Rural Advancement Foundation International-Usa

PURCHASE LAND AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS TO INCREASE CAPITAL AND MARKET ACCESS.

TO ASSIST FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED BORROWERS AND FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN ACCESSING FSA LOAN ASSISTANCE THROUGH A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS.

FARM LOANS FINANCIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH

TO EXPAND THE DELIVERY OF CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE, EMPHASIS ONCLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE, TO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS AND RANCHERS INCLUDING OUTREACH TO MINORITY STUDENTS.

TO EXPAND DELIVERY OF CONSERVATION SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT, BETWEEN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CENTER FOR FAITH BASED AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS AND RAFI-USA IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF FAITH AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY PROVIDING LOCAL LEADERS THE RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSIST IN ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES BARRIERS FACED BY FARMERS SHIFTING T ALTERNATIVE MARKETPLACES TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND; THUS, SERVING BOTH FARMERS AND BUYERS.

THE FRESH BUCKS EBT INCENTIVE PROGRAM WILL BUILD ON RAFI-USA'S EXISTING, SUCCESSFUL EBT INCENTIVE PROGRAM BY 1) INCREASING THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF LOCAL FOOD MARKETS SERVED AND 2) USING INNOVATIVE SNAP OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO INCREASE SNAP SHOPPER ATTENDANCE AND FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PURCHASES. FIRST, RAFI-USA WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FRESH BUCKS FARMERS MARKETS SUPPORTED TO 12 ANNUALLY. FARMERS MARKETS WILL BE PLACED ON A FOUR-YEAR TRACK TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITH ANNUAL BENCHMARKS AROUND RECORDKEEPING, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, EVALUATIONS, AND FUNDING DESIGNED TO INCREASE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. BASED ON RAFI-USA'S EXPERIENCE RUNNING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, MARKETS SEE THE GREATEST INCREASE IN SNAP SALES WHEN THEY INVEST IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH. TO THIS END WE WILL PARTNER WITH FOUR FARMERS MARKETS TO COORDINATE SNAP AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS WHICH RELY ON SNAP RECIPIENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND LOCAL CONNECTIONS TO DEVELOP MARKETING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. RAFI-USA WILL ALSO SUPPORT SIX LOCAL FOOD OUTLETS DEDICATED TO INCREASING LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS' ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD BUT WHO MAY HAVE LOW ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY (MOBILE MARKETS, POP-UP MARKETS, CSAS) IN BECOMING SNAP-CERTIFIED RETAILERS, PURCHASING EBT EQUIPMENT, OR ACCEPTING EBT INCENTIVES. LASTLY, WE WILL PARTNER WITH LOCAL GROCERY STORES TO PROVIDE EBT INCENTIVES. THIS WILL EXPAND THE IMPACT OF FRESH BUCKS IN SUPPORTING HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS FOR A LARGER NUMBER OF EBT SHOPPERS, AND WILLBE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RAFI-USA TO WORK WITH AND LEARN FROM A NEW TYPE OF LOCAL FOOD RETAILER. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF FRESH BUCKS EBT INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE SNAP PURCHASES OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF NC LOCAL FOOD MARKETS WITH THE CAPACITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY TO RUN SUCCESSFUL, COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED EBT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS.

RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

NORTH CAROLINA HAS AT LEAST 349 FOOD DESERTS ACROSS 80 COUNTIES, IMPACTING OVER 1.5 MILLION RESIDENTS. ALONG WITH ISSUES OF FOOD INSECURITY IN RURAL NC COMMUNITIES, MANY SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS STRUGGLE BECAUSE OF LIMITED ACCESS TO MARKETS, BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. THIS RESULTS IN HIGHER RATES OF DEBT AND LOWER RATES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND OWNERSHIP RATES THAN WHITE FARMERS. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, RAFI-USA'S FARM AND FAITH PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (FFPP) CONNECTS NORTH CAROLINA CHURCHES WITH SMALL-SCALE FARMERS FROM OUR FARMERS OF COLOR NETWORK TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE FOOD-BASED PARTNERSHIPS, SPECIFICALLY COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA) PROJECTS. FAITH COMMUNITIES ARE FOUND IN NEARLY EVERY RURAL COMMUNITY, SERVING AS PLACES OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT. FOR RURAL FAITH COMMUNITIES THESE PARTNERSHIPS INCREASE FOOD SECURITY AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO FRESH, HEALTHY FOODS FOR CONSISTENTLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. FOR FARMERS OF COLOR, THESE PARTNERSHIPS CREATE ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INCOME, BUILD CAPACITY, AND INCREASE THEIR ACCESS TO NEW LOCAL MARKETS. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR FIRST FFPP CSA PROJECT, WE WILL DEVELOP SIMILAR DIRECT PRODUCER-TO-CONSUMER MARKETS IN EIGHT NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THIS PROJECT PRIORITIZES THE MOST DISTRESSED COUNTIES. OUR INTENTION IS THAT EACH CSA IS A SELF-SUSTAINING PARTNERSHIP THAT CONTINUES EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF FARMERS AND CHURCHES INVOLVED. THIS MODEL IS REPLICABLE AND SERVES TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS. RAFI-USA IS UNIQUELY ABLE TO CARRY OUT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT BUILDS ON THE EXISTING WORK OF OUR COME TO THE TABLE, FARMERS OF COLOR NETWORK, AND EXPANDING FARMERS MARKET ACCESS PROGRAMS.

PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE TO HELP PRODUCERS WITH THE TRADITIONAL ERP APPLICATION PROCESS.