Congratulations to the 17 awardees of the 2014 LASA Grants. The LASA Advisory Committee received over 90 applications in this first funding year, for a total of $1.4 million in requested funds (there was $210,000 available). The RIFPC looks forward to tracking the progress of each of these 17 LASA awardees over the next few months to see how these projects grow.
2014 LASA Grants Program Awardees:
- $20,000 to RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative’s statewide seafood branding and marketing campaign
- $8,089 to Adam Yorks of Little Compton to install a root zone heating system into a high tunnel to extend the growing season of his farm
- $17,000 to Big Train Farm/Urban Edge Producer Collaborative in North Scituate to make improvements to the wash-station and increase efficiencies at the 7 small farms in the collaborative
- $16,000 to Brown Family Seafood in West Kingston to change their distribution process to increase marketing, traceability and understanding for RI consumers about local seafood
- $10,000 to Garden Time to start an herb garden and gardening/healthy eating educational program at the Adult Correctional Institute medium security facility in Cranston
- $5,000 to Jamestown Oyster Company for materials used to increase oyster harvest
- $9,975 to Katie Miller/Ben Torpey of Scratch Farm in Cranston to expand the production and marketing capacity of Small State Seeds, a seed breeding and marketing project for chemical-free, RI-grown vegetable, herb and flower seeds
- $9,693 to Little City Growers Cooperative in Providence to expand sales, develop a unique brand and implement new marketing strategies and resources
- $13,648 to Newport Harbor Corporation in Newport to promote increased consumption of top neck clams, a locally harvested and under-utilized sea clam
- $13,480 to Red Planet Vegetable Farm in Johnston for farm improvements that will increase crop production and reduce labor costs while incorporating green energy into farm operations
- $10,000 to RI Mushroom Company in West Kingston for a second mushroom grow house to cultivate specialty mushrooms
- $7,925 to RI Shellfisherman’s Association to produce three PSAs highlighting commercial shellfishing and local shellfish available to RI consumers
- $11,000 to Sidewalk Ends Farm in Providence for farm equipment and cold storage system infrastructure to grow their business
- $16,400 to Snake Den Farm in Johnston for equipment to support the creation of a farmer/producer coop/community farm
- $7,500 to the Local Catch in Narragansett to increase the presence of RI seafood at RI farmers markets, increase Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs), improve brand awareness of RI-landed seafood and launch a web-based distribution channel
- $14,450 to Urban Greens Food Co-op in Providence to utilize professional design services for the layout of an urban retail grocer with a focus on equal access, sustainably-sourced and local food
- $19,870 for the Young Farmer Network to expand Young Farmer Nights programming, develop the Short Courses curriculum and to enhance outreach efforts
Courtesy of Rhode Island Food Council: http://www.rifoodcouncil.org/content/local-agriculture-seafood-act-lasa-grant-awardees
