New funding aims to improve access to Delaware-grown food

Gov. John Carney, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, and the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy on Nov. 18 announced a $2 million investment in seed funding to establish the First State Integrated Food System Program.

The council will develop the new program to help stabilize and strengthen Delaware’s small and mid-sized farmers and local food supply chain operations, among the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic.

Program funding is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act which was signed into law by President Joe Biden and championed by members of Delaware’s congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.

“The First State Integrated Food System will provide a coordinated approach to improving local access to affordable and nutritious Delaware-produced foods while supporting Delaware farmers,” said Carney. “We know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted small-scale food businesses and Delaware families’ access to food. That’s why the Council on Farm and Food Policy will work with partners to develop and administer a diverse portfolio of grants and loans to improve the availability and accessibility of local produce, animal protein, value-added products and other foods, promoting overall economic growth here in Delaware.”

The First State Integrated Food System Program focuses on three main channels in the food supply chain, including:

• Production: small and mid-size farmers
• Processing and distribution: commercial kitchens, processing facilities, storage/hub facilities, incubators
• Retail/consumer outlets: convenience stores, groceries/markets, restaurants, farmers markets, food trucks, food kiosks and mobile markets.

“This program prioritizes our food system and provides an opportunity for the state to make a strategic investment in how families access food in their communities and at the same time improve the resilience of the local food supply chain,” said Michael T. Scuse, Delaware Department of Agriculture secretary. “Neighboring states like Maryland and New Jersey have reaped the benefits of food financing programs. The First State Integrated Food System Program will make similar opportunities available to bolster Delaware’s capacity. These efforts will go a long way in improving local access to local food.”

The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy provides a lens into various aspects of Delaware’s food system, supply chain and food security.

It strives to facilitate and support a food system where local farmers can access viable markets, all Delawareans can access resources needed to promote securing nutritious local food options, and vulnerabilities within communities can be diminished.

“The council’s past efforts have laid the groundwork to provide coordination and strategy around long-term resiliency planning,” said Nikko Brady, Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy executive committee member. “The development of the First State Integrated Food System Program is one more way for us to help connect Delaware farmers to processors and retail outlets to get food onto the tables of Delawareans.”

All ARPA funds related to this program will be disbursed by December 2024. For more information, contact Nikko Brady at the Delaware Department of Agriculture by emailing nikko.brady@delaware.gov.

To learn more about how the American Rescue Plan is helping in Delaware, go to de.gov/rescueplan.