- Granting Agency: USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
- Appropriation Amount: $38,500,000
- Grant Amount: Award Ceiling $750,000, Award Floor $50,000, 10% – 25% match
- Announcement Date: May 5, 2021
- Closing Date: June 21, 2021
Purpose: To support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct-producer-to-consumer markets to increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products.
Eligible Expenditures:
Capacity Building – CB projects are intended to assist applicants’ efforts to achieve their mission and build long-term organizational capacity in the development, coordination, and expansion of domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, CSA programs, agritourism activities, online sales, or other direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) market opportunities. CB projects should demonstrate a direct benefit to farm and ranch operations serving local markets (including new, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran producers and/or underserved communities) and maximize the involvement of farmers and ranchers and community organizations.
Community Development Training and Technical Assistance – CTA projects are intended to assist applicants’ efforts to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to farm and ranch operations serving local markets, and to other interested parties for developing, coordinating, and expanding domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, CSA programs, agritourism activities, online sales, or other direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) market opportunities. CTA projects should engage a diverse set of local and regional food stakeholders, including new, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, to illustrate a substantive effect on the local and regional food system.
Eligible Applicants: Agricultural Business or Cooperatives, Local Governments, Non-profits, Tribal Governments