Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has received a $197,452 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help market fresh food grown by local farmers.
The Farmers Market Promotion Program grant will facilitate marketing and technical support to farmers markets in the Mahoning Valley. The three-year grant also seeks to build capacity and long-term sustainability through the creation of the Mahoning Valley Farmers Market Network. The grant will be administered by Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.
The network will collaborate with farmers market managers and vendors and promote best practices in marketing and food safety in support of the overall farmers-market system in the Mahoning Valley.
Sponsors hope that farmers markets will be able to increase their capacity and promote a critical piece of the food system in the Mahoning Valley, where many residents lack sufficient access to fresh produce.
“Many folks in the Mahoning Valley are still unaware that there is a plethora of fresh and local foods being sold in their communities by way of farmers markets,” said Cassandra Clevenger, TNP community resource coordinator. “Through this support for farmers and markets to accept more forms of non-cash payment and emphasize promotion, TNP seeks to collaborate within the local food system to make sure our local farmers markets are successful and sustainable.”
Since 2010, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, through its GROW and Warren Farmers Market programs, has worked to mitigate the impact of food deserts in Warren and Trumbull County through its GROW, Warren Farmers Market, and other programs.
In 2017, the organization released the Warren Community Food Security Strategic Plan. It identified impediments to healthy food access and emphasized the need to take a multi-faceted approach to working within the food system, including supporting urban agriculture, farmers markets, and partnering with existing retail nodes like corner stores to increase fresh food offerings.
Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership is a 501(c)3 community development organization serving the neighborhoods of Warren. For more information, visit www.tnpwarren.org….
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