Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley (BFBLGLV) has been awarded $100,000 through the USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) for the promotion of direct producer-to-consumer markets in the Lehigh Valley.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Friday that the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is awarding $13.3 million in FMPP grants to 164 marketing and promotion projects across the nation.
“Today, USDA is helping to create economic opportunities for producers, increase access to fresh, healthy food for consumers, and connect rural and urban communities across the country,” said Secretary Vilsack.
Although Lehigh Valley residents are spending nearly $1.7 billion on food every year, the majority of these food dollars is leaving the region through the purchase of food imports. Households are spending, on average, less than $12 a year on products purchased directly from farmers.
This grant will be used to promote venues for purchasing locally grown foods in order to increase consumption of locally grown agricultural products:

• CSAs / Farm Share programs
• Farm stands
• Farm markets

Grant funds will be used to update the search engine on this website to make it easier for people to find locally grown foods. We’ll also be creating a 2016 CSA and Farm Share Guide and an updated 2016 Farmers’ Market map.