DEM Announce $700,000 Program Funding to Support Food and Seafood Businesses
Enacted in 2012 to
"support and develop more robust and self-sustaining agricultural and
seafood sectors," LASA is an important catalyst in strengthening the local
food system. Since its enactment 10 years ago, LASA has provided more than $1.4
million through individual program grants up to $20,000.
"The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act has always been about being firmly committed to our constituents and sending the message that we are 100 percent behind local businesses," said Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, the Senate sponsor of LASA. "Local food gets from farm to table in fresher condition and means fewer trucks on the road, which means less air pollution. LASA encourages more people to eat more local food. This means better health for Rhode Islanders and our environment."
"In the 10 years since LASA's inception, a broad and diverse array of businesses and organizations have benefitted from grants including farmers' markets, family farms, urban agricultural initiatives, oyster growers, cider makers, and dozens of others," said Rep. Deborah Ruggiero, LASA's House sponsor. "I am thrilled to see the level of support going into the next round of program grant funding and look forward to seeing how recipients use it to make Rhode Island's food system more resilient and sustainable."
The 2022 programming funding priorities include:
o Supporting the
entry, growth, and sustainability of small or beginning agriculture producers
and fishers.
o Supporting
agriculture producers and fishers that are Black, Indigenous, and People of
Color.
o Supporting the
development of new marketing, promotion, sales, and/or distribution channels.
o Supporting the
development of new products, including value-added processing capacity.
o Fostering new
cooperatives, partnerships, and/or collaborations among Rhode Island
agriculture producers and fishers and supporting organizations.
o Fostering and
building capacity for markets connecting local farms and fishers with Rhode
Island's food insecure communities.
o Protecting the
future availability of agricultural land for producers, including farm
transition planning and implementation, and assisting with on farm food safety
improvements, including the developing of Food Safety Modernization Act and
hazard analysis critical control point standards.
During the 2021 grant program, DEM awarded $250,000 of programming funding in LASA grants to 12 recipients. Eligible entities include for-profit farmers, fishers, producer groups, and non-profit organizations.
Applicants must be based in Rhode Island
and only small and/or beginning farmers, or producer groups of small or
beginning farmers, are eligible to apply for capital grants. Aquaculture
operators are considered farmers in the LASA program.
For more information on the LASA Grant program, please visit DEM's website. Applications should be completed online via the State of Rhode Island Grant's Management System by Nov. 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM.
Grant-related questions should be directed to Ananda
Fraser, Chief Program Development in DEM's Division of Agriculture and Forest
Environment at 401-222-2781 or via email to DEM.LASA@dem.ri.gov.
DEM continues to work across many fronts to benefit and strengthen Rhode Island's green economy and to assist local farmers and fishers in growing their businesses. There are more than 1,000 farms sprinkled across the state and Rhode Island is home to a thriving young farmer network.
DEM continues to make investments in critical
infrastructure as well as provide farm incubation space to new farmers through
its Urban Edge Farm and Snake Den Farm properties. 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.
For more information
on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook,
Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.
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