Since 2018,common grain alliance (CGA) has built a network of over 80 farmers and grain processors in the mid-atlantic

The Common Grain Alliance (CGA) was awarded a $936,521 Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) to support the development of regional grain markets in the Mid-Atlantic region from September 2021 through September 2024.

The grant funding will support CGA and its partners' efforts to increase consumer awareness and sales of regional grains through farmers markets. Specific objectives include developing marketing tools and branding for regional grains, providing revenue opportunities and technical assistance to grain farmers and processors for direct-to-consumer sales at markets, and promoting equitable marketplace access for regional grains across the food system. CGA will partner with the largest farmers market organization in the Mid-Atlantic, Freshfarm, to raise awareness of regional grains and measure sales impacts for growers incorporating grains into their products. The project aims to support the long-term sustainability of the regional grain industry through existing food and market infrastructure.

Together and with partners across the region, CGA has identified several obstacles to the growth of our grainshed. While the regional food economy in the mid-atlantic is thriving, consumer awareness of regional grains as regional food is low. Furthermore, many grain farmers and processors do not have the capacity to enter lucrative farmers markets as full-time vendors due to insufficient product volume and lack of infrastructure. To address these barriers, we are partnering with freshfarm-the largest farmers market organization in the mid-atlantic-to simultaneously increase the presence of and demand for regional grains at mid-atlantic farmers markets. Through this proposed project, we will: develop marketing and branding tools to expand consumer awareness and buy-in of regional grains (objective 1); increase revenue for grain farmers and processors through new direct-to-consumer market opportunities, training and technical assistance, and farmer/processor connections (objective 2); and promote an equitable marketplace for regional grains within the regional food system for consumers, farmers, and processors (objective 3). By coming together through this project, CGA, freshfarm, and our partners will be able to raise awareness of regional grains and create a measurable impact on sales for growers and vendors who incorporate regional grains in their products, supporting the long-term sustainability of the industry. Through existing food and market access infrastructure and strategy, we will support a regional grain system that is accessible for socially disadvantaged farmers, processors, and customers.