The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has announced they are offering grant funding to support incorporating local food into existing hunger relief and food security efforts in the region. This is the second year the regional nonprofit has administered its FarmShare Fund mini grant program.

Organizers say that more than 200,000 households in the Adirondack North Country, or 41 percent of all households, do not have enough income or financial resources to cover basic household necessities. For these residents, local food options are often not affordable or accessible.

ANCA announced its request for proposals at the second annual North Country food summit, which took place at The Wild Center on Thursday, February 28th. Farmers, nonprofits, schools, businesses and others working on projects related to food access in ANCA’s 14-county North Country region are eligible to apply. Project proposals for grants of $250 to $1,500 are due by Monday, April 1, 2019.

The 2018 mini grant program allocated five awards ranging from $400 to $1,500 to The Farmacy of Keeseville, Fledging Crow Vegetables of Keeseville, Oregano Flats Farm of Saranac, Massena Central School, and The Hub on the Hill of Essex with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Essex County. Each project is helping connect low-income households with nutritious, locally produced food.

The FarmShare Fund was formed in 2016 as part of ANCA’s broader efforts to improve local food access while supporting small farms and local food producers throughout the region. Goals of the fund include building connections between farms and consumers by addressing food security; supporting ANCA’s existing local food initiatives like farm to school, food hub development and agritourism projects; and supporting local food efforts of regional partners.

The FarmShare Fund is supported by donors and proceeds from Bike the Barns, ANCA’s annual bicycle tour that celebrates North Country farms and local food businesses. This year’s Bike the Barns will take place on Sunday, September 29th, beginning and ending at Tucker Farms in Gabriels. Registration is now open here.

The FarmShare Fund mini grant program request for proposals can be found on ANCA’s website. Questions about the application process may be directed to Josh Bakelaar at jbakelaar@adirondack.org or (518) 891-6200.

For more information about ANCA, visit their website.

Photo of Meghan Brooks, Distribution Coordinator for The Hub on the Hill, and Carly Summers, Agricultural Resource Educator for CCE of Essex County cooking demonstration at the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Lake Placid provided by ANCA.