BROWN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $265,000 TO EXPAND FARMERS MARKET IN PERRY COUNTY

Press Release

Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) has awarded a $267,055 grant to Rural Action, a nonprofit in Athens County. These funds will be used to support the "Growing the Shawnee Farmers Market" project in Perry County which will help support farmers markets in Appalachian Ohio. The project will establish a board, create marketing strategies, provide peer mentoring with other successful farmers markets, offer training, and connect Shawnee with the Appalachian Ohio local food system.

"We should support farmers across Southeast Ohio by helping them grow their bottom lines so they can sell more products locally," said Brown. "Not only does this provide critical access to healthy, local fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods, but it will also help family farmers to develop important local markets and expand business opportunities."

This funding is made possible through the USDA's Local Agriculture Marketing Program (LAMP) which Brown helped secure in the 2018 Farm Bill. LAMP helps fund farmers markets, local food systems, and the popular Value Added Producer grant program and other local food programs that help farmers sell their products and expand their businesses.

FMPP works to increase access and consumption of locally produced products by developing, improving and expanding outreach, training and technical assistance to domestic farmers markets and other community-supported agriculture programs.

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