USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service

AMS announced today it is awarding over $10 million for 19 grant projects. The funding is being awarded through three grant programs. 🍁Acer Access and Development Program -- is awarding $5.1 million to fund 11 projects to support projects that expand consumer awareness of the maple syrup industry and provide valuable resources to maple syrup producers. This year’s funds are being distributed to 11 projects to improve consumer knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the maple syrup industry and its products and four projects to increase market opportunities for the domestic maple syrup industry. 👩🔬Federal State Marketing Improvement Program – is awarding $921,000 for four projects through FSMIP to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products and encourage research and innovation to improve marketing system efficiency and performance. The program supports state departments of agriculture, state agricultural experiment stations, and other appropriate state agencies. 👨🌾Micro-Grants for Food Security Program -- is awarding $4.7 million to agricultural agencies in Alaska, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Hawaii. The program funds projects that increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations. The recipients will sub-award funding to projects that support communities with significant levels of food insecurity and import substantial quantities of food. https://lnkd.in/eRvB275v

The Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) will host a hybrid meeting on Oct. 8, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET and Oct. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The FVIAC will hear public comments Oct. 8. Those wishing to make oral comments must pre-register by 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 1 and indicate interest in speaking on the form. Written comments related to the fruit and vegetable industry can also be submitted. AMS is organizing this meeting which is first-come, first-served as space is limited. Those wishing to attend, either in person or virtually, must register: https://bit.ly/4egBu7g

USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt attended the inaugural State of the Soil conference hosted by Black Soil in Lexington, Kentucky. During her remarks, Under Secretary Moffitt announced the availability of $3.32 million to aid small and mid-sized farm & food businesses through USDA’s Business Builder Grants. The USDA Appalachia Regional Food Business Center is accepting applications for this first-round of Business Builder Grant funding through November 1st. Caption: USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt poses with members of the USDA Appalachia Regional Food Business Center and Black Soil Inc during the State of the Soil conference.

Today we commemorate the somber events of September 11, 2001, and honor the lives tragically lost. We pay tribute to the passengers and crew of Flight 93, and the brave acts of firefighters, first responders, police officers, and civilians at Ground Zero. #NeverForget

📢 Announcement!  USDA and its Appalachia Regional Food Business Center announced the availability of $3.32 million through the Business Builder Grant program to aid small and mid-sized farm & food businesses.    This grant is open to applicants in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and several counties in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland.      These grants will support food and farm business development, market access, and processing, aggregation, and distribution infrastructure.    The USDA Appalachia Regional Food Business Center has received a total of $16.6 million for their Business Builder program. The Center’s Business Builder program will distribute subawards over five funding cycles from 2024 to 2027 through two different award types. The Appalachia Center will prioritize:     Food and farm business development to meet consumer demand, enhance financial stability, and increase regional food supply. Market access to strengthen existing markets, expand new markets, increase food access for underserved populations, and connect value chains. Processing, Aggregation, Distribution (PAD) infrastructure to connect or strengthen existing infrastructure, make infrastructure more accessible to underserved populations, create new infrastructure, and enhance food safety.     The Appalachia Center is accepting applications for its first-round of funding through November 1st. https://lnkd.in/ecfMEpGC    #FoodSecurity #BusinessGrowth #USDAFunding #USDARegionalFoodBusinessCenter 

Celebrate National Organic Month by shopping local. You can use AMS’s Local Food Directory on your desktop or mobile devices to search for organic products. #NationalOrganicMonth #Organic #USDAOrganic https://lnkd.in/e_nJGcv5

Stay in the know with our Organic Insider! Join now for the freshest updates in the #organic world. #NationalOrganicMonth #USDAOrganic https://bit.ly/4d3Cuec

Join us this September as we celebrate #NationalOrganicMonth. It's time to explore, appreciate, and learn more about all things organic! Organic is a choice that positively impacts our planet and the people on it. Let's celebrate our commitment to sustainability, animal welfare, and the diversity of organic products. #USDAOrganic

Today we honor our farmers, farm workers, ranchers, food inspectors, foresters and wildland firefighters who work tirelessly to put food on our tables and conserve our resources. Your hard work contributes to the prosperity of our nation. #LaborDay

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small and Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt attended a roundtable discussion with local young farmers in California. This event was hosted by Center for Land-Based Learning, an AMS grant recipient under the Local Food Promotion Program. The event was an opportunity to discuss the way USDA assists new and beginning farmers, many of whom are also young farmers, and the work at USDA to create new economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers.