PROVIDENCE — The R.I. Department of Environmental Management and its partners awarded more than $210,000 in grants from the Local Agriculture & Seafood Act program to 21 local food businesses Wednesday during the DEM’s annual Agriculture “Ag” Day celebration at the Statehouse.
The LASA program has provided more than $1.1 million in grants, each one up to $20,000, since it was first introduced five years ago to support growth of the state’s local food economy, according to a media release.
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Nessa Richman, network director for the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, said in a statement LASA has “inspired” the state’s agriculture and seafood businesses to “innovate and grow.” Richman also said results from the first comprehensive evaluation of the program show impacts that “exceed expectations” regarding new product new market, an increase in sales and jobs created.
DEM Director Janet Coit said in a statement Rhode Island has a “vibrant food scene and rich agricultural and fishing heritage,” and she looks forward to the initiatives and businesses the new grants “will help inspire.” Gov. Gina M. Raimondo also said in a statement the grants will “help nurture and grow” Rhode Island’s green economy.
This year’s grant awards include:
- Urban Greens Food Co-op of Providence: $19,500 to help develop a kitchen to help increase capacity for processing and use of local ingredients
- Robert F.D. Payne of Exeter: $18,200 for seed money for the South County Sustainable Tool Library
- Rhode Island Land Access Work Group: $18,000 to support the organization’s farm succession school and farm match program
- African Alliance of Rhode Island of Providence and Johnston: $15,140 toward purchasing new equipment and supplies, and hire a part-time farm manager
- Rachel Playe of Providence: $12,825 to construct a drying shed for medicinal herbs
- Westbay Community Action/Westbay Farm of Warwick: $12,200 to build a root cellar to increase capacity of a community farm
- Eating with the Ecosystem: $12,000 to support marketing and outreach of local seafood
- Young Farmer Network: $11,140 for education programming and network development for young farmers
- Blackstone Bees LLC of Smithfield: $10,000 to create a new apiary
- Skinny Dip Farm of Little Compton: $9,982 to purchase a walk-in cooler, thermometer and hydrometer
- Hope’s Harvest Rhode Island: $9,000 to support farmer participation in farm gleaning project
- Herb & Forage LLC of North Kingstown: $8,086 to build a facility for washing and storage
- Ester and Joel Bishop of Tiverton: $7,000 to buy a mobile processing unit for poultry
- Joel Russell of Hopkinton: $7,000 to hire labor to design and install a public water system on farm property
- Nathaniel Wood and Adam Graffunder of Johnston: $6,940 to buy farming equipment for operations at Snake Den Farm
- Sanctuary Herbs of Providence: $6,500 to buy a tea-bagging machine
- Garman Farm of Newport: $6,150 to build a shed for equipment storage and a wash-and-pack line
- Sweet Pea Farm of Charlestown: $6,115 to construct a wash station and a walk-in cooler
- Samantha Vallone and William Morin of Chepachet: $6,025 to build a wash-and-pack station and expand their cold storage capacity
- Deep Roots Farm of Chepachet: $5,794 to purchase two grain bins and farm equipment
- Carl Berg of Little Compton: $5,500 to improve aquaculture production and markets for shellfish
James Bessette is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Research@PBN.com.
