The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $ 33.5 million in awards that will strengthen and improve access to local and regional food markets by investing in a diverse range of businesses, organizations, markets, and communities. 

This latest announcement of funds for 113 projects across 43 states is a part of the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) and is funded by a combination of mandatory funds from the farm bill and annual appropriations. 

Program Background

The LAMP program was established in the 2018 Farm Bill and combined existing Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion and Value-Added Producer grant programs with a new Regional Food System Partnership program. The combination of programs ensures they each have permanent funding and encourages coordination between the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Rural Development.

Recent Program Updates

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