their sustainability, and, ultimately, grow!
1. The first of these grants was titled “Farmers Market LIFE: Expanding farmers’ markets’ reach to non-traditional communities through online platforms, access innovations, and place-based outreach.”, and received about $750,000. This grant was awarded to Petaluma Bounty Farm located in Petaluma, California which emphasizes ecological stewardship and strives to create a healthy food system. The main goals of this grantare to reduce barriers between producers and consumers for demographics which are traditionally underrepresented in farmers markets, and to expand marketing and outreach efforts in order to reach these groups.
2. A grant titled “Central Wisconsin Farmers Market Food Equity Project: improving FoodShare access at farmers markets through community investment and engagement.” was awarded about $200,000 to Wood County in Wisconsin. This money will be used for developing a plan for launching an EBT system at their farmers market. EBT is an electronic system for people to use their SNAP benefits, which helps low-income individuals purchase food.
3. The grant “Sustain and Grow Wisconsin Farmers Markets through Data Collection. Networks and Collaboration” provided about $750,000 to the UW-Extension system. The UW-Extension system will partner with Farm 2 Facts to expand the capacities of and build collaboration within the farmers market in the state.
4. Lastly, the grant “City of Madison Community Food Waste Reduction Initiative” awarded about $200,000 for a project led by our very own founder as well as Professor of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Alfonso Morales. This project will center around creating a more sustainable and less wasteful food system in Madison, the state capitol of Wisconsin.
We are so excited for all of these wonderful initiatives and the impacts they will have on local communities, farmers, and the food system as a whole. If you are interested in learning more about F2F’s grant advising services, where we assist finding and writing grants for the USDA and other foundations, please contact us at info@farm2facts.org.
