Hawai‘i to Receive Over $2 Million to Help Feed Families

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i has been awarded $2,128,040 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support small farmers in food insecure communities. The federal funding is awarded through the USDA’s Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), which was established through legislation authored by Senators Schatz and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and signed into law in the 2018.

“This new federal funding will give Hawai‘i farmers more resources to grow their small businesses and help feed local families with fresh, home-grown food,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The MGFSP is specifically designed to support communities across the U.S. that have significant levels of food insecurity and import significant quantities of food. The program awards grants of $100 to $5,000 to individuals and grants of $100 to $10,000 to Tribes, religious organizations, food banks and other non-profits and federally-funded educational facilities, and local governments in Hawai‘i, Alaska, and insular areas. The grants may be used to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food, including through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations.