Right now, numerous funding opportunities from several federal agencies can be harnessed to create thriving local and regional food systems with family farmers at their base. Several of these programs are underutilized; others often award the same recipients year after year, squandering opportunities to advance the reach of the Good Food Movement. Still other programs are just now being recognized as opportunities for investing in family farmers and local and regional food systems.
While many of the opportunities highlighted below are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the 2008 Farm Bill, or both, we issue a challenge to think outside the box and consider funding possibilities that cross sectors and foster new collaborations. Taking advantage of these opportunities can forge regional food markets, rejuvenate "agriculture in the middle" and stimulate local economies all at once.
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