Ensure that the gullah farmers cooperative's packaging and processing facility can - in a financially sustainable way - maximize local, wholesale produce sales for socially disadvantaged and other…

The Gullah Farmers Cooperative Association will receive $494,960 under a Project Grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service through the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program. The Cooperative will use the funding to maximize wholesale produce sales for socially disadvantaged and small farmers in South Carolina through its packaging and processing facility. Specifically, the grant will support operational investments and financial modeling to enable the facility to scale up smoothly as it aims to grow sales by $700,000 over three years for these farmers. Led by farmers of color, the Cooperative launched a 10,000 square foot packing and processing facility six years ago to connect GAP-certified small farmers to local and regional wholesale markets. The facility is on track to generate over $50,000 in sales in its first five months of full operation. The award will prioritize efficiencies to help the socially disadvantaged farmers who utilize the facility's procurement program and are on its waiting list to better compete in the wholesale market.

Ensure that the gullah farmers cooperative's packaging and processing facility can - in a financially sustainable way - maximize local, wholesale produce sales for socially disadvantaged and other small farmers in our region. Led by farmers of color, the facility centers the needs of experienced, highly productive, socially disadvantaged wholesale farmers who have historically had limited access to sales relationships, infrastructure, and other supports that can secure an appropriate share of the wholesale market (services are open to all local small farmers).recently the cooperative launched a 10,000 SQ. FT. Packing and processing facility to provide critical infrastructure connecting GAP-certified small farmers to local/regional wholesale markets. After six years of pilot operations and capital investments, the facility is on track for $50,000+ in sales in just its first five months. Many socially disadvantaged farmers in our emerging procurement program, and on the waiting list, have limited resources and need additional support to be competitive. This project prioritizes efficiencies, financial modeling and operational investments that will enable the operations to scale smoothly, as we already have piloted relationships with the local school systems (more than 30,000 children), and buying relationships with local hubs and food service such as sodexo.with investment in regional wholesale success (business efficiencies and capacity, the procurement program for socially disadvantaged farmers and regional sourcing plans, outreach and sales), we will grow sales by $700,000 for these farmers over three years and achieve financial sustainability for the operations.