The The Office of Community and Economic Development at Fresno State was awarded a $100,000 USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program grant to expand its farmers’ market efforts in Fresno and Kings counties.
The purpose of the program is to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets.
The grant allows the Office of Community and Economic Development to expand its farmers’ market efforts to the rural cities of Avenal, Huron and Orange Cove through its “Rural Farmers’ Market Initiative: Low-Income and Food Desert Communities.”
The focus of the initiative is to build local producer-to-consumer food outlets that will, among other things, facilitate access to fresh fruits and vegetables for residents of disadvantaged food desert communities. Activities will include farmers’ market manager training, public health compliance training for prospective vendors, cottage food operation training for local entrepreneurs and implementation for farmers’ market promotional plans. Three local, part-time farmers’ market manager jobs will be created through the project.
For more information, contact Ismael Herrera at 559.278.0519 or isherrera@csufresno.edu .
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