Hawaii farmers will soon have access to more than $2 million in federal aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, congressional officials announced Wednesday.
The new $2,128,040 disbursement is being awarded through the USDA’s Micro-Grants for Food Security Program. The funding will directly go toward supporting small farmers in food insecure communities.
The Micro-Grants for Food Security Program — which aims to support communities across the United States that have significant levels of food insecurity and import much of its food — awards grants of $100 to $5,000 to individuals, and of $100 to $10,000 to tribes, religious organizations, and food banks as well as other nonprofits and federally-funded educational facilities, and local governments in places like Hawaii and Alaska. The grants may be used to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food, including through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations.
“This new federal funding will give Hawaii farmers more resources to grow their small businesses and help feed local families with fresh, home-grown food,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a statement.
