The City of Texarkana, Texas was chosen by the USDA as one of seven grant proposals to be funding in the state of Texas.
The city will receive $93,746 to increase low-income participation in area farmers’ markets by increasing options for redemption of Federal benefits; launch a mobile farmers’ market with four locations; and expand farmer training and entrepreneurial development.
Community Planning and Development Director David Orr says that plans are moving forward to begin the project.
“With this grant, we will be able to expand our young and growing farmers’ market through producer to consumer marketing and promotion activities targeting low income communities,” Orr said. “We also plan to introduce a new mobile farmers market that will add four additional market locations in partnership with the Texarkana, Texas Housing Authority to extend locally grown produce access into identified neighborhood food deserts, establishing community gardens for resident use and urban farmer access.”
The USDA has awarded over $52 million in support of the growing organic industry and local and regional food systems through five U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant programs throughout the country, but only seven of the awards were made in Texas. Texarkana received the second largest award, among grants made to Houston, Dallas, Winnsboro, Denton, Azle and Austin, Texas. One award was announced for Little Rock, Arkansas, one for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and one for Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“To say the awards were extremely competitive is an understatement,” Orr said. “We are very fortunate to receive this grant and are looking forward to the opportunities it will provide our community.”
For more information please contact, Lisa Thompson, Public Information Officer for the City of Texarkana, Texas at lisa.thompson@txkusa.org or (903) 798-1743.
