ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 )– Capital Roots in Troy and the Schenectady Greenmarket received $848,737 from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant. The funding comes from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, which aims to create new markets and deliver healthy, locally-grown food to underserved communities.
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For Capital Roots, the $499,772 will expand the nonprofit’s Farm-to-Institution Program. The Farm-to-Institution Program connects small-scale producers interested in selling products to institutions seeking smaller producers.
Additionally, Capital Roots received $98,965 for its Retail Market Program, which provides Capital Region farms with retail spaces among underprivileged communities. The funding will create a Retail Marketing Promotion Plan to increase farm sales through electronic, print, and public marketing.
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Schenectady Greenmarket received $250,000 of the grant to support vendor and customer involvement and improve retention and outreach efforts. The federal grant will also support small producers through mentorship opportunities, training, and a Vendor Success Toolkit.