$3.4 million in grants awarded to strengthen Washington state’s local food system

OLYMPIA – Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has awarded $3.4 million in Local Food System Infrastructure Grants to unlock new sales channels for local farmers, lower costs for small businesses through efficiency improvements and increase consumer access to healthy, high-quality and culturally relevant foods. There were 276 applications submitted, with requests totaling over $16 million dollars — more than five times the available funding.

Laura Raymond, manager of the WSDA Regional Markets Program, explained that “these grant projects tackle persistent infrastructure barriers faced by local producers that restrict their ability to sell to schools and other markets in their community. We look forward to continuing to support rural farm economies and ensuring a level playing field for our vital small farms and food businesses. Each one of the 276 applications represents an opportunity to do this.”

WSDA awarded a total of 82 projects across 31 counties, with grant amounts ranging from $13,019 to $75,000. These projects will enhance food safety, increase food processing efficiency, expand food distribution capacity and promote the availability of Washington grown, caught and raised foods.

Derek Sandison, Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, stated “These grant investments are ensuring food business entrepreneurs remain engines for innovation, growth and sustainability in Washington’s vibrant local food economy. The high demand for Regional Markets programs is a testament to the continued need for this scale of investment in our local food system.”

Local Food System Infrastructure Grants are projects of the Regional Markets Program that contribute to WSDA’s Focus on Food Initiative, ensuring that safe, nutritious food is effectively produced and distributed throughout Washington.
 
For future grant opportunities, visit agr.wa.gov/grants.

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