Pennsylvania offers $10M in grant funding for food retailers affected by pandemic

Pennsylvania businesses working to maintain access to fresh, healthy food during the covid-19 pandemic are eligible for grants from $10 million in CARES Act funding, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday.

The Fresh Food Financing Initiative Covid-19 Relief Fund is available to food-centered organizations and businesses impacted by the pandemic, including grocery stores, convenience stores, farmer’s markets, urban farms, food aggregation centers and others.

“Pennsylvania’s food retailers stepped up to the plate to protect those putting food on the shelf, to think outside of the box to protect the most vulnerable, and to make investments to support those using assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC to support their families,” Wolf said. “I will be forever grateful to those who have worked hard to ensure food is always accessible through this pandemic; our front-line workers in grocery stores and farmers markets are among Pennsylvania’s heroes.”

To be eligible, more than 50% of sales must be from staple and perishable foods to consumers and the retailer must serve customers that live in a low-to-moderate income area. Applicants also must provide access to affordable, high-quality fresh produce, meat and dairy products and other healthy grocery items for low-to-moderate income shoppers, and must accept SNAP and WIC to the maximum extent possible.

In recognition of the disproportionate impacts of both covid-19 and food shortages on communities made up of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), prioritization will be given to businesses owned by minorities and serving low-income BIPOC communities. Additional prioritization criteria include businesses located in or serving a USDA-designated food desert; businesses sourcing and selling Pennsylvania-grown or processed products to the extent practicable; and applicants with supplier diversity.

“This pandemic has revealed many things, one of the most prevalent has been about where our food comes from — how it gets from the farm to those who need it. This relief fund is about strengthening the local food system and improving food security and nutrition,” Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “We need to stimulate local economies, increase market opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers, create jobs, and contribute to better health by improving access to fresh, local foods — we need to feed Pennsylvania, now and in the years to come. And that is all a part of this initiative.”

For additional details or to apply for one of the grants, see Agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.