Federal grant aims to increase food banks' supplies of locally grown meat, produce
- By Kathleen Stinson For The New Mexican
- Mar 16, 2023 Updated Mar 17, 2023
A new federally funded program will help ensure New Mexico residents who rely on regional food banks have a substantial supply of fresh, locally grown produce and meat.
It’s also designed to provide business opportunities for community farmers and ranchers by offering to buy their goods at market prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $3.2 million grant to New Mexico’s Regional Farm to Food Bank Program, which will cover costs for two years, including food purchases, staffing and delivery to food banks.
A retired businessman who uses aquaponics to cultivate leafy greens and tilapia year-round at a Santa Fe site praised the program for enabling him to sell to a local food bank.