Delaware announces funding to improve access to state-grown food

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, and the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy have announced a $2 million investment in seed funding to establish the First State Integrated Food System Program.

We’re told this new program will help stabilize and strengthen Delaware’s small and mid-sized farmers and local food supply chain operations, among the hardest hit sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding for this program is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act.

The First State Integrated Food System Program focuses on three main channels in the food supply chain:

• Production: small and mid-size farmers
• Processing and distribution: commercial kitchens, processing facilities, storage/hub facilities, incubators
• Retail/consumer outlets: convenience stores, groceries/markets, restaurants, farmers’ markets, food trucks, food kiosks, and mobile markets

The Council is striving to facilitate and support a food system where local farmers can access viable markets, all Delawareans can access resources needed to circumvent challenges associated with securing nutritious and local food options, and where vulnerabilities within our communities can be diminished.

All funds related to this program will be dispersed by December 2024.