Fair Food Network gets $3.5 million USDA grant

Ann Arbor-based Fair Food Network has received a USDA grant for $3.5 million for a multi-year large-scale project to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Aug. 7 announced 32 grants totaling $16.8 million for the effort.

The program is operated by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).  The funding comes from the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program, authorized by the 2014 farm bill.

“These grants help provide low-income families with the resources they need to consume more nutritious food,” Perdue said.  “Last year, SNAP helped put healthy food on the tables of at least 44 million Americans, including 19 million children. This builds on the successes of health-related incentives, with many of the projects being conducted at farmers markets. At the same time, we’re also helping to strengthen local and regional food systems.”

The effort and funding not only helps distribute food, they help farmers, said Oran Hesterman, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Food Network.

“Produce incentives have energized the agriculture industry, and with good reason,” he said. “They’re a practical approach to improving the health impact of the SNAP program, while supporting American farmers and stimulating local economies.”

The grant was the only one issued in Michigan.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and Extension and promotes transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges.

To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit  NIFA or sign up for email updates.

First posted on Michigan Farm News August 9, 2017.