Brown says federal money available for local food production

Press release

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced $78 million in new federal resources to support the growth of local and regional food systems, including funding for local food businesses and farmers markets. The funding stems from provisions of Brown’s Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act which was incorporated into the 2014 Farm Bill.

The announcement marks the single largest investment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the rapidly growing needs of the local food industry.

“These new federal funds provided by the 2014 Farm Bill will help boost the availability of locally grown, fresh food to communities throughout Ohio,” Brown said. “Ohio’s farmers are some of the best in the world in growing and producing food. With the help of these new resources, more of that food can now be used in local restaurants, markets, and communities while helping to build new food businesses to create jobs and support Ohio’s rural communities.”

The funding is divided between two USDA programs that target the growth of the local food industry.

USDA Rural Development’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program will provide $48 million in loan guarantees to help expand local food projects nationally.

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program will make available $30 million in federal grants to help producers’ better market and promote healthy food access by connecting consumers with local farmers markets.

The expansion of the AMS Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program was first suggested by Brown in April 2013 as part of his Local Farms, Foods, and Jobs Act. Key provisions of that Act were included in the 2014 Farm Bill including a request for more than $20 million in additional support for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.

There are now nearly 8,000 farmers markets in the U.S., an increase of more than 150 percent since 2000. Direct-to-consumer agriculture sales produce $1.2 billion in annual revenues.

Ohio organizations interested in additional information are encouraged to reach out to USDA Rural Development in Ohio for additional information on the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program and USDA AMS for information on farmers market program.

With one in seven Ohio jobs related to the food and agriculture industry, Brown is a staunch advocate for Ohio’s agricultural industry and rural communities. Brown has held more than 200 roundtables throughout the state, and is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. He also served on the 2014 Senate farm bill conference committee.