Rhode Island Food Policy Council

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO THE RHODE ISLAND FOOD POLICY COUNCIL (RIFPC). SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECT WILL REDUCE FOOD WASTE, INCREASE DONATIONS FROM FOOD BUSINESSES AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY FOR COMPOST PROCESSING IN THE RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITIES OF PROVIDENCE, PAWTUCKET, NEWPORT, MIDDLETOWN, AND CENTRAL FALLS. RIFPC ALONG WITH THEIR STATUTORY PARTNER, GROUNDWORK RI (GWRI), WILL DELIVER DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES, TRAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN GARDENING AND COMPOST PRACTICES, ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL COMPOSTING LOCATIONS AND SERVICES, AND EXPAND ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GARDENS. THROUGH INCREASED COMPOST AND GARDEN PRODUCTION THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND NEW COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, BUILDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE-RELATED ISSUES, SUPPORTING FOOD RECOVERY AND WASTE DIVERSION AND GENERATING A LOCAL, CIRCULAR ECONOMY. OUTCOMES INCLUDE A REDUCTION IN CARBON EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD PRODUCTION, TRANSPORTATION, AND DISPOSAL, REDUCTION IN METHANE EMISSIONS FROM LANDFILLS, INCREASED FOOD SECURITY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, JOB CREATION AND INCREASED ACCESS TO LOCAL GARDENS AND COMPOST IN DISADVANTAGED AREAS IN RHODE ISLAND. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD CALLED THE OPPORTUNITY RISING BOARD (ORB) CONSISTING OF UP TO 60 MEMBERS, MAINTAINING 10 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING EACH OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS: PROVIDENCE, CENTRAL FALLS, AND PAWTUCKET, MIDDLETON AND NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. ORB MEMBERS WILL LEAD 12 COMMUNITY MEETINGS PER YEAR TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY INPUT AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONCERNS. THE RECIPIENT AND PROJECT PARTNERS WILL TRAIN UP TO 146 PEER EDUCATORS IN A TRAIN THE TRAINER MODEL TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN THE COMMUNITY ON FOOD WASTE DIVERSION AND COMPOSTING TECHNIQUES REACHING AT LEAST 1,500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE RECIPIENT AND PROJECT PARTNERS WILL HIRE 36 JOBS DIRECTLY AND WILL SUPPORT AN ADDITIONAL 32 JOBS THROUGH CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. THIS TRAINED WORKFORCE WILL MANAGE THE COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OF FOOD WASTE INTO FINISHED COMPOST FROM 9 COMPOST SITES CONSTRUCTED AND INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT SERVICE AREAS. TO MAKE COMPOSTING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS, THE RECIPIENT AND PROJECT PARTNERS WILL INSTALL 15 FOOD WASTE COLLECTION STATIONS IN PUBLIC AREAS AND AN ADDITIONAL 22 STATIONS AT SCHOOLS. FINISHED COMPOST WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE 26 SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT WILL BE BUILT OR UPGRADED IN THE PROJECT PERIOD. AT LEAST 4,400 STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON GARDENING PRACTICES, FOOD WASTE DIVERSION, AND COMPOSTING. THE RECIPIENT WILL PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND SCHOOLS ON FOOD SCRAP DONATION AND FOOD WASTE COLLECTION. THE RECIPIENT AND PROJECT PARTNERS WILL ENROLL AT LEAST 343 BUSINESS, SCHOOLS, WAREHOUSES AND FARMS IN SURPLUS FOOD DONATION TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD BANKS INCLUDING TRANSPORT OF DONATED FOODS. THE RECIPIENT WILL HOST MONTHLY PROJECT PARTNER MEETINGS TO SHARE DATA, DISCUSS AND ADDRESS CHALLENGES, AND SHARE INSIGHTS INCLUDING EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT. THE RECIPIENT WILL CREATE AND REGULARLY UPDATE A WEBSITE WITH A DATA DASHBOARD ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THAT TRACKS AND DISPLAYS KEY PROJECT OUTPUTS SUCH AS FOOD SCRAPS COLLECTED, COMPOST PRODUCED, GARDENS CONSTRUCTED, FOOD DONATED, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENGAGED. TO APPROPRIATELY MANAGE THIS DATA COLLECTION AND DISPLAY, THE RECIPIENT WILL DEVELOP A QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP). SUBRECIPIENT:TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN - WILL SUPPORT PROJECT GOALS WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY, INCLUDING BUILD OUT OF THE COMPOSTING FACILITY ON IDENTIFIED LOCATION(S), COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND COORDINATION OF CROSS-AGENCY ACTIVITIES. THE TOWN PLANS TO LEASE A PIECE A PROPERTY FROM A LOCAL BASE AND WILL SECURE APPROVALS FOR ANY CONSTRUCTION A

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE GOAL OF ADVANCING EQUITY IN CAPITAL ACCESS FOR BEGINNING FARMERS IS TO BUILD THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS THROUGH INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND NETWORK ACCESSING CAPITAL TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE PROJECT ARE:OBJECTIVE 1: TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER A THOROUGH AND PRACTICAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AND CAPITAL ACCESS CURRICULUM COMBINING ONE-ON-ONE COACHING, WORKSHOPS, AND PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING AND MENTORING.OBJECTIVE 2: TO STRENGTHEN A COLLABORATIVE NETWORK OF BUSINESS AND FARM SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY, INCLUDING NETWORKING AND FUNDER MATCHMAKING EVENTS.OBJECTIVE 3: BUILD THE CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF A NETWORK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS THROUGH A RIGOROUS EVALUATION PLAN TO TRACK OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES, REGULARLY COMMUNICATING WITH AND GATHERING THE NETWORK OF PROJECT PARTNERS TO SHARE LEARNINGS AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO ENSURE PROJECT SUCCESS.RIFPC IS UNIQUELY SITUATED TO PERFORM THIS WORK. WE ARE TRUSTED PARTNERS OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES AND WE WORK REGULARLY WITH THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK DIRECTLY WITH OUR STATE'S UNDERSERVED FARMERS. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICE PROVIDERS. OUR WORK IN THIS AREA TO DATE HAS BEEN WELL-REGARDED BY ALL PARTIES.A RIGOROUS EVALUATION PLAN WILL TRACK OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES SURVEYS AND KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN 100+ UNDERSERVED RI FARMERS RECEIVING INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ALLOWING THEM TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO ACCESSING CAPITAL AND FUNDING PROGRAMS. LONG TERM IMPACTS INCLUDE INCREASED ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND A MORE JUST AND RESILIENT LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.

THE RI FOOD POLICY COUNCIL WILL EXPAND THE WHOLESALE MARKET FOR LOCALLYGROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND LOCALLYHARVESTED WILDCAUGHT SEAFOOD. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO CONNECT OVER 80 FARMERS AND FISHERMEN WITH EMERGENCY FOOD BUYERS FACILITATING THE SALE OF OVER 50 LOCALLYGROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND OVER 30 LOCALLYHARVESTED SEAFOOD ITEMS. THE PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH WHOLESALE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EMERGENCY FOOD BUYERS THEREBY INCREASING SALES FOR FARMERS AND FISHERMEN. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOME IS A STRENGTHENED LOCAL EMERGENCY FEEDING SYSTEM THAT SERVES AS A RELIABLE AND LARGER WHOLESALE MARKET FOR THESE PRODUCERS AND HARVESTERS ENHANCING THEIR RESILIENCE AGAINST SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS. THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE FARMERS RANCHERS PROCESSORS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM. THIS EXPANSION WILL BOLSTER THE ABILITY OF LOCAL FOOD BUSINESSES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STATES EMERGENCY FOOD SYSTEM CREATING A MORE STABLE AND RESPONSIVE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR PRODUCERS AND INCREASING ACCESS TO LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD FOR CONSUMERS.

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT