Project Grant 24LFPPMD1227

The Project Grant award of $622,500 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (CFDA 10.175) will support the "Chesapeake Farm to Institution Value Chain Coordination Project" delivered by the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, Inc. (ESEC). This 3-year project will: (1) develop strategies to expand local food procurement in institutions, (2) identify and support farmers interested in selling to these markets, (3) help create institutional demand plans and coordinate farmer sales, and (4) document replicable value chain coordination processes involving institutional buyers, farmers, distributors, and supply chain partners. By leveraging state legislation and federal Farm-to-School funding, the project aims to enable 20 institutions to commit to purchasing from local farmers, potentially providing 120,000 university students, 200,000 K-12 students, 4,000 patients, and institutional employees access to local, nutritious food. Additionally, the project will incorporate 20 local farmers and 4 distributors/food hubs into institutional supply chains, increasing wholesale revenues for the farmers.