A $500,000 federal grant will help the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets buy and distribute ‘culturally appropriate’ food produced by Abenakis and New Americans, and other underserved producers, Secretary Anson Tebbetts announced. Five projects with nonprofit partners will begin this fall:
- Abenaki Helping Abenaki: $50,000 to purchase culturally appropriate food for distribution via partner food pantries and distribution sites across the state. Funding will also support increased staffing at one food pantry to expand open hours.
- Capstone Community Action: $20,000 to purchase local food for use in Community Kitchen Academy training program and associated distribution sites as well as their food shelf.
- Center for an Agricultural Economy: $50,000 to expand Produce to Pantry offerings that supplies food pantries with fresh, local food.
- The Intervale Center: $72,000 to expand offerings, especially of culturally appropriate produce, at pop-up farmers markets in historically underserved neighborhoods.
- The Vermont Foodbank: $61,765 to partner with a New American chicken farmer and local slaughterhouse to offer halal chicken to be distributed to New Americans throughout the state. This project will also purchase and distribute African corn varietals.
In addition, the Vermont Land Trust and Feeding Chittenden are partnering to expand the purchase and distribution of goat meat to the refugee and New American communities.