Grants of up to $20,000 to Rhode Island nonprofits, for-profits, individual producers, and producer groups to promote the development, marketing, and growth of seafood and other local food within the state. This program is intended to benefit and strengthen Rhode Island’s local food industry.

Project priorities for the 2020-2021 LASA Grants Program are:

• Supporting the entry, growth, and/or sustainability of small or beginning agriculture producers (including aquaculture producers) and fishermen/women. Additionally, supporting farmers and fishers that are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and/or
• Foster new cooperatives, partnerships, and/or collaborations among Rhode Island producers and producer-supporting organizations, and/or
• Support capacity building for new products or new sales channels with clearly defined markets, assistance with farmers/ fishers adapting to new methods of selling to customers (online, home delivery, shipping), diversification of market channels and development of more on farm processing capacity, and/or
• Protect the future availability of agricultural land for producers, including farm transition planning and implementation, and/or
• Assistance with on farm Food Safety improvements assistance, including the developing of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Food Safety Plans and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and/or
  
• Foster and build capacity for markets connecting local farms and fishers with Rhode Island’s food insecure communities.

Eligible Projects

Projects/programs must serve at least one of the following purposes in order to be eligible for funding through the LASA Grants Program:

1. Assist in the marketing of Rhode Island grown agricultural products and local seafood for the purpose of sale and promotion.
2. Enhance the economic competitiveness of Rhode Island grown agricultural products and local seafood.
3. Provide financial and technical assistance support to organizations and producers for activities and programs which enhance the economic viability of local agriculture, and support the development of a locally-based, safe and sustainable food system.
4. Perform other activities necessary to facilitate the success and viability of the state’s agricultural and seafood sectors.

In addition to providing grants for projects or programs, the LASA Grants Program may also provide capital grants to small or beginning Rhode Island farmers and aquaculture producers to support the growth and sustainability of Rhode Island’s farming and aquaculture industries.