Helping End Food Insecurity in Missouri
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that roughly 12% of Missouri households faced food insecurity, meaning they did not have adequate food due to a lack of money or other resources at some point throughout the year. Hoping to help address this issue, the Missouri Department of Agriculture recently announced the availability of funding for projects designed to reduce food insecurity within Missouri’s urban areas.
The Food Insecure Urban Agriculture Matching Grant is a competitive grant program aiming to provide up to $50,000 per approved project. Applicants must provide a minimum 25% match for their project through a combination of cash or in-kind contributions; however, the cash match must be greater than 50% of the total match to remain eligible. Funds may be used to increase food production and availability within an urban area; demonstrate growth of local economic communities; increase local economic impact; increase availability of food to local residents; or enhance already established areas within a community and provide assistance to the community. Projects should support farmers’ markets, apiary programs, and other economic development initiatives that work to reduce food insecurity in the state’s urban areas, including Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties.
Grant applications are due by Sept. 30, 2021, and projects must be completed and ready for verification by April 1, 2022. For more information regarding grant requirements and a list of eligible expenses, please visit agriculture.mo.gov/abd/financial/food-insecure.php.
Individuals interested in applying for the grant can also learn more about the application process by attending an informational webinar hosted by the Department of Agriculture. The webinar will be held on September 15th at 5:00 p.m. To register and RSVP for the event, please contact Rachel Heimericks at Rachel.Heimericks@mda.mo.gov.
I am honored to serve the citizens of the 8th Senatorial District. If there is anything I can do to serve you, please feel free to contact my office in Jefferson City at (573) 751-1464. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation for the 2021 session, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Cierpiot.