Narragansett Tribe, other local producers among the grantees
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| Rep. Teresa Tanzi, left |
The LASA program, established in 2012 by the General
Assembly and managed by DEM, is designed to support the growth and success of
small food businesses in Rhode Island.
The program prioritizes building capacity for markets,
connecting local farms and fishers with food-insecure communities, and
supporting agriculture producers and fishers along with the development of
small food enterprises.
The LASA program provides grants that directly benefit and
strengthen RI’s local food system by providing funding for projects that help
support the growth, development, and marketing of RI
Grown produce and RI Seafood. Over the last
12 years, LASA has provided $3,111,238 through individual program grants up to
$20,000 with no direct match required.
In
this grant round, 33 awards were distributed across various categories,
including agriculture, aquaculture, seafood or fishery-based projects, and
farmers' markets that support these sectors.
Given the strong competition, the LASA committee conducted a
thorough evaluation process. The goal was to ensure that funding
recommendations were equitable and diverse, considering factors such as Environmental
Justice alongside scores. The final list of grantees reflects the
program’s commitment to expanding the scope and diversity of its awardees.
“The LASA grant program taps into our state’s incredible
potential by building on our existing strengths,” said Senate Environment
& Agriculture Committee Chairwoman V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37,
South Kingstown). “These grants enhance food security, boost small businesses,
and make Rhode Island more sustainable and resilient. They are an investment in
our people and our future, and in the agriculture and seafood industries that
mean so much to our state. I am grateful to the many supporters and
stakeholders who continue to make this program possible.”
“LASA grants have been instrumental in growing a robust,
resilient, and sustainable local food industry in Rhode Island,” said
Representative Teresa A. Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown,
Narragansett). “This year, the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island is
receiving a grant to expand their successful seafood donation program, which
does important work in my district and beyond by suppling fresh local seafood
to vulnerable community members, while supporting local fishers and reducing
waste by finding a home for species that are under-appreciated in the market.
Another grantee is the Narragansett-based Wicked Tiny Farm, which will be
improving the overall efficiency of their operation, particularly by upgrading
their wash-pack and sanitation stations. Both of these projects are improving
resiliency, equity, and sustainability by ensuring that we can produce and
deliver food locally to those who need it.”
“Today’s LASA awards will continue to help Rhode Island’s farmers, fishers, and food producers expand their operations, increase efficiency, and implement sustainable practices,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “As federal programs supporting local food systems face uncertainty and cuts, continued state support for LASA is crucial for the resilience of Rhode Island’s local food system.”
LASA 2025 grantees:
- Annie’s
Farm (Providence) - $8,881: To purchase a tool shed, small animal
exclusion fencing, and irrigation equipment to boost production of
vegetables and African specialty crops, along with harvest bins and carts.
- Aquidneck
Island Oyster Company (South Kingstown) - $20,000: For a
shellfish counting machine to support operations to meet the growing
demand for bay scallops and enhance oyster production.
- Ayers
Foundation (Westerly) - $13,600: To upgrade to a more powerful
generator to expand volume capacity and ensure uninterrupted service for
the Farmers Community Food Hub cold storage facilities.
- Big
Train Farm (North Scituate) - $19,980: To support six beginning
farm operations in the Seed to Seed Farm School apprenticeship program,
which provides training in core farm business skills and wage assistance.
- Chai
Thao dba Daily Farm (Providence) - $17,502: To purchase a walk-in
cooler for vegetable storage to ensure proper storage and handling of
vegetables for markets.
- Chou
Vang (Hope) - $7,000: For an outdoor wood storage shed to store
farm equipment and produce. This extra space will benefit all the
Southside Community Land Trust farmers at the Good Earth Farm.
- Commercial
Fisheries Center of RI (Wakefield) - $18,000: To expand the reach
of the Seafood Donation Program, which provides underappreciated, local
seafood species caught by RI Fishermen and fishing businesses to Rhode
Islanders facing food insecurity.
- Eliya
Ntahondereye (Providence) - $5,444: For a walk-behind tractor and
tiller, new harvest bins for farmer’s market and wholesale sales, and
other small equipment like fencing and a garden cart.
- Farm
Coast Brewery dba Gnarly Vines Farm (Tiverton) - $13,546: To
upgrade mobile poultry processing equipment to improve efficiency, worker
safety, and processing capacity to reduce costs and meet the growing
demand for direct-to-consumer poultry sales.
- Farm
Fresh Rhode Island (Providence) - $18,000: To expand Hope’s
Harvest program to support small, BIPOC farmers in Rhode Island by
providing contracts to grow produce for the emergency food system, thereby
connecting food insecure communities with farmers' fresh, healthy, locally
grown fruits and vegetables.
- Farmacy
Herbs LLC (Providence) - $18,136: To expand production by
renovating the current drying room to help reduce electricity costs,
ensure better climate controls, and a shorter drying and processing cycle
for herbal teas and products.
- Grateful
Bee Apiary (North Smithfield) - $19,533: To double honey
production and enhance processing capabilities, which will increase local
honey availability, improve food safety, and strengthen partnerships with
Rhode Island farms through pollination services and market access.
- Hallene
Farm Products (West Kingston) - $11,959: To upgrade and modernize
greenhouse heating systems to reduce costs, improve heat consistency, and
minimize crop failures.
- Hmong
RI Association, Inc. (Providence) - $17,225: To acquire essential
tractor components, including a rototiller, front-end loader, flail mower,
and field cultivator to modernize farming operations by improving soil
preparation, weed management, and material handling, reducing manual labor
and operational inefficiencies.
- Hoofprint
Farm (Foster) - $20,000: To construct a dedicated production and
processing facility and install a commercial-grade walk-in cooler to
enhance the quality and longevity of locally grown flowers.
- Interstellar
Microgreens LLC (West Warwick) - $13,000: To purchase a flat
filler, a key piece of equipment, that will automate production, reduce
labor demands, and increase operational capacity by 400%.
- Local
Patch LLC (Portsmouth) - $3,950: To increase carrot production
and distribution to local food banks and improve washing processes by
using a barrel washer.
- Lovewell
Farms (Hope Valley) - $19,951: To expand operations by 50% to
increase production and value-added product capacity to meet growing
market demand while supporting sustainable farming practices.
- Lucayda
Farm LLC (Cranston) - $20,000: To support production automation
to support chemical-free edible plant starts, increasing capacity by 50%
and enhancing efficiency, and expanding service to 20 new CSA members.
- Narragansett
Indian Tribe (Charlestown) - $10,879: To purchase equipment and
supplies to provide healthy, culturally relevant traditional foods to the
Tribal community, promoting healing and well-being while reconnecting with
ancestral gardening practices and reclaiming food sovereignty and
addressing health disparities rooted in historical trauma caused by
colonization.
- Northern
Rhode Island Conservation District (Johnston) - $20,000: To
improve and upgrade the electrical infrastructure for current agricultural
producers at Snake Den Farm, so they can expand their propagation
operations and support future agricultural land leases.
- Open
fArms Retreat (Cumberland) - $19,895: To purchase a small tractor
to increase production, sustainability, and capacity of the extensive
no-till raised bed system for produce and herb production.
- P&L
Bayside Apiary (Barrington) - $11,453: To upgrade and expand
queen-rearing and nucleus colony production to meet the growing demands of
local beekeepers and farmers.
- Phoenix
Ocean Farm (Portsmouth) - $3,700: To expand a newly
re-established oyster farm in the Sakonnet River through the purchase of
20 bottom cages, enabling growth from 25,000 to 100,000 oyster seedlings.
- Potter’s
Farm (Providence) - $20,000: To purchase a walk-behind tiller
with interchangeable implements and fencing materials to improve
efficiency and protect crops.
- Quonnie
LLC (Charlestown) - $20,000: To install a clam sorting and
counting machine and shucking equipment, along with additional shellfish
harvesting tools to support the processing, handling, and distribution of
underutilized seafood species.
- Sanctuary
Herbs of Providence (Smithfield) - $5,971: To purchase a
commercial dehydrator and an upgraded POS system. These improvements will
increase our purchasing power with the local farmers we partner with and
decrease the amount of time it takes to dehydrate goods for our
value-added tea blends and spices.
- Small
World Farm, LLC (Little Compton) - $20,000: To install a walk-in
cold storage unit to preserve harvest and expand market opportunities and
reduce food waste, enhance collaboration with neighboring farmers, and
support food security.
- Smithfield
Growers (Smithfield) - $9,799: To expand mushroom production
through the acquisition of upgraded equipment to streamline production,
improve efficiency, and support growth to meet increasing demand.
- Stonehenge
Farm (Pascoag) - $19,888: To upgrade equipment used for cold
storage to more effectively produce, store, and sell a greater quantity of
food on site.
- The
Cove Oyster Co. LLC (Narragansett) - $18,500: To purchase cages
for shellfish bed restoration work and to engage BIPOC youth through
engagement programs.
- West
Passage Oyster Company (North Kingstown) - $12,740: To unlock new
markets by increasing oyster production by 29% through sustainable
aquaculture.
- Wicked
Tiny Farm LLC (Narragansett) - $12,564: To purchase harvesting
equipment, upgraded equipment for sanitation systems, and a multi-use
trailer to provide on-farm and at-market cold storage for harvested crops.
DEM works
across many fronts to benefit and strengthen RI’s green economy and to
assist local farmers and fishers in growing their businesses. DEM also
continues to make investments in critical infrastructure as well as provide
farm incubation space to new farmers through its Urban Edge Farm and Snake Den Farm properties.
Rhode Island is home to a thriving young farmer network,
with more than 1,000 farms. According to the recently published 2022 Census of Agriculture,
Rhode Island has the highest percentage of beginning farmers in the country.
Both the number of farms and the total land in farms in RI grew from 2017 to
2022 according to the census data, demonstrating the increased support for
local agriculture and food throughout the state. Supporting local agriculture
benefits all Rhode Islanders, ensures our future food security, enhances our
environment, and celebrates the state’s unique food cultures and landscape.
