Over $210,000 In Grants To 21 Local Food Businesses
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| Sweet Pea Farm in Charlestown |
The
awards, funded under the Local Agriculture & Seafood Act (LASA) grant
program, help new and existing small businesses and food initiatives prosper in
Rhode Island.
Now
in its fifth year, LASA has provided over $1.1 million – through grants up to
$20,000 – to support growth of Rhode Island's local food economy.
The
state's food scene is often cited as an area of economic strength ripe for
innovation and growth. Already, the local food industry supports 60,000 jobs,
and the state's green industries account for more than 15,000 jobs and
contribute $2.5 billion to the economy annually.
"I'm thrilled to award these grants to help farmers, fishers and food businesses start or expand their operations in Rhode Island," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "Our state has a vibrant food scene and rich agricultural and fishing heritage, and I look forward to the initiatives and businesses this latest grant round will help inspire."
"The
LASA program has inspired Rhode Island's agriculture and seafood businesses to
innovate and grow," said Nessa Richman, Network Director for the RI Food
Policy Council.
"Results
from the first comprehensive evaluation of the program show impacts in terms of
new product, new markets, increased sales, jobs created, and more that exceed
expectations. Funds like this are a key part of the infrastructure for a local
food economy."
The
2018 LASA grant awards include:
- African Alliance of RI, Providence/Johnston, $15,140: To support community garden/farm efforts though purchase of equipment/supplies and a part-time farm manager
- Carl Berg, Little Compton, $5,500: To improve aquaculture production and markets for Sakonnet-grown shellfish
- Ester & Joel Bishop, Tiverton, $7,000: To purchase a mobile processing unit for poultry
- Blackstone Bees, LLC, Smithfield, $10,000: To create a new, sizeable apiary
- Deep Roots Farm, Chepachet, $5,794: To purchase two grain bins to hold chicken and pig feed, bulk feeders, and equipment to move grain around the farm
- Eating with the Ecosystem, Statewide, $12,000: To support outreach and marketing of local seafood
- Garman Farm, Newport, $6,150: To construct a wood-framed shed for equipment storage/wash-and-pack line
- Herb & Forage LLC, North Kingstown, $8,086: To construct a facility for safe washing and storage
- Hope's Harvest RI, Statewide, $9,000: To support farmer participation in farm gleaning project
- Robert F.D. Payne, Exeter, $18,200: To provide seed money for the South County Sustainable Tool Library
- Rachel Playe, Providence, $12,825: To build a drying shed for medicinal herbs
- Rhode Island Land Access Work Group, Statewide, $18,000: To support the organization's farm succession school and farm match program, and produce three RI farm "success stories"
- Joel Russell, Hopkinton, $7,000: For contracted labor to design and install a public water system on the farm property
- Sanctuary Herbs of Providence, Providence, $6,500: For purchase of a tea-bagging machine to help further develop market for local tea in Rhode Island while working with refugee farmers
- Skinny Dip Farm, Little Compton, $9,982: To purchase a walk-in cooler, thermometer, and hydrometer
- Sweet Pea Farm, Charlestown, $6,115: To construct a wash station and a walk-in cooler
- Urban Greens Food Co-op, Providence, $19,500: To support development of kitchen to help increase capacity for processing and use of local ingredients
- Samantha Vallone & William Morin, Chepachet, $6,025: To construct a wash-and-pack station and expand cold storage capacity
- Westbay Community Action/Westbay Farm, Warwick, $12,200: To build a root cellar to expand capacity of community farm
- Nathaniel Wood & Adam Graffunder, Johnston, $6,940: For purchase of farming equipment to increase the efficiency of the no-till, bio-intensive farming operation at Snake Den Farm
- Young Farmer Network, Statewide, $11,140: To support education programming and network development for young farmers in Rhode Island
In
partnership with the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, LASA is funded by the
state with generous support from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the
Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation.
In
addition to the above grant awards, $20,000 is directed to DEM and the Rhode
Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative to support the state's local seafood
campaign, RI Seafood. Local seafood is poised to spur the next wave of food-based
economic growth.
Last
year, more than 100 million pounds of seafood arrived at a local port, with an
export value over $1 billion.
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