Pingree Says Millions of Dollars in Grant Funding Available to Invest in Local Food

Press Release

Millions of dollars in grant funding to invest in initiatives that create and support local agriculture jobs has just become available thanks to programs contained in a local food bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

"This is money that is going to help the local food economy grow and expand in Maine and around the country," Pingree said. "And every dollar that is spent locally is a dollar that support jobs in our communities and gives consumers more access to quality, sustainably grown food."

Pingree says a number of grant programs have been opened up through the US Department of Agriculture to support a range of activities, from getting more local food in schools to promoting farmers markets. The grant programs were all contained in Pingree's Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act and were later included in the Farm Bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama.

"The farm economy in Maine is alive and well and growing," Pingree said. "It's grown by almost 25% over five years. And just look at the growth of organic farming, which increased by over 50% in five years."

In 2007 organic products generated $23.3 million in sales in Maine, by 2012 that number had increased to $36.4 million.

And Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) arrangements, where consumers pay a fixed price for a share of a farm's output, are more popular in Maine than almost anywhere else in the country, with Maine ranking third in the number of farms participating in CSAs.

Source