Nearly Half a Million in Grants Awarded to Local Farmers, Fishers, and Food Producers

Two went to Charlestown producers

Blue Acres Aquaculture grows and harvests in Quonnie

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today announced the 2026 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) grantees at Johnson & Wales’s Harborside Campus in Cranston.

Twenty-five LASA grants totaling $450,000 were awarded for projects across RI to support the growth, development, and marketing of local farms, seafood harvesters, and food businesses, strengthening small businesses while enhancing the state’s food security.

In this grant round, the awards were distributed across various categories, including agriculture, aquaculture, seafood or fishery-based projects, and food organizations. The LASA committee conducted a thorough evaluation to ensure funding recommendations were equitable and diverse, promote smart agricultural practices, and support small business development.  The final grantee list reflects the program’s commitment to expanding the scope and diversity of its awardees. Over the last 12 years, LASA has provided $3,111,238 in grants of up to $20,000 with no direct match required.

Parcel of Paradise Farm on Shannock Road
in Charlestown

“The LASA grant program taps into our state’s incredible potential by building on our existing strengths,” said Senate Environment & Agriculture Committee Chairwoman V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown). “These grants enhance food security, boost small businesses and make Rhode Island more sustainable and resilient. They are an investment in our people and our future, and in the agriculture and seafood industries that mean so much to our state. I am grateful to the many supporters and stakeholders who continue to make this program possible.”

“Since its inception, LASA has helped grow a robust, resilient and sustainable local food industry right here in Rhode Island, a mission that becomes more important every year as federal programs that support our local food industry face budgets cuts and continued funding uncertainty on the horizon,” said Representative Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett). “Meanwhile, our local farms, shellfishing, aquaculture, commercial fishing and other food businesses continue to provide us with high quality and nutritious food sustainably produced in our own back yard, thanks in part to support from LASA grants. I am excited to see the continuing success stories of these grant recipients.”

“Today’s LASA awards will help Rhode Island’s farmers, fishers, and food producers expand their operations, improve efficiency, and implement sustainable practices,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “At a time when federal programs that support local food systems face increasing uncertainty and potential cuts, small business owners face incredible challenges. Continued state investment for LASA is more important than ever to strengthen the resilience and long-term viability of Rhode Island’s local food system and the small businesses that are so vital to our economy.”

LASA 2026 grantees:

• African Alliance of RI (Providence) $4,245: To support a new farmstand at Bami Farm and related outreach, promotion, and supplies.
• Blue Acres Aquaculture (Charlestown) $16,155: For the purchase of a tractor loader that will improve farm efficiency
• Bluff Hill Cove Oyster Co (Narragansett) $19,475: To replace gear necessary for oyster growth, sorting, and harvesting, and reestablish functional lines, trawls, and cages.
• Center for Mediation and Collaboration RI (Providence) $20,000: To provide financial incentives to help offset the cost for both farm seekers and farm owners to hire specialists to support their transition
• Dragonfly Nurseries (Wakefield) $19,877: To boost the state’s native plant supply chain through the purchase of a production greenhouse for Ecotypic plants.
• East Coast Oysters (Jamestown) $18,000: For 60 new oyster cages to support increased production and direct-to-market oyster expansion
• Farm Fresh RI (Providence) $20,000: To expand market opportunities for local farmers through the Farm to Food Pantry through bulk purchases and surplus purchases of products directly from farms for food pantries
• Gather Farm (Johnston) $19,500: To invest in equipment and community space
• Growing Hope Farm (South Kingstown) $19,985: To develop a dedicated food-safe wash-and-pack station that supports food safety from field to storage
• Hawk & Handsaw Farm (Portsmouth) $6,350: To upgrade the farm’s greens production system
• Little Compton Flowers (Little Compton) $14,307: To purchase a walk-in cooler facility to enhance post-harvest quality and expand market access for local flowers
• Long Lane Farm (Warren) $18,872: To install an automated tray filler and nursery display rack to support plant start sales and increase revenue during the shoulder seasons
• Lovewell Farm (Hope valley) $15,000: To support production lab upgrade and organic handler certification
• Lucky Dogs Farm (Foster) $12,739: To support the purchase of upgraded equipment to improve seeding, cultivating, and processing efficiency.
• Martinez Farm (Cranston) $7,410: To purchase two mobile chicken tractors and expand regenerative poultry production
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of RI (NOFA RI) (Chepachet) $19,333: To develop trainings through the SMART Farmers Collective to improve the economic viability of beginning RI farmers
• Parcel of Paradise Farm (Charlestown) $19,800: To replace and upgrade orchard fencing to protect crops
• RI Association of Conservation Districts (Johnston) $19,811: To develop and host a series of workshops for farm seekers and landowners
• RI Shellfisherman’s Association (North Kingstown) $11,466: To purchase of US Coast Guard-approved safety equipment for RI Shellfisherman’s Association Members vessels
• Rocky Rhode Oyster Co. (Narragansett) $19,316: For tumbling system for processing juvenile and adult oysters
• Saunderstown Garlic farm (Saunderstown) $11,994: To increase production capacity of value-added garlic products through the purchase of a commercial bread oven
• Sumire Farm (Saunderstown) $18,183: For a walk-in cooler for commercial farm kitchen
• Seed to Seed Farm School (North Scituate) $20,000: To expand the Seed to Sprout Seed to Seed Farmer Apprenticeship Program by increasing training opportunities from four to six apprentices host farms
• Southside Community Land Trust (Providence) $20,000: For the Free Farm Stands Project which supports local growers and community food access
• The Commercial Fisheries Center of RI (Kingston) $20,000: For the Rhode Island Community Seafood Donation Program which provides seafood to low-income communities

DEM supports RI’s green economy by helping farmers and fishers grow their businesses, invest in infrastructure, and access incubation space for new farmers at Urban Edge Farm and Snake Den Farm. With more than 1,000 farms and the nation’s highest percentage of beginning farmers (2022 Census of Agriculture), Rhode Island’s farming sector is growing. From 2017 to 2022, both farm numbers and farmland grew, showing strong statewide support for local agriculture, boosting the economy, protecting the environment, and strengthening food security.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter/X (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.