USDA and Reinvestment Fund Invest Nearly $6 Million to Increase Equitable Access to Healthy Foods Across Country

Press Release

Release No. 0222.24

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2024 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced today that USDA is partnering with Reinvestment Fund to invest nearly $6 million to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities across the country.

The investments are being made through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Planning Grant Program, which provides grants to organizations for healthy food retail or food retail supply chain projects in early-stage planning and predevelopment phases.

"No matter where you live in our country, you should be able to get affordable, fresh, and healthy food close to home," Deputy Secretary Torres Small said. "Through the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is working with farmers and ranchers, food retailers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the local and regional food systems we all count on. Reinvestment Fund has been a key partner to USDA in these efforts and today's investments will ensure more communities get the nutritious food we all deserve."

This announcement is part of USDA's comprehensive set of efforts, bolstered by funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, to create more and better markets that benefit both producers and American consumers.

HFFI is designed to support new and expanded markets for a diversity of growers while helping people across the nation access affordable, healthy foods.

Today's announcement includes investments that will support planning activities for 45 projects to develop or expand food retail and food retail supply chain business models.

For example:

• In Arizona, the Orchard Community Learning Center will use a nearly $124,000 investment to begin planning and pre-development activities to open a neighborhood food retailer that serves communities in south Phoenix with limited access to healthy foods. The food retailer will be SNAP-eligible, with fresh produce sourced from local farmers. It will also have a two-acre on-site farm.

• In Georgia, Patchwork City Farms will use a $150,000 investment to expand its current farming operation into a 5,000 square-foot health and wellness hub in Atlanta, a first of its kind for the city. It will include a commercial kitchen, food retail space, a post-harvest processing and storage facility, and a gathering space for healthy food programming.

• In Michigan, the North Flint Reinvestment Corp. will use a $150,000 investment to develop the North Flint Food Market, a grassroots, resident-driven initiative. The market will be a fresh food retail store that will provide access to healthy food, create good jobs and revitalize the underserved area of North Flint.

• In Pennsylvania, the Keystone Development Center will use a $150,000 investment to expand membership and community engagement for Aliquippa Food Co-op, a community-owned grocery store. The funding will help the center continue to provide the co-op with education and organizing support, which it has provided for the last two years.

Projects announced today will increase access to healthy food for people living in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Background

Many low-income communities lack adequate, affordable access to healthy food. HFFI provides grants and loans to entities that offer healthy foods in communities that are underserved by grocery stores and other food retailers. The program increases access to healthy foods, provides new market opportunities for farmers and ranchers, stabilizes small and independent retailers, and creates good-paying jobs and economic opportunity in low-income communities.

Through HFFI, USDA partners with Reinvestment Fund to bring healthy food options to underserved rural, urban and Tribal communities. Reinvestment Fund serves as the National Fund Manager for USDA. It raises capital; provides financial and technical assistance to regional, state and local partnerships; and helps fund projects to improve access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved areas.

In August 2023, Reinvestment Fund expanded America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative to include the new HFFI Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program.

In June 2024, the Reinvestment Fund expanded the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to include the Food Access and Retail Expansion (FARE) Fund.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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