October 21, 2022

Manchin Announces $1.3 Million for Four West Virginia Agricultural Projects

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $1,332,195 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for four West Virginia agricultural projects designed to strengthen and expand access to local and regional food businesses. The funding was made possible through USDA’s Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), which was supplemented by the American Rescue Plan, and USDA’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Benefit Delivery Modernization Grants Program.
 
“Every West Virginian should have access to healthy, affordable food,” said Senator Manchin. “I am pleased USDA is investing more than $1.3 million to bolster local and regional food businesses in West Virginia while expanding access to quality agricultural products. The funding announced today will help create a marketing strategy for Appalachian food products, connect local producers and growers with state institutions and develop new mobile platforms for food producers to more easily sell their products online and at farmers markets. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to support our agricultural producers and help ensure all West Virginians have access to wholesome, nutritious food.”
 
Individual awards listed below:

USDA’s Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) funds projects that develop and expand local and regional food businesses to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The funding is made possible in part by the American Rescue Plan.

  • $499,980 – West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, Charleston: Pop’s Pickles and Mamaw’s Molasses: Creating an Authentic Appalachian Brand for Value-Added Makers in West Virginia
    • This funding will help create a comprehensive, value-added Appalachian branding and marketing strategy that will allow West Virginia’s valued-added product makers to access additional markets in 10 Mid-Atlantic and southern metropolitan areas.
  • $482,215 – Yuraction Faction, Morgantown: WV Harvest Farm to Institution Project
    • This funding will help connect West Virginia food producers and growers with state institutions through collaborative partnerships that result in stronger local food systems.
  • $100,000 – Universal Schedule and Booking, Harpers Ferry: Promoting Regional Fulfillment of Local Foods from Small and Mid-Size Farms Through Planning with New Marketing Technology and Distribution Strategies
    • This funding will support a new online platform that enables local and regional West Virginia food producers to promote and sell their products to consumers directly.
 
USDA’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Benefit Delivery Modernization Grants provide funding to state agencies to purchase mobile-friendly software or web-based services that streamline benefit delivery and help increase the use of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits at farmers markets.

  • $250,000 – State of West Virginia
    • This funding will support a contract with Custom Data Processing (CDP) to implement a new mobile system, FarmMarket Direct (FMD), at West Virginia farmers markets. The new mobile system will replace paper vouchers with a QR code that can be linked to monthly FMNP benefits in the participant’s account.