Programs aimed at encouraging healthy eating by improving access to fresh produce recently received a big investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The department awarded $59.4 million to the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program's Produce Prescription and Nutrition Incentive programs, according to a Nov. 22 news release.
“Partners such as Crossroads Community Food Network Inc., are invaluable for USDA’s nutrition security efforts," USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young said in the release. "By understanding the lived experiences of their community, they help deliver USDA programs into the hands of the people who need them most.”
Jacobs-Young visited the Tacoma Park Silver Spring Co-Op which, in partnership with Crossroads Community Food Network, will create a Year-Round Fresh Checks program thanks to funding under the program, the release stated.
In the release, Dr. Dione Toombs, acting director for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, stated "this investment serves to ensure that even more consumers can provide fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables for their families." She added that additional money from the American Rescue Plan Act allowed NIFA to help programs applying for assistance for the first time.
Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program projects work to spearhead growth in underrepresented communities and gather data to find and improve best practices on a bigger scale, the release noted.
