The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded a $556,158.01 cooperative agreement to Southside Community Land Trust on March 1, 2026, under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (CFDA 10.175). The award runs through February 28, 2029, with place of performance in Rhode Island.
Southside Community Land Trust, a Providence-based nonprofit, receives funding to develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food systems. The organization brings prior experience in community agriculture and food access work, including a $211,658.90 Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program project grant from the same funding source awarded in September 2021 to develop crop aggregation and distribution infrastructure. The current award supports the Pearl Market, a direct-to-consumer venue for regionally produced agricultural products in downtown Columbus that has operated since 1992 and historically drew up to 4,000 daily shoppers and dozens of merchants including local farms.