link: http://www.usda.gov/2005/11/0477.xml Release No. 0477.05 Ed Loyd, (202) 720-4623 Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188 JOHANNS ANNOUNCES $4.8 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECTS Cheney, Wash., Nov. 3, 2005 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the award of $4.8 million from the competitive grants program to 27 organizations in 19 states to provide nutritious foods to low-income people. "The Community Food Project invests in innovative, community-based projects to provide nutritious food to those in need, " said Johanns. "Our goal is to increase the ability of our communities to meet these needs, while we strive to ensure all Americans have access to nutritious foods." Created in 1996, the Community Food Project (CFP) program is designed to meet the food needs of low-income people while increasing the self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food, farm and nutrition issues and needs. The grants are administered through the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service's (CSREES). These grants are intended to help eligible private, nonprofit entities that need a one-time infusion of federal assistance to establish and carry out multipurpose CFP. Projects are funded for one to three years, and amounts range from $10,000 to $300,000 and require a dollar-for-dollar match in resources. The matching amounts come from a variety of sources, including the grantees, partnering collaborators or local agencies. Funds have been authorized through 2007 at $5 million per year. In Washington, Sunfield Education Association of Port Hadlock will receive a grant of $234,000. The project will establish a 50-acre, youth-run organic farm and a community-supported agriculture effort using sustainable and biodynamic methods in order to train school and tribal youth through farm apprenticeships, teach entrepreneurial skills and marketing, offer nutrition and food preparation education, and create an "Olympic Peninsula" branded label. Another grant recipient, Janus Youth Programs of Portland, Ore. will receive $270,000. This project will expand the Food Works gardening and entrepreneurship program by increasing the size of the Food Works farm, providing a monthly transportation shuttle to help low-income consumers access the farmers' market, having Food Works youth mentor younger children, and providing garden-fresh produce to the community. Descriptions of all the grant winners funded in fiscal year 2005 can be found online at: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/releases/fs/cfp_fs.doc. CSREES advances knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations. For more information, visit http://www.csrees.usda.gov. # USDA News oc.news@xxxxxxxx 202 720-4623 ---------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to webservices@xxxxxxxx and reference your email address.
