Food

 USDA Rural Development -USDA and Reinvestment Fund are launching a program under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to increase access to healthy foods in communities underserved by grocery stores. The new Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (FARE Fund) will offer loans and grants to eligible organizations over the next five years. There will be a total of $60 million available for food retail and food retail supply chain projects that increase access to healthy food in communities underserved by retail groceries.

People across Maine deserve fresh, healthy and affordable foods,” USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson said. “Rural Development is proud to support the work of the many organizations, agencies, farms, and businesses that make equitable food access a priority in Maine every day. Our new FARE Fund will help by increasing access to diverse foods in rural areas and benefitting local farmers and food producers. I encourage Maine organizations to reach out early to explore whether their projects will be eligible for funding so they can apply promptly when the FARE Fund begins accepting proposals.”

Once fully operational, the initiative will offer grants of up to $250K to implement healthy food projects. Grants may be used to support project management, equipment purchases, and construction. Loans ranging from $500K to $5M will be available to support predevelopment, land acquisition, renovations, and equipment purchases. The program also will offer funding to support market and feasibility studies, business planning, and store design.