New Grant Program Would Help Entrepreneurs, Local Governments Grow Local Food In Hawai"i

Press Release

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the 2018 farm bill, which included a provision authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai"i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), that would create a new grant program to support locally grown food.

"This new federal money will give people the resources to start a garden or build a business that promotes locally grown food," said Senator Schatz. "The farm bill also invests in Native Hawaiian education and creates more opportunities for new farmers and ranchers."

The Schatz-Murkowski program would award grants of $100 to $5,000 to individuals and grants of $100 to $10,000 to tribes, religious organizations, food banks and other non-profits and federally-funded educational facilities, and local governments in Hawai"i, Alaska, and insular areas. The grants may be used to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food, including through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations.

The bill also reauthorizes an education grant program to Native Hawaiian and Alaska-Native-Serving Institutions, totaling $10 million every year for five years.

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