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Rhode Island Food Policy Council Call for Nominations of Council Members

by David Dadekian September 12, 2016
written by David Dadekian

Rhode Island Food Policy CouncilThe Rhode Island Food Policy Council seeks candidates interested in food systems change to serve as members of the Council.

To nominate yourself or another candidate for the RIFPC, please go to: https://rifoodcouncil.wufoo.com/forms/w1vcfy3o1xye6k8/

We welcome nominations of candidates who work in any part of the food system (production & harvesting, processing, distribution, consumption, resource recovery) who can also successfully look beyond their own areas of expertise and work collectively with partners across the food system toward the goal of greater community food security in RI.

While all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, we are especially interested in candidates with expertise in any of the following areas: 1) Agriculture, 2) Fisheries, 3) General food systems design, 4) Food entrepreneurship

The responsibilities of Council members are to:

  1. Create new and innovative ideas and plans for the Rhode Island food system;
  2. Monitor and promote the Rhode Island food system across multiple sectors (production, distribution, access, public health, and resource recycling).
  3. Help to maintain the direction, purposes and goals, functions, and responsibilities of the RIFPC through mandatory participation in RIFPC Committees and/or RIFPC Work Groups;
  4. Attend all RIFPC Organizational Meetings (mandatory, 6x year) and RIFPC events (voluntary, as schedule permits)

Additionally, please note the RIFPC will be playing a key support role in development of RI’s first State Food Plan in 2016-2017, so candidates interested in strategic plan development and implementation are also encouraged to apply.

New Council members will be elected at the Council meeting in November 2016 and confirmed in time for the annual meeting in December 2016. Council members are appointed for a two-year term and may renew membership for an additional term, choosing to extend this second term for one or two years. The membership selection process strives to achieve racial, socioeconomic, ethnic, and geographic diversity.

Completed Nomination Forms must be received by October 1, 2016

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) was established in 2011. The RIFPC’s work is coordinated by a statewide collaboration of diverse, committed and engaged stakeholders from all sectors of the food system. The purpose of the RIFPC is to create partnerships, develop policies, and advocate for improvements to the local food system that increase and expand its capacity, viability and sustainability.

September 12, 2016 0 comment
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2015 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grant Recipients Announced

by David Dadekian May 29, 2015
written by David Dadekian

2015 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grant Recipients Announced

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) announce the 2015 recipients of the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grants Program. A total of $210,000 is being awarded this year to 15 recipients, including $20,000 to be used by DEM and the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative for a statewide local seafood promotion campaign.

“Rhode Islanders are eager to grow, eat and promote local food,” said DEM Director Janet Coit, who recognized the award recipients at the annual Rhode Island Agriculture Day celebration, held today at the State House. “This initiative is one of many efforts taken by DEM to enhance our state’s food economy and the economic competitiveness of Rhode Island-grown agricultural products and local seafood.”

“The LASA grant program is an important step forward in Rhode Island toward building a vibrant local food economy in relation to farming and fishing. It involves a unique and forward-thinking partnership between DEM, the RIFPC and other important non-profits that are committed to building a local, sustainable food system in Rhode Island,” said Ken Ayars, chief of the Division of Agriculture, who served as chair of the LASA Grants Advisory Committee.

The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act of 2012 established a grants program within DEM’s Division of Agriculture to support the growth and marketing of local food and seafood in the state. The LASA Grants Program was made possible by a unique and unprecedented public-private partnership with $100,000 in funding from the State of Rhode Island and $110,000 in funds from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and the Rhode Island Foundation. DEM coordinated with the RIFPC to administer the LASA Grants Program.

Rhode Island Food Policy Council

“Big changes are often accomplished by smaller incremental changes sustained over time. That’s the promise the LASA small grants program holds: funding that is incremental, manageable and can be productively absorbed into a growing local food sector. The LASA grants program is a multifaceted partnership, and the RI Food Policy Council is thrilled to be a part of this unique and much needed public-private partnership. Our congratulations go to the grantees and the applicants: it is their work on the ground and on the water that is moving Rhode Island in the right direction,” said Kenneth Payne, Chair, RIFPC.

“It is a privilege to partner with the many talented food, agriculture and seafood leaders across public and private sectors in Rhode Island. Together we are creating the foundation for a more resilient food system and local economy,” said Courtney Bourns, senior program officer at the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.

President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation Neil Steinberg said, “This program provides invaluable seed capital for local businesses. We’re very pleased to join with the state and other foundations to strengthen Rhode Island’s food system and economy.”

“The LASA grants illuminate the entrepreneurial spirit and economic opportunity in Rhode Island’s agricultural and seafood industries,” said Elizabeth Lynn, Executive Director, van Beuren Charitable Foundation.

The LASA Grants Program Advisory Committee, established to advise and assist DEM in matters related to the LASA Grants Program, received, reviewed and scored 73 applications totaling $1,025,993 in requested funds for this second year of the grants program.

The 2015 grant recipients are as follows:

$20,000 for the DEM and RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative’s statewide seafood branding and marketing campaign;

$17,165 to the African Alliance of Rhode Island in Providence to support the efforts of immigrant and refugee farmers to acquire more growing space, increase crop production to meet growing demand for ethnic specialty crops, and improve marketing expertise and consumer education;

$13,000 to Big Train Farm in Cranston to increase community-supported agriculture (CSA) membership among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Rhode Island through targeted outreach and collaboration with community organizations and the purchase of a larger-capacity market vehicle;

$6,973 to Blue Skys Farm in Cranston to build a professional drying room that will increase production of dried crops (including culinary, medical/tea herbs, flowers and hot peppers) and reduce drying times, creating new sales channels and increasing wholesale demand;

$13,406 to Brian Pinsky, Matt Behan, Jim Arnoux, Jules Opton-Himmel, and Dr. Michael Rice in Charlestown to study seasonal and tidal variation in food levels and observe the growth and condition index of oysters being cultivated by six oyster farmers in Ninigret Pond;

$7,600 to the City of Providence’s Healthy Communities Office to research and develop a Farmer’s Guide to detail regulatory, zoning, and permitting requirements related to on-site farm sales in Providence and develop marketing and outreach materials for a new urban farm stand in Providence;

$16,432 to Eating with the Ecosystem in Warren to work with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to get local Rhode Island seafood into Rhode Island’s food pantry distribution system through an experimental pilot project focused on distribution and education around low-value seafood;

$9,464 to Elizabeth McDonnell and Michael de Cruz in Providence to build the infrastructure for small-scale, artisan sea salt production in Rhode Island, focusing on the unique and uniquely varied waters of the Narragansett Bay;

$15,442 to Indie Growers in Bristol to build a solar heating system to provide radiant heat to the floor of an existing 12′ x 30′ high tunnel, enabling production of micro-greens and other unique specialty crops during winter months;

$18,000 to the Northern RI Area Health Education Center in Woonsocket to support the Rhode Island Hospital Local Foods Challenge, a program to galvanize three Rhode Island hospitals to support the state’s food producers and fishermen through increased institutional purchasing;

$10,700 to the Rhode Island Shellfishermen’s Association to produce an educational video on how to become a commercial shellfisherman in Rhode Island and create an apprenticeship program to match Rhode Islanders with professional shellfishermen, with the goal of engaging youth and young people in the shellfishing sector;

$20,000 to the South County Food Co-op in South Kingstown for the South County Farm to Market Initiative, expanding farmer access to the Co-op’s certified commercial kitchen to prepare foods for wholesale sales, and enabling local farmers to serve more CSA customers through the Co-op;

$13,728 to the Local Catch in Charlestown to establish a fish-smoking operation specifically utilizing RI-landed seafood, with an emphasis on increasing sales of underutilized species which are landed in high volume at the Point Judith port but have had weak consumer demand;

$8,090 to Thundermist Health Center in South Kingstown to institute SNAP and credit card access, as well as SNAP and WIC incentives at a minimum of three farmers’ markets in Washington County;

$20,000 to Tilted Barn Brewery in Exeter to make improvements to the barn brewery, expand hop production, and host a workshop during the hop harvest to provide information to other farmers in RI who are interested in growing crops to support the expanding craft beer industry, or plan to start their own farm brewery; and

$20,000 to Wild Harmony Farm in Exeter to purchase an insulated trailer with freezer compressor and generator to enable the transportation of frozen meat from certified butchers back to farms, as well as the transport of whole animal carcasses from the slaughterhouse directly to local restaurants utilizing whole animals.

May 29, 2015 0 comment
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RI DEM News Release: DEM Announces Availability Of Local Agriculture And Seafood Act Grants To Strengthen Local Food System

by David Dadekian December 22, 2014
written by David Dadekian

RI Department of Environmental Management
For Release: November 19, 2014
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

DEM Announces Availability Of Local Agriculture And Seafood Act Grants To Strengthen Local Food System

The Department of Environmental Management is accepting applications for the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) grants program. The grants will assist small or beginning farmers market and promote the sale of Rhode Island grown agricultural products and local seafood.

Non-profit entities, along with small or beginning farmers are eligible to apply for the grants. The grants program is aimed at increasing the economic competitiveness of Rhode Island-grown agricultural products and local seafood.

“Rhode Islanders are eager to grow, eat and promote local food, and this grant program supports the growth of our local food sector to meet the growing demand of consumers,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “This initiative is one of many efforts taken by DEM to support local agriculture and our state’s food economy.”

This grants program is made possible by $100,000 in state funding that Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and the General Assembly included in the DEM budget, and an additional $130,000 in matching funds from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation. This unique and unprecedented public-private partnership will provide grants intended to directly benefit and strengthen the local food system in RI.

Grant awards will be capped at $20,000 with no direct match required. Funding will be provided up front and may be used for projects of up to two years in duration. In addition to providing grants for projects or programs, the LASA Grants Program may also provide capital grants to small or beginning Rhode Island farmers to support the growth and sustainability of Rhode Island’s farming and aquaculture industries.

Priority will be given to capital projects from small or beginning farmers, or projects that directly benefit small or beginning farmers; projects that foster new collaborations between producers, fishermen/women, other Rhode Island food enterprises and organizations; and projects supporting new products or new sales channels that have clearly defined markets.
Any Rhode Island based non-profit organization, farmer, fisherman/woman, or producer group is eligible to apply. Only small and/or beginning farmers, or producer groups of small or beginning farmers, are eligible to apply for capital grants. The funds cannot be used for non-project related travel, scholarships, general operating funds, on-going capital campaigns, political or policy advocacy campaigns, or conference/workshop attendance fees.

Technical Assistance Sessions Planned in January

Three assistance sessions on the LASA Grant Program application have been planned in January. The first session will be held on Saturday, January 24, from 4-5 pm at the Kingston Free Library – Potter Hall (2605 Kingstown Road, Kingston). The second session will take place on Wednesday, January 28, from 5:30-6:30 pm at the Knight Memorial Library auditorium (275 Elmwood Ave., Providence). The last session will take place on Thursday, January 29 from 6-7 pm at Hope & Main located at 691 Main Street in Warren.

For additional information or questions, please visit the LASA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the RI Food Policy Council website. Additional questions may be emailed to: lasahelp@rifoodcouncil.org. All questions submitted and responses provided will be posted publicly to the LASA FAQ webpage.

A downloadable application is available on DEM/Agriculture website at www.rigrown.ri.gov by clicking on “Grant Opportunities” on the left side of the homepage. For grant-related questions, contact Ken Ayars, chief of DEM’s Division of Agriculture at 222-2781, ext. 4500.

Applications must be received via email no later than 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 and sent to LASA@dem.ri.gov in word format. Applications may also be mailed or hand-delivered to DEM’s Division of Agriculture, Room 370, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 by 4 p.m. on February 17 to be considered.

Grant proposals will be reviewed by the LASA Grants Program Advisory Committee, which will make funding recommendations to the Department. Applicants will be notified of award decisions by May 15. The Committee was established to advise and assist the Department in matters related to the Local Agriculture and Seafood Small Grants and Technical Assistance Program and to facilitate the coordination of the Program with outside resources. Regulations governing the program are posted online on DEM’s website at www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/agric/lasa13.pdf.

December 22, 2014 0 comment
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News Bites: 2014 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grant Recipients Announced, Cox Local Video: Eat Drink RI Market, Walrus and Carpenter Oysters 2014 Summer Farm Dinner Series

by David Dadekian May 1, 2014
written by David Dadekian
Dinner table on a sandbar 2

Dinner table on a sandbar 2

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

2014 Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grant Recipients Announced

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management announces the 2014 recipients for the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grants Program.  A total of $210,030 will be awarded to 17 recipients, including $20,000 to be used by DEM and the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative for a statewide local seafood promotion campaign.  The LASA Grants Program Advisory Committee, established to advise and assist the DEM in matters related to the LASA Grants Program, received, reviewed and scored 92 applications for this first year, totaling $1,474,822 in requested funds.

A list of the LASA Grants Program recipients, along with a brief description of each project is available at the end of this release.

“Rhode Islanders are eager to grow, eat and promote local food. The Local Agriculture and Seafood Grants program is focused on supporting the growth of our local food sector to meet the growing demand of consumers,” said DEM Director Janet Coit, who will recognize the winners at the annual Rhode Island Agriculture Day program at the State House on May 1.  The event will take place at 2 p.m. in the Governor’s State Room.

“The LASA grant program is an important step forward in Rhode Island toward building a vibrant local food economy in relation to farming and fishing.  It involves a unique and forward-thinking partnership between DEM, the RI Food Policy Council and other important non-profits who are committed to building a local, sustainable food system in Rhode Island,” said Ken Ayars, chief of the Division of Agriculture who served as chair of the LASA Grants Advisory Committee.

The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act of 2012 established a grants program within Rhode Island’s DEM Division of Agriculture to support the growth and marketing of local food and seafood in the state.  The LASA Grants Program was made possible by a unique and unprecedented public-private partnership with $100,000 in funding from the State of Rhode Island and $210,000 in funds from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and the Rhode Island Foundation.  DEM coordinated with the Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) to administer the LASA Grants Program.

2014 LASA Grants Program Awardees:

$20,000 for the DEM and RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative’s statewide seafood branding and marketing campaign

$8,089 to Adam Yorks of Little Compton to install a root zone heating system into a high tunnel to extend the growing season of his farm

$17,000 to Big Train Farm/Urban Edge Producer Collaborative in Cranston to make improvements to the wash-station and increase efficiencies at the 7 small farms in the collaborative

$16,000 to Brown Family Seafood in West Kingston to change their distribution process to increase marketing, traceability and understanding for RI consumers about local seafood

$10,000 to Garden Time to start an herb garden and gardening/healthy eating educational program at the Adult Correctional Institute’s medium security facility inCranston

$5,000 to Jamestown Oyster Company for materials used to increase oyster harvest

$9,975 to Katie Miller/Ben Torpey of Scratch Farm in Cranston to expand production and marketing capacity of Small State Seeds, a seed breeding project for chemical-free, RI-grown vegetable, herb and flower seeds

$9,693 to Little City Growers Cooperative in Providence to expand sales, develop a unique brand and implement new marketing strategies and resources

$13,648 to Newport Harbor Corporation in Newport to promote increased consumption of top neck clams, a locally harvested and under-utilized sea clam

$13,480 to Red Planet Vegetable Farm in Johnston for farm improvements that will increase crop production and reduce labor costs while incorporating green energy into farm operations

$10,000 to RI Mushroom Company in West Kingston for a second mushroom grow house to cultivate specialty mushrooms

$7925 to RI Shellfisherman’s Association to produce three PSAs highlighting commercial shellfishing and local shellfish available to RI consumers

$11,000 to Sidewalk Ends Farm in Providence for farm equipment and cold storage system infrastructure to grow their business

$16,400 to Snake Den Farm in Johnston for equipment to support the creation of a farmer/producer coop/community farm

$7,500 to the Local Catch in Charlestown to increase the presence of RI seafood at RI farmers markets, increase Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs), improve brand awareness of RI-landed seafood and launch a web-based distribution channel

$14,450 to Urban Greens Food Co-op in Providence to utilize professional design services for the layout of an urban retail grocer with a focus on equal access, sustainably-sourced and local food

$19,840 for the Young Farmer Network to expand Young Farmer Nights programming, develop a Short Courses curriculum and to enhance outreach efforts


Cox Local Video: Eat Drink RI Market


Walrus and Carpenter Oysters Announces Second Summer Farm Dinner Series with Five Renowned Rhode Island Chefs

This summer Walrus and Carpenter Oysters is pairing up with New Rivers, Nick’s on Broadway, north, birch, and Ella’s to create an unprecedented farm dinner experience with chefs committed to sourcing in-state seafood. A combination of ecological tour, gourmet meal, wine from the experts at Bottles, and local farming immersion, these dinners are no ordinary dining out experience!

The evening begins with a boat tour of the 3-acre offshore oyster farm, with discussion and time for questions about the local ecosystem and significant environmental benefits of oyster farming. Afterwards, an in-the-water raw bar will feature an opportunity to enjoy on-the-spot harvested oysters. Following the raw bar, we’ll take a walk on stunning East Beach, followed by a seated multi-course white tablecloth dinner. Each chef has designed an original meal, and select chefs will join us for the entire night. Bottles will be pairing and pouring wine for each course. We’ll return again to the marina by boat around 7pm. Tickets are $150.00 for the entire experience, including food and drink, and only thirty will be sold for each night.

In addition, a portion of proceeds from each ticket sold benefits Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) and their “Lots of Hope” program. SCLT provides access to land, education, and other resources so people in Greater Providence can grow food in environmentally sustainable ways and create community food systems where locally produced, affordable, and healthy food is available to all.

Dinner Dates:

July 13 – Chef Jeanie Roland of Ella’s
August 9 – Southside Community Land Trust Oyster Bash
August 10 – Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway
August 12 – Chef Ben Sukle of birch
August 16 – Chef James Mark of north
August 17 – Chef Beau Vestal of New Rivers

Tickets can be purchased online at walrusandcarpenteroysters.com. Tickets go on sale May 1st, 2014.

View photos from Eat Drink RI’s 2013 dinner experience at Walrus and Carpenter Oysters with Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway

May 1, 2014 0 comment
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