Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Nearly $2 Million In USDA Funding For New York State

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Agriculture and Rural Development Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced $1,915,024 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants for New York State. This federal funding will support New York’s ongoing efforts to connect farmers with customers and make food more affordable. The funding is distributed through the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant programs. Of these funds, more than $1.1 million is dedicated to local food promotion programs, and more than $700,000 will fund farmers market food promotion programs. “As New York continues to expand access to healthy food while SNAP benefits are being targeted by the Trump administration, I am proud to secure these federal dollars for both urban and rural communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “These grants will be used to expand the reach of local food programs and farms, boosting regional economies and helping to ensure New Yorkers can eat healthfully. I will keep pushing for funding that helps New Yorkers afford sustainable, regionally sourced ingredients.” “ I’m proud to deliver nearly $2 million in federal funding to support food programs and farmers across New York,” said Senator Schumer . “As cruel Trump administration SNAP cuts begin to take effect, this funding will help make healthy, locally-grown food more accessible and affordable. I will always fight to support our farmers, strengthen rural communities, and keep food on the table for New York families.” The offices of Senator Gillibrand and Schumer will continue surveillance over the issuing of these grants to ensure they are administered efficiently to their recipients. Recipient City Allocation Project Description Chester Agricultural Center Chester $466,921 This project will establish a Northeast Group Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-certified entity, scaling institutional market access by creating a replicable model for certification across the region. Cornell University Ithaca $100,000 This project will expand access to affordable locally produced meat through MeatSuite, an online platform connecting consumers with farmers selling bulk meat. Farm to People LLC. Brooklyn $500,000 This project will bolster a proven supply chain, expanding aggregation capacity and producer access on the Finger Lakes-to-New York City corridor for farms that cannot affordably access the NYC market on their own. Finger Foods Soups, LLC. Bloomfield $100,000 This project will expand product visibility and retail sales of Finger Foods Farm’s frozen farm-to-freezer meals made with New York-grown ingredients. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County Binghamton $248,103 This project will implement a coordinated and streamlined approach to supporting farmers market vendors and food entrepreneurs across New York State. The Research Foundation for SUNY on behalf of University at Buffalo Amherst $500,000 This project will strengthen the impact of mobile markets on the local food economy through training, outreach, and promotion. Total $1,915,024