FMPP

2025 LAMP RFA is out

June 27 deadline

FMPP offers four types of projects, 36-month Capacity Building, 36-month Community Development Training and Technical Assistance, 24-month Turnkey Marketing and Promotion, and 24-month Turnkey Recruitment and Training. Capacity Building projects range from $50,000 to $250,000, while Community Development Training and Technical Assistance projects range from $100,000 to $500,000. Each of the turnkey project options are available for a defined set of activities, with funding amounts ranging from $50,000 and $100,000.

LFPP offers four types of projects, 24-month Planning, 36-month Implementation, 24-month Turnkey Marketing and Promotion, and 24-month Turnkey Recruitment and Training. Planning projects range from $25,000 to $100,000, while implementation projects range from $100,000 to $500,000. Each of the turnkey project options is available for a defined set of activities, with funding amounts ranging from $50,000 and $100,000.

RFSP offers two types of projects, 24-month Planning and Design and 36-month Implementation and Expansion Projects. Planning and Design projects range from $100,000 to $250,000, while Implementation and Expansion projects range from $250,000 to $1,000,000. (there is a typo on the date to submit but we can assume it also meant June 27 this year!)

(VAPG are also included in this RFA but the link suggests the RFA closed in April.)

AMS will be hosting a webinar for applicants. To register, visit our AMS Grant Webinars page.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/lfpp

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Federal funding freeze and cancellation

FMC sent out a survey to markets and state associations through our listservs asking for information on any funding freezes from their federal grants.

About 20 organizations responded to the survey directly, some with multiple grants. Another 8 organizations responded via email.

(The low level of responses for an FMC survey also points to another issue that FMC has identified in the last few years: it seems fewer markets are applying for these federal grants and USDA is awarding fewer grants each year than previously awarded.*

Many market operators report to FMC that the length and complexity of the proposal and “the randomness of the review process” reduces their interest in applying. A quick review of the funded grants from 2020-2024 suggests that many grants are awarded to entities that support direct-to-consumer activities rather than to farmers market organizations, which may support FMC’s anecdotal information that fewer market organizations even apply.) **

The majority of the responses from the freeze survey (over 70%) were FMPP-funded projects, with LFPA and LFPP tied as the second most used grants (10% for each).

About 50% received notice of a freeze in funding in January. Only one was notified that their grant was cancelled, and that was for an LFPA grant. Many of the others who did not report a freeze or a cancellation said they had NO information at all from their grant administrator.

As of March, many have reported they have been told to submit invoices for work through January of 2025, but report they still lack clarity on future payments.

Some report they are moving ahead “with fingers crossed” that payment will be made, and others say they are beginning to fall behind on some project activities because they are afraid to spend any funds beyond staffing and other absolutely necessary expenses. “we can’t afford to cover those grant expenses with our own general operations funds if USDA stops paying again.”

*In 2015 alone, the FMPP funded 164 proposals, and from 2009-2015 reported they funded 902 proposals.

Recent years:

2024: 60

2023: 55

2022: 55

2021: 88

2020: 49

**My analysis from a 2015 blog post said that for 2015 awards, 47 states, districts, and territories were represented. California had the largest number of grants with 14.

The majority of the proposals focused on simple marketing and outreach for markets. Here were the number of grants that specifically mention one of the following:

  • EBT/SNAP/benefit programs: 44

• Farmer/vendor assistance/expansion

  • Farmer Training: 47 (“Peer-to-peer”: 2)
  • Agritourism: 15
  • GAP training: 5
  • Storage for farmers: 4
  • Food trucks: 1

Marketing outlets

  • Mobile Markets: 17
  • CSA/Market Box/Farm Stands: 20
  • Online purchasing system: 6
  • Mobile app: 3
  • Food Hubs: 2

Market upgrades

  • New market development: 16
  • Market relocation: 3
  • 501 (c) application: 2

Strategic planning

  • Analysis/data collection/measurement strategies: 13
  • Network development/support: 16 (New FM associations: 2)
  • Additional staffing: 7 (internship program development: 3)
  • Market manager certification program: 1

Marketing/Outreach

  • Bilingual materials: 7
  • Transportation to market: 3
  • Curriculum: 4
  • Cooking demos or classes: 29
  • Kids events: 10 (POP: 2

In 2024, USDA announced the creation of “turnkey” grants through both FMPP and LFPP, suggesting these options were designed to “simplify the application process for common FMPP and LFPP activities, focusing on specific, predefined activities.” The amount of these awards is 50,000-100,000.

(FMC and other sector leaders had advocated for this change through its advocacy network NSAC, suggesting that smaller awards with more specific activities would encourage smaller and newer entities to apply.)

The list of awarded turnkey grants for 2024 included 21 of these grants, with 6 awarded to farmers market organizations.

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Survey on federal grant delays and cancellations

This survey is for farmers market organizations with an active federal grant and will be used by FMC and its partners to understand the situation’s scope and to help us all respond. 

FMC will share what is learned from this survey on its list-serve and website.

https://forms.gle/dSfbgj9daJNRsbMF8

Thank you all for your incredible work to keep farmers markets thriving.

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Grant season has begun

USDA announces grants

I wish everyone good luck with their proposals and hope that my readers know if I can be of assistance to markets to strategize their proposals or to help to embed metrics for evaluation, feel free to email me.

This report that Farmers Market Coalition did with Market Umbrella in 2013 may be very useful for markets to review to see what other markets have done with their funding and to extract grant writing language used successfully by other markets and food systems.

Also, I am linking the report that I assisted the Real Food Gulf Coast folks with last year. They wanted to collect some simple data on how eaters and producers perceive markets (both those that use markets and don’t use them); the recommendations and marketing strategies will be piloted this year in Mississippi.

Please don’t be afraid to attempt a small grant if you have an idea to build capacity for a market or many markets. The assortment of grant opportunities is wider than ever before and can be the difference between struggling to stay relevant and moving a local food system to the next level.
AND please create an account on grants.gov sooner rather than later; this is the site you use for any federal grant so it takes a step from your later work when uploading a proposal as it takes some time to be approved for an account on grants dot gov.

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2012 FMPP grants awarded

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5100605

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Farmers Market Promotion Program Grants Available

AMS No. 021-12

Gwen Sparks (202) 260-8210
gwen.sparks@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2012 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking grant applicants for the 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Program.

Approximately $10 million is available for marketing operations such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture and road-side stands. The grants, which are administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), are available through a competitive application process on http://www.grants.gov. The grants aim to increase the availability of local agricultural products in communities throughout the county. They will also help strengthen farmer-to-consumer marketing efforts.

“These grants will put resources into rural and urban economies, and help strengthen efforts to provide access to nutritious and affordable foods,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “This program not only supports the health and well-being of local communities but also the economic health of their farms and businesses.”

Projects that expand healthy food choices in food deserts or low-income areas (where the percentage of the population living in poverty is 20 percent or above) will receive additional consideration. USDA, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services, seeks to increase access to fresh, healthy and affordable food choices for all Americans, while expanding market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

Information on applying for a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant will be published in the April 6, 2012, Federal Register and available online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/FMPP. Applications will only be accepted via grants.gov and must be received by May 21, 2012. Applications that are incomplete, hand-delivered, or sent via U.S. mail will not be considered. Applicants should start the grants.gov registration process as soon as possible to meet the deadline. Contact Carmen Humphrey, Program Manager, by phone: (202) 720-8317, or e-mail: usdafmppquestions@ams.usda.gov for more information.

Authorized by the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 and amended by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill), the Farmers Market Promotion Program is in the seventh year of funding direct markets that benefit local and regional economies.

The Farmers Market Promotion Program is part of USDA’s commitment to support local and regional communities. These investments are highlighted in USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF) Compass. The KYF Compass is a digital guide to USDA resources related to local and regional food systems. The Compass consists of an interactive U.S. map showing local and regional food projects and an accompanying narrative documenting the results of this work through case studies, photos and video content.

A large selection of USDA-supported programs and projects is also visible on the KYF Map, which can be displayed by theme, program, or recipient type. Both the KYF Compass and map will be regularly refreshed with new data and case studies.

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Get the latest AMS news at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.

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