CRAFT at Chatham University receives $3 million from the USDA to support Appalachian farms and food businesses
Chatham University has received $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Chatham’s Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, & Transformation (CRAFT) to partner with Rural Action and other regional organizations to form the Appalachia USDA Regional Food Business Center. The cooperative agreement grant is part of $400 million in funding from the USDA to support the USDA Regional Food Business Center initiative, which will create 12 Regional Food Business Centers across the country.
The funding from the USDA will enable CRAFT to support the development and implementation of the Appalachia USDA Regional Food Business Center (ARFBC) through June 2028, building on an existing body of work led by the Central Appalachia Network to create resilient food systems. CRAFT will also advise and support the coordination, governance, and project management of the ARFBC for the 52 Appalachian counties in Pennsylvania, with a focus on social sustainability that supports diverse food and farm business owners in achieving their own articulated goals throughout their business’ lifecycle. CRAFT will support technical assistance programs, the development of a consulting network, and the launch of the business builder subaward grant program.
“CRAFT is excited to join Rural Action and many other organizations in the development of the Appalachia USDA Regional Food Business Center,” said Cassandra Malis, Director of Community and Learning at CRAFT. “Specifically, we are looking forward to building on the work that the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) has been doing in the region for the past 30 years.”
The USDA Regional Food Business Centers work to support a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system by providing localized assistance to support small to mid-sized producers, processors, and distributors. Resilient supply chains are built upon strong relationships. The approach of the USDA Regional Food Business Centers relies on the cultivation of those relationships—between individuals, communities, regions, sectors, and institutions—with an eye toward economic success and equitable social and financial benefits.
The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food & Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University is working to transform the future of food and agriculture in Western Pennsylvania and beyond by cultivating a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive food system. CRAFT is an integral part of Chatham’s Falk School of Sustainability & Environment Food Studies programs and provides food business support, food system research, and food system consulting to farmers, food business owners, and food system visionaries. Learn more at https://craft.chatham.edu.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact communications@chatham.edu.