Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle: Oregon to Receive Nearly $900,000 to Promote Local and Regional Food Systems
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle today announced nearly $900,000 in federal funds for Oregon to help increase the availability of locally sourced agricultural products and strengthen local and regional food systems statewide.
“Oregon has some of the best produce in the world growing right here in our state, and supporting hardworking Oregonians in agriculture and fishing is a huge priority,” said Wyden. “This federal investment is key to helping our state’s farmers and fishers as well as all Oregonians to enjoy the bounty of produce from growers across Oregon.”
“Oregon’s food, fiber, and fishing products are world-class, and folks across the state deserve to access and enjoy them,” said Merkley. “These federal investments will expand and strengthen our local food systems and increase the availability of locally grown agricultural and fishing products. The result will be a win-win for the fishers and farmers driving our economy, and for Oregon families looking to put more homegrown products on their kitchen tables.”
“Oregon’s farmers, fishers and consumers are all better off when we invest in our local and regional food systems,” said Rep. Hoyle. “We’re bringing Oregonians’ tax dollars back home to invest in projects through Central Coast Food Web in Newport to support more local consumption of Oregon’s world-class sustainable seafood, and Friends of Family Farmers in Junction City to help create more opportunities for small local market farmers. This will mean jobs and more access to high-quality local products for Oregonians.”
The $867,133 in federal funds comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Agriculture Market Program, Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs and the Regional Food System Partnerships grant programs. These awards will be distributed in Oregon as follows:
- Friends of Family Farmers, Junction City – $264,360
- Pacific NW CSA Coalition, Portland – $124,999
- Central Coast Food Web, Newport - $477,774
“Today, most of the sustainably harvested seafood from the Oregon coast bypasses local markets and is shipped to other parts of the U.S. or exported internationally—on the flip-side over 90% of seafood sold in Oregon is sourced from distant domestic and international markets. Within this system, fishers have few market options for selling their products, and our coastal communities lack the supply chain infrastructure needed to enjoy the bounty of their own shores. To address these issues, the Central Coast Food Web, together with partners through the Oregon Ocean Cluster Initiative, aims to support fishers and small seafood producers in the development of new products and expansion of local and regional food systems,“ said Laura Anderson, Founder and President of Central Coast Food Web.
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