BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Two Lehigh Valley organizations have been awarded just shy of $200,000 as part of an effort to connect low-income communities with local farms for fresh, affordable food.
Tin Rooster Farm Fresh Market, 7207 Kernsville Road in Lowhill Township, was awarded $100,000, and the Greater Easton Development Partnership, 325 Northampton St., was awarded $99,484.
The funding — totaling $3.4 million across 23 counties — is part of the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, or FFFI, according to a Thursday news release from the state Department of Agriculture.
A COVID-era initiative to strengthen the capacity of local food supply chains, it’s the first round of grants announced since the program was renewed.
“Pennsylvania farmers do the noble work of producing fresh, healthy food every day."Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding
“Pennsylvania farmers do the noble work of producing fresh, healthy food every day,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
“But too many families struggle to find affordable, fresh food close to home, and their health suffers, sometimes for generations."
Redding said the initiative "is part of a full menu of proven solutions the Shapiro Administration continues to invest in to create opportunities for both Pennsylvania’s families and the farmers who feed them to thrive.”
Funding in the Valley
The funding for Tin Rooster Farm Fresh Market is earmarked to upgrade a pole building to meet local and state codes to store and display Angus beef, sweet corn, potatoes and farm-to-table ice cream.
It’ll also be directed toward educational programs, workshops and events that highlight the value of sustainable agriculture and foster community engagement.
The Greater Easton Development Partnership’s award will go to a refrigerated van, walk-in cooler, freezer and blast freezer.
“These upgrades will allow increased purchases from local farmers, extend the availability of Pennsylvania-grown products year-round, and create expanded market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers,” according to the release.
“By improving storage and distribution, the project will not only support local food systems and reduce waste but also bring fresh, nutritious food to more low-income Easton residents.”
Businesses that provide fresh food directly to customers — grocery stores, neighborhood co-ops, mobile and farm markets — are eligible to apply for FFFI grants.
More information and applications can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s website.
Federal cuts
The announcement follows the cancellation of $13 million in contracted funding through the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance program.
In March, President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency abruptly — and illegally, state officials argued — canceled the contract.
Through the program, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, commonwealth farmers were paid to supply local food banks with fresh produce.
Gov. John Shapiro directed Redding to formally appeal the cancellation. However, the USDA has not acknowledged or responded to the appeal, officials said in the release.
For Second Harvest Food Bank, the organization that distributed funds in the Lehigh Valley, canceling the program affects 40 farmers and 170 food pantries across its six-county coverage area.
"Hunger is often not an issue of food scarcity, but of the quality of food available. Many of those children and families live in communities where there is nowhere nearby to buy fresh, affordable, healthy food.”Pennsylvania officials
In response to the cuts, Northampton County officials in April announced they will provide $100,000 in grants to schools and community organizations, providing food and housing aid.
The money came from the remaining CARES Act federal pandemic aid money distributed through the Community Development Block Grant program.
In addition to the LFPA cuts, proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, “threaten to shift billions in costs onto states like Pennsylvania and leave more children at risk of going hungry,” according to the release.
Citing Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap report, officials noted that in 2022, more than 1 in 9 Pennsylvanians didn’t always know where their next meal was coming from.
“That includes 436,000 children facing hunger,” officials said. “Hunger is often not an issue of food scarcity, but of the quality of food available.
“Many of those children and families live in communities where there is nowhere nearby to buy fresh, affordable, healthy food.”
