Grant opportunities for fresh food access in USDA

Jun 25, 2024

New program brings fresh food to underserved communities

By Farms.com

Many communities, particularly in rural areas, lack access to fresh and affordable healthy food options. To address this issue, the USDA unveiled a new program – the Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (FARE Fund). Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, FARE Fund offers $60 million over five years to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas.

"We are committed to ensuring all Americans have access to healthy food," said Secretary Vilsack. FARE Fund provides loans and grants to food retailers and suppliers to establish or expand their presence in communities lacking grocery stores.

Eligible entities can apply for funding to support various activities, including project development, land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, and equipment purchases. The program also offers technical assistance to help develop and implement healthy food projects.

FARE Fund is an extension of the successful HFFI program, which has already provided over $65 million to fight food deserts nationwide. This initiative is part of the USDA's broader commitment to rural development and creating economic opportunities in underserved communities.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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