Southside Community Land Trust

FEED RHODE ISLAND: GROWING SUSTAINABLE FARMS SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER AND SUCCESS OF LIMITEDRESOURCE AND SOCIALLYDISADVANTAGED BEGINNING FARMERS IN THE STATE. SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY LANDTRUST (SCLT) WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL BY LEADING AN EXPERIENCED TEAM TO UNDERTAKE FOUROBJECTIVES: PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, MANAGE MULTIPLE INCUBATOR SITES, OFFER ON-FARMAPPRENTICE TRAINING, AND FACILITATE A LAND TRANSFER WORKING GROUP. PARTNERS INCLUDE RI DEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, BROWN UNIVERSITY, RI LAND TRUST COUNCIL, NATURE CONSERVANCY RICHAPTER, NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION, NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND CONSERVATION DISTRICT, YOUNG FARMERS NETWORK, AND UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND.THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THE ORGANIZATION WILL LEVERAGE THE EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS OF PROGRAM PARTNERS INTO MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE YEARS TO ACHIEVE. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR URBAN AND RURAL FARMERS AND WILL LAUNCH THEM ONTO THEIR OWN FARMS. IT WILL MOVE URBAN FARMERS ONTO LARGER PLOTS OF LAND. IT WILL LEAD TO NEW BEHAVIORS THAT INCREASE PRODUCTION AND STRENGTHEN CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING WHILE IMPROVING SALES AND BOOSTING RHODE ISLAND'S ECONOMY. SUPPORT FOR AN EXPANDED APPRENTICE PROGRAM WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO BEGIN THEIR OWN FARM BUSINESSES. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF INCUBATOR SPACE, COMBINED WITH EXECUTION OF A BROADLY SUPPORTED LAND TRANSFER STRATEGY WILL CREATE MANY NEW INDEPENDENT FARMS IN A STATE WHERE LAND VALUES ARE ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH. FEED RHODE ISLAND: GROWING SUSTAINABLE FARMS WILL HELP SCLT CREATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE QUICKLY IN RHODE ISLAND.

ASSIST SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED URBAN FARMERS IN RHODE ISLAND TO JUMPSTARTTHEIR FARMS ON LARGER, RURAL SITES AND CONTRIBUTE IN A MORE MEANINGFULWAY TO THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY AND TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICALASSISTANCE

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CONNECTING RHODE ISLAND FARMS AND COMMUNITIES

FEED RHODE ISLAND: GROWING SUSTAINABLE FARMS

SANKOFA!: BOOSTING FOOD ACCESS, ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY IN SOUTH PROVIDENCE

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** BOOSTING FOOD ACCESS, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY IN RHODE ISLAND

RHODE ISLAND REFUGEE AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP FOR LAND ACCESS, AGRICULTURAL JOBS, MARKETING SUPPORT, RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION, AG TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND YOUTH PROGRAMS.

RHODE ISLAND REFGUEE AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP

FROM THE GROUND UP! INCREASING FOOD PRODUCTION IN PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE REFUGEE AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST (SCLT) HAD BEEN WORKING SINCE1981 TO HELP PEOPLE WEATHER ALL THE WORLD'S STORMS BY HELPING THEM GROW THEIR OWN FOOD TO FEED THEIRFAMILIES. SCLT WAS FORMED AS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HMONG REFUGEES YEARNING FOR THE TASTES OF CULTURALLYFAMILIAR VEGETABLES, AND BROWN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS BURNING WITH A MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE AND TOGROW COMMUNITIES. FOR YEARS, SCLT HAS SHARED RESOURCES, EDUCATION AND A FRIENDLY HAND UP AND TOWARDSA SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES. IN THESE DAYS WHEN WE CANNOT SHARE A HANDSHAKE WITH OURFELLOW FARMER, SCLT CONTINUES OUR WORK TO PLAN FOR A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR OUR RHODE ISLANDFARMERS AND CHEFS AND FOR OUR COMPATRIOTS WHO WISH TO CONSUME THE BOUNTY OF THEIR AGRICULTURAL ANDCULINARY LABORS.THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, ALONG WITH THE REST OF NEW ENGLAND HAS COMMITTED TO A FUTURE WITHMUCH MORE LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD. WE ALREADY HAD ENOUGH SEAFOOD HERE IN THE OCEAN STATE TO MEET HALFOUR PROTEIN NEEDS, BUT BY MOST MEASURES RHODE ISLAND ONLY PRODUCES 1-2% OF THE FOOD THAT WE ACTUALLYEAT. RHODE ISLAND HAS SEEN RAPID GROWTH IN OUR NUMBER OF SMALL FARMS OVER THE PAST DECADE (36% OF OURFARMS ARE SMALLER THAN 10 ACRES), BUT THESE FARMERS STRUGGLE TO GET BEYOND DIRECT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS.ACCESS TO WHOLESALE MARKETS, AND THE MARKET INTO FOOD PROCESSORS ARE BLOCKED BY LACK OF GAPCERTIFICATION. DEVELOPING A HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEM CAN BE DAUNTINGFOR ANY FARMER OR FOOD PROCESSOR. IMAGINE IF YOU ONLY HAVE $20K IN INCOME AND YOU DON'T SPEAK ENGLISHVERY WELL? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS?SOUTHSIDE HAS BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FARMFRESH-RI (FFRI), THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND(URI) AND THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (RIDEM), DEVELOPING PROGRAMSTO PROVIDE FOOD SAFETY TRAINING TO OUR CLIENTELE. WITH FARMFRESH-RI, AND WITH SUPPORT FROM OURGOVERNOR'S WORKFORCE BOARD'S REAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH (RSFY) PROGRAM, WE PROVIDE CULINARY TRAINING TOYOUTH AGES 16-24, INCLUDING SERVESAFE FOOD HANDLER AND FOOD MANAGER CERTIFICATIONS, AND OSHA 10-HOURSAFETY CERTIFICATION. WITH URI AND RIDEM, WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR FARMERS ON GOOD AGRICULTURALPRACTICES (GAP) AND BEGINNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE FSMA COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES. WITHBOTH OUR YOUTH AND OUR ADULT PROFESSIONAL FARMERS, WE HAVE BEGUN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALUE-ADDEDPROCESSING SYSTEMS, WHICH WILL ALLOW OUR FARMERS TO REAP A LARGER FRACTION OF THE PROFITS OF FOODS SOLD INOUR REGIONAL MARKETS.BUILDING UPON OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS, WE PROPOSE HERE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE FOODSAFETY TRAINING SYSTEM FOR RHODE ISLAND'S SMALL FOOD PRODUCERS. BECAUSE MANY SMALL FARMERS AREIMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROGRAM BE DEVELOPEDWITH THEIR NEEDS AND ABILITIES IN MIND. THIS MEANS OFFERING PROGRAMMING IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. BECAUSEMANY OF THE GARDENERS AND FARMERS ARE FROM SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, THEYOFTEN LACK ACCESS TO GOOD TRANSPORTATION. SO, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE OFFER TRAINING IN PLACES THAT AREEASILY ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BY BIKE OR ON FOOT. BTHIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN AMULTILINGUAL ANDBROADLY ACCESSIBLE 2-COUNTY FOOD SAFETY TRAINING SYSTEM THAT CAN BE EXPANDED IN 2023 TO ALL 5 COUNTIES IN RHODE ISLAND.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS

INCREASING THE NUMBER AND SUCCESS OF SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS IN RHODE ISLAND BY MAKING CONNECTIONS TO USDA PROGRAMS AND PROVIDING TRAINING, T

SCLT IS DEVELOPING OUR PLANS FOR CROP AGGREGATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN ORDER TO INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF LOCALLY PRODUCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND TO DEVELOP NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FARMERS THAT WE SERVE. THESE ARE IMPORTANT GOALS BECAUSE POVERTY AND POOR NUTRITION ARE CAUSING DIRE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES FOR MANY OF OUR AREA RESIDENTS. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, SCLT HAS BEEN OPERATING A CROP AGGREGATION PROGRAM IN ITS CURRENT FACILITIES FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. IT HAS OPENED UP NEW MARKETS FOR FARMERS, HELPING THEM TO SELL TO LOCAL RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS. HOWEVER, OUR CURRENT FACILITIES DO NOT SUPPORT OPTIMAL OPERATIONS OR GROWTH. AS PART OF THE PROJECT, SCLT WILL COMPLETE AN OPERATIONS PLAN AND PILOT FOR THE NEW FACILITIES INCLUDING A SCHEDULE FOR DROP OFFS AND DELIVERIES AND RECOMMENDED FEE STRUCTURE. IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF GAP AND FSMA PLANS RELATED TO EQUIPMENT AND SPACE USE AS WELL AS FARMER AND STAFF TRAINING. IT WILL INCLUDE ASSEMBLING AN ADVISORY GROUP TO HELP CONNECT THE NEW FACILITY WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BOTH A SURVEY AND ONE-ON-ONE OUTREACH AMONG POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO IDENTIFY HIGH DEMAND CROPS AND OTHER PRODUCTS. AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT, WE EXPECT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DAYS PER WEEK THAT WE CAN OFFER SERVICES THEREBY INCREASING VOLUME OF FOOD DISTRIBUTED AND THE NUMBER OF FARM OPERATIONS THAT BENEFIT.

INCREASING THE NUMBE

HEALTHY PROVIDENCE: EXPANDING FRESH FOOD ACCESS AND AWARENESS IN THE OCEAN STATE

THE URBAN AGRICULTURE: A LIVING LABORATORY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM EDUCATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS THROUGH ANALYSIS OF

SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PLANS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION ON THE HAZARDS OF TOXIC CONTAMINANTS IN OUR OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT, AND HOW TO WORK AROUND THOSE HAZARDS TO SAFELY GROW FOOD. IN ADDITION, COMMUNITIES WILL DEVELOP APPROACHES THAT SERVE TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF TOXIC CONTAMINANTS INTO OUR PUBLIC WATERWAYS. RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES WILL LEARN TO COLLECT SAMPLES OF SOILS AND FOODS FOR ACCURATE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE GARDENERS AND STUDENTS WORKING IN THESE URBAN GROWING SPACES. RESIDENTS WILL LEARN METHODS FOR CREATING GROWING SYSTEMS THAT AVOID CONTAMINATED SOILS, INCLUDING CREATING IMPERMEABLE BARRIERS AND RAISED GARDEN BEDS. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, OVER 300 LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL BE EMPOWERED TO SAFELY GROW FOOD, AND TO PROTECT THEIR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS.

SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST'S "YOUTH URBAN GARDENING EDUCATION INITIATIVE" WILL INCLUDE THE CREATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND DISSEMINATION OF HANDS-

IT TAKES A(N URBAN AGRICULTURE) VILLAGE: A MODEL FOR NEIGHBORHOOD-LEVEL PLANNING TO INCREASE COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY IN PROVIDENCE RI

THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE COSTS INCURRED TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19), WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKPLACE SAFETY, MARKET PIVOTS, RETROFITTING FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, WORKER HOUSING, AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. IT PROVIDES NEEDED RELIEF TO THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS FOR THEIR COSTS INCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY 27, 2020, THE DATE UPON WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE (HHS) UNDER SECTION 319 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, AND DECEMBER 31, 2021. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS.

CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT DIET <(>&<)> NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE <(>&<)> THE ENVIRONMENT, BUILDING <(>&<)> MANAGING COMMUNITY GARDENS <(>&<)> FARMS, PROVIDING LOW-COST AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES <(>&<)> SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY GARDENERS

MARKETING NRCS SERVICES TO URBAN AND HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS.