Two Indiana County farms will each receive a share of $3.4 million to be given to 34 entities from the state department of Agriculture to help connect fresh, healthy and affordable food to low-income facilities.
The Fresh Food Financing Initiative will help food businesses team up with local farmers to reach communities that are far away from fresh food sources or are completely blocked off. The funding comes on the heels of the abrupt cancellation of $13 million in contracted funding through the federal government’s local food purchasing assistance program, which state agriculture department officials said has left a significant gap in the budgets of Pennsylvania’s food banks and over 180 farmers who supported the programs with food.
The two Indiana County recipients are John-Paul’s Farm in East Wheatfield Township, which will receive $52,512, and Kingdom Acres Forestry near Glen Campbell, which will receive $90,000.
